Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Study: Arab-Americans fear federal policies more than harrassment
Daily Bulletin ^ | 6/26/06 | Kelly Rush

Posted on 06/26/2006 9:49:05 AM PDT by NormsRevenge

Arab-Americans were the victims of more hate crimes and became more distrustful of law enforcement, particularly federal agencies, in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, according to a study released this month. The study, conducted by the Vera Institute of Justice, was launched in 2002 when researchers began looking at changes in policing tactics following the tragedies and how the changes affected people of Arab descent.

The report comes on the heels of a Freedom of Information Request filed last month by Southern California Muslims who want to know if they've been spied on by the FBI.

The FOIA request, filed with the FBI's Los Angeles office, seeks all information regarding whose information has been collected and who it was shared with.

The study - one of the first to examine the effects of the terror attacks nationally on law enforcement agencies with high Arab-American concentrations - looks at what caused tensions and what types of outreach programs may improve relations between the groups.

Researchers conducted a telephone survey of residents, officers and FBI field agents at 16 sites around the country. Four of those sites, which were not named, were selected for more in-depth study.

In every site, Arab-Americans reported a heightened level of public suspicion made worse by certain media reports and governmental actions, such as so-called voluntary interviews, registration requirements and deportation, the study says.

Though Arab residents were concerned about increasing numbers of hate crimes, they were more worried about federal policies and practices than harassment by other residents.

The study also reported that police were successful in reducing tensions when they started outreach programs.

"Arab-Americans across the nation have endured (Sept. 11th's) political and legislative reverberations in a way that other Americans have not,'' the study says. "Arab-Americans have not only become targets of individual acts of hate and bias, but they have also been subject to new federal policies and practices imposed in response to the attacks.''

Following Sept. 11, a number of actions were taken to thwart terror attacks that also alienated Arabs in the country.

In Oct. 2001, Congress passed the USA Patriot Act, which broadened the FBI's powers to an extent some called unconstitutional. Between 2001 and 2003, about 19,000 men were interviewed, including Iraqi-Americans and Iraqi nationals.

In Southern California, Muslims of various descent have reported being interviewed by FBI agents. Some believe their mosques are being spied on, that students are being questioned and people are being unfairly detained.

Officials with the FBI's Los Angeles office have repeatedly denied any unlawful spying and have pointed to recent efforts to improve relations with such residents.

Shoaib Patail, a member of the Islamic Center of Inland Empire in Rancho Cucamonga, said several people made threatening phone calls to the mosque shortly after the attacks, and some threw garbage on the lawn of the church, which members reported to police.

Patail said he has never felt personally threatened, and believes the community has a positive relationship with local law enforcement.

Patail said the best thing the Muslim community can do is reach out to other residents.

"Our community started realizing that keeping ourselves isolated from the rest of the community won't do any good,'' he said. "We need to get involved more in social, interfaith activities.''

Shakeel Syed, executive director of the Anaheim-based Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, said the report fails to address the detentions of thousands of Muslims of various ethnicities in 2003, some of whom were imprisoned for years with no hearings.

Syed said the report also could have better studied how many Muslims are volunteering with police departments in community policing programs.

The federal government, he said, must be held more accountable.

The Shura Council and the mosques it represents have tried numerous times to reach out to federal officials with little success, he said.

"The government has failed so miserably (in engaging Muslims) that one could speculate it's by design,'' he said.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: arabamericans; fear; federalpolicies; govwatch; harrassment; jihadinamerica; mosques; shura; study; wot

1 posted on 06/26/2006 9:49:09 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

Why would Muslims feel alienated if they are also against terrorism? /rhetorical


2 posted on 06/26/2006 9:52:13 AM PDT by oolatec
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
"In every site, Arab-Americans reported a heightened level of public suspicion"

Must be doing something right, they are starting to whine.

3 posted on 06/26/2006 9:54:43 AM PDT by WorkerbeeCitizen (Liberals are not bright people - RL)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
WHAT hate crimes? Name ten. And make sure they're ACTUAL crimes, not the "he looked at me crosseyed" type.

The only actual hate crime I can recall in the wake of September 11 took place when some yahoo shot a Sikh from India because he "looked Arab".

And does hijacking an airplane and ramming it into the country's most populated building qualify?
4 posted on 06/26/2006 9:55:19 AM PDT by Question Liberal Authority (Now that Zarqawi is dead, who will the Democrats nominate in 2008?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
"The government has failed so miserably (in engaging Muslims) that one could speculate it's by design,'' he said.

And more importantly, muslims have failed to miserably to support efforts in anti-terrorism that the need to speculate about motive is unnecessary.

5 posted on 06/26/2006 9:56:04 AM PDT by Dark Skies ("The only way to find yourself is in the fires of sorrow." -- Oswald Chambers)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

Yes.

Perhaps a bit more proactive behavior in outing terrorists, terrorism, anti-American behaviors and so on.

Silence is agreement. Some have gone beyond that.


6 posted on 06/26/2006 9:56:12 AM PDT by heldmyw
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

Yes.

Perhaps a bit more proactive behavior in outing terrorists, terrorism, anti-American behaviors and so on.

Silence is agreement. Some have gone beyond that.


7 posted on 06/26/2006 9:56:12 AM PDT by heldmyw
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: oolatec

Exactly!

If they have nothing to hide, start turning in the radicals among you.


8 posted on 06/26/2006 9:56:48 AM PDT by 308MBR ( Somebody sold the GOP to the socialists, and the GOP wasn't theirs to sell.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

Sounds like they are living in the WRONG COUNTRY.......How 'bout getting your turbaned @sses on a plane headed for the Middle East.................you will feel a whole lot better. (And so will the Americans you leave behind!)


9 posted on 06/26/2006 10:18:28 AM PDT by newcthem
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: newcthem

Sorry all you ragheads, but why should we need to care how you interpret your death book aka kooran. I'd flush one just for kicks.


10 posted on 06/26/2006 10:29:01 AM PDT by bicyclerepair (Moonbats are everywhere!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
Our enemies are radical Muslims, not Arabs. I've got a cousin who married a Christian Arab fellow who is a great guy. He's on our side.

If the Islamists feel picked on, well boo hoo hoo. Get out if you don't like it.

-ccm

11 posted on 06/26/2006 10:45:29 AM PDT by ccmay (Too much Law; not enough Order)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
There can never be such a thing as a muslim-American.

Foreign agents have no inherent rights in my country; never will.

12 posted on 06/26/2006 10:50:45 AM PDT by Publius6961 (Multiculturalism is the white flag of a dying country)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
Arabs living in America should seriously consider return to their homeland. The Islamic world is forcing the coming of the time when harassment will turn more deadly. The time to get out is now.
13 posted on 06/26/2006 5:00:53 PM PDT by R.W.Ratikal (8)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
Arab-Americans were the victims of more hate crimes...

Click here for the FBI's 2004 hate crime stats. Other years are also available.

Guess it depends on the definition of more...

14 posted on 06/26/2006 5:06:09 PM PDT by mewzilla (Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist. John Adams)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson