Posted on 01/06/2005 6:04:33 PM PST by Land_of_Lincoln_John
(CNSNews.com) - An Islamic advocacy group wants the Bush administration to clarify whether American Muslims participating in this year's Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca, will be fingerprinted or singled out for special security measures based on their participation in the annual religious pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations has set up a "Hajji Hotline" and a downloadable incident report form for Muslims who believe their constitutional rights are being violated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials, CAIR announced in a press release.
(According to CAIR, "Hajji" is the term used to describe a Muslim who has completed the Hajj, which begins later this month and ends around January 21. CAIR estimates that as many as 10,000 American Muslims go on Hajj each year.)
CAIR said it decided to act, after receiving reports that American Muslim citizens had been singled out for security checks and fingerprinting when they attended a recent Islamic conference in Canada.
"Several of the Muslim detainees told CAIR they objected strenuously to being fingerprinted, but were informed by CBP (Customs/Border Patrol) representatives that 'you have no rights' and that they would be held until they agreed to the fingerprinting procedure," CAIR said.
An agency spokesperson later admitted that the Muslim citizens were fingerprinted because of their participation in the Canadian conference, said CAIR, which is calling for an investigation of that incident.
CAIR said it has repeatedly requested clarification from the Department of Homeland Security and the CBP, but "no clear response has been given as to whether mere participation in Islamic religious activities is now being viewed as 'probable cause' for increased security checks or forced fingerprinting of U.S. citizens."
CAIR's Legal Director Arsalan Iftikhar said he wants answers to the following questions:
1. Under what U.S. law(s) are border and customs agents given broad authority or discretion to fingerprint and detain American citizens with the threat of arrest for noncompliance?
2. If fingerprinting and detention are refused by an American citizen, what are the legal repercussions of such a refusal?
3. Does mere attendance at an Islamic conference constitute sufficient 'probable cause' of a criminal act to justify a detention which could be legally tantamount to an arrest?
CAIR describes its mission as enhancing understanding of Islam, encouraging dialogue, protecting civil liberties, empowering American Muslims, and building coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
"The official view of the Bush Administration is that so many Muslims all in one place is the best of all possible outcomes."
Yes, I'd agree that this is a target-rich environment.
To address the point of the article, I think that our government is derelict in its duties if it does not direct special scrutiny to Muslims.
But given the PC on both sides of the aisle, I'm not going to hold my breath.
"An Islamic advocacy group wants the Bush administration to clarify whether American Muslims participating in this year's Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca, will be fingerprinted or singled out for special security measures based on their participation in the annual religious pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia."
Easy solution for them - don't go there.
Correct solution for them - blow off that excuse for a religion.
Until we are attacked by Blond Sweedish Nuns, I'd say "if the Profile Fits..."
Refusing finger printing is the cause of detention, not being Muslim. You can't even hold a federal job without being finger printed, even if you are just a janitor.
Why should Muslims be different?
I wish CAIR would speak out against Saudi-funded, islamist, Wahabbi, hamas-supporting front groups posing as arabic-islamic civil rights organizations.
We're headed from PC mode to full butt kissing mode. We must not offend anyone, you know.
Easy solution for us. Don't let them back in.
Easy solution; Bush should issue a statement "Out of concerns for fairness, All Christians, Jews and muslims attending the Hajj in mecca will be closely scrutinized and have their rectums probed with a 2 by 4!!"
Yea - that would treat everyone fair.
Some other notable al queda ventures include the honey trade in Yemen, the distribution of child porn n Germany, gun running in Africa and Asia, and heroin smugggling
bump
LOL, that's some top notch comedy.
Dude!
Get with the program!
The USA in conjunction with Israel, Rome and surviving segments of Atlantean priesthood scattered in powrfull positions worldwide, have been monitoring Mecca for 1500 years, and are now coiled to strike against the only true believers of Allah, who started the only religion of peace for all of mankind.
Too late to place bets on the outcome....
why should they ever have to codemn their murdering countrymen? It's no big deal...
I thought Haji was the kid from The Jungle Book.
countrymen? I thought the murderers were Saudis.
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