Council on American-Islamic Relations
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW "VOLUNTARY" INTERVIEWS CREATE PERCEPTION OF PROFILING
(WASHINGTON-DC, 3/20/2002) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a
Washington-based Islamic advocacy group, is expressing concern
that plans announced today by Attorney General John Ashcroft to conduct
"voluntary" interviews of an additional 3,000 foreign nationals could perpetuate
the impression of racial and religious profiling against American Muslims and
Arab-Americans.
Ashcroft said the new interviews will be similar to almost 5,000 conducted since
November. Fewer than 20 of the initial interviewees were arrested, all on
charges unrelated to terrorism. The new interviews will be conducted with men
from specific unnamed countries.
"American Muslims, like all Americans, condemn terrorism in all its forms and
seek to ensure the safety of our nation against acts of violence. We believe
however that rounding up the 'usual suspects' based on nothing more than race,
religion or national origin is not an effective law enforcement technique and
creates the perception of profiling," said CAIR Board Chairman Omar Ahmad.
Ahmad added that anyone who has information that could be of use to the
investigation should come forward now and not wait until being contacted for an
interview.
Congressman John Conyers, Jr., Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee,
also criticized the plan for new interviews. A statement released by Conyers in
response to the attorney general's announcement read in part:
"The suggestion that Arab and Muslim Americans appreciate begin singled out and
interrogated is a prime example of the Attorney General's wartime propaganda
machine in full swing. While they are more than willing to contribute to the war
against terrorism, the national leadership of Arab and Muslim organizations have
expressed to me their outrage over this illegal form of racial profiling.
Spreading lies and misleading the American public will only further alienate
hard working Americans and divide the country. While the Bush Administration
speaks of uniting the nation, its continued racial profiling, interrogation and
detention of thousands of Arab and Muslims is having the opposite effect. It is
time for the President to realize that the only thing these practices will
secure is the downfall of democratic freedoms in America."
There are an estimated seven million Muslims in American and some 1.2 billion
worldwide.
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CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-489-5108
E-MAIL - cair@cair-net.org
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