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Local Muslims believe they re feeling backlash from Sept. 11
Post-Tribune ^ | May 30, 2002 | Lisa Shidler

Posted on 05/30/2002 8:51:05 AM PDT by TopDog2

HAMMOND — Many members of the Northwest Indiana Muslim community have felt frightened and targeted for racial profiling since since Sept. 11.

The stories and feelings aren’t new, but what’s frustrating to Northwest Indiana Muslims is they had hoped the poor treatment might get better with time.

But they say it hasn’t.

Several residents spoke at a forum Wednesday at Purdue University Calumet sponsored by the U.S. Attorney’s office. About 30 people attended the meeting set up to open communications between the Muslim, Arab and Sikh communities. The forum was a response to dozens of questions raised during a meeting at the Northwest Indiana mosque this spring.

The forum included several federal officials from the U.S. Attorney’s office, the FBI, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, who discussed how their departments have changed since Sept. 11 to try to prevent a future attack.

“We’re trying to change the way we approach things,’’ said Joseph Van Bokkelen, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana. “If an act of terrorism occurs, we’re one moment too late. A lot of what we’re doing is a different way of thinking.’’

The forum also came on the heels of FBI Director Robert Mueller saying Wednesday that there may have been more missed clues before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and suggested for the first time that investigators might have uncovered the plot if they had been more diligent about pursuing leads.

Charles S. Porucznik, supervisory senior resident agent of the FBI in Merrillville, said local FBI agents have been keeping a close eye on the national scandal. He couldn’t discuss the specifics, but said the FBI is forming new strategies to battle terrorism in the future.

But local Muslims fear local officials and many Americans are overcome with fear of a future attack, and are retaliating against Muslims.

Ali Khan of the American Muslim Council held a speeding ticket in the air, and said it’s his second traffic violation since Sept. 11. Before that, he said his driving record was nearly impeccable.

He realizes traffic tickets are small issues compared to what some other Muslims are facing, but it still shows racial profiling occurring in Northwest Indiana, he said.

“I’m making an issue out of this. My sense of freedom has been lost since 911,’’ he said.

Van Bokkelen said officials must walk a balancing act to ensure safety of Americans and ensure that civil rights aren’t violated. “We’re trying to address it,’’ Van Bokkelen said. “But we’re taking baby steps.’’


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Indiana
KEYWORDS: babys; backlash; muslims; poor
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To: hillsborofox; TopDog2
...they had hoped the poor treatment might get better with time.

This article enrages me. WHY are authorities having meetings with these people and telling them HOW we are going to fight terrorism at home?

"poor treatment might get better with time..." ---- as has treatment of Americans all over the world? HUH?

Message to law-breaking Muslims residing in America: Praise Allah for the U.S. (secular) legal standard of "innocent until proven guilty". You're privileged not to get your steering wheels chopped off.

21 posted on 05/30/2002 10:40:15 AM PDT by LurkedLongEnough
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To: Elkiejg
Last week in Dearborn, Michigan, the local lebanesehyphenamericans held a celebration of the liberation of Lebanon. Of Lebanon! That was because the hated Eesrahailees had pulled out of southern Lebanon. I am tired of these ba$tard$ celebrating their national holidays here. Go back home where your heart is and celebrate. Its not like Poles or Irish celebrating some national holiday in conjunction with their ethnic origin. They assimilated, and added their names to the stones in Arlington, at Normandy, and places like that in the process. To hell with these traitorous Islamics.
22 posted on 05/30/2002 10:49:07 AM PDT by RushLake
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To: Psalm 73
but where was/is the moral outrage by the fellow adherents? I haven't heard a peep- why haven't they organized a pro-american rally in DC? How about muslim charities helping victims? I'm sure there have been individual acts of kindness and solidarity- but when they do get together the bitch. How about getting the hell out of my country if you feel so persecuted, and go back to the desert where you feel at home?
23 posted on 05/30/2002 12:24:57 PM PDT by ffusco
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To: TopDog2
But local Muslims fear local officials and many Americans are overcome with fear of a future attack, and are retaliating against Muslims.

Well, gee, if they'd get off of their doggone you-know-whats and speak out against what their brethern did, maybe there wouldn't be such a danged problem.

24 posted on 05/30/2002 12:40:29 PM PDT by BlessedBeGod
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To: BlessedBeGod
They haven't seen anything yet!
One more attack and we will be pulling them out of their houses and kicking them all the hell out!
25 posted on 05/30/2002 12:42:47 PM PDT by grammymoon
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To: TopDog2
Backlash? Well not yet, but once your fellow-travelers murder a few thousand more Americans, I can assure you that things will get more "interesting" in your community.
26 posted on 05/30/2002 12:45:01 PM PDT by liberte
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To: TopDog2
Muslims throw grenades into christian churches in Pakistan, bomb children at ice cream shops in Israel, and these pieces of human filth have the gall to say we're mistreating them? Whenever I hear more muslim whining it just reinforces my opinion, they are completely self centered and hateful people. They are not concerned with stopping terrorism or atrocities they want to be able to silently cheer the murderers then get a pat on the back from Americans.
27 posted on 05/30/2002 12:49:37 PM PDT by Godel
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To: G.Mason
"A hyphenated American is not an American at all. This is just as true of the man who puts 'Native' before the hyphen as of the man who puts German or Irish or French before the hyphen. Americanism is a matter of the spirit and of the soul. Our allegiance must be purely to the United States. We must unsparingly condemn any man who holds any other allegiance."-Theodore Roosevelt

Wow! This should be printed on all our paper money, or posted in some other manner for all Americans to read on a daily basis! 'Bout time we asked these arab-"Americans" to recite The Pledge of Allegiance before we bother listening to any of their gripes. A lot of us are still waiting to hear what they can offer to do for our country, other than trying to tear it down.

28 posted on 05/30/2002 4:29:04 PM PDT by roadcat
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To: Elkiejg
"DITTO, DITTO, DITTO. OR - if they don't like it - GET THE H*LL OUT OF AMERICA!"

Nice attitude for a patriot toward American citizens.

29 posted on 05/30/2002 4:32:17 PM PDT by DaGman
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To: TopDog2
When I see a large group of Muslims rallying for the rights of America and Israel to defend themselves, led by Muslim clerics, then maybe I'll feel some compassion.
30 posted on 05/30/2002 4:34:44 PM PDT by Coop
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To: G.Mason
i say amen to that.
31 posted on 05/30/2002 4:39:54 PM PDT by aged
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To: Lexington Green
screw em

Exactly.

32 posted on 05/30/2002 4:41:20 PM PDT by wattsmag2
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To: DaGman; godel
Good point, Gman.

I want to commend my fellow Americans for their calm, dispassionate attitude toward individual Muslims. It shows the world how we operate, even in the face of the extreme and blatant provocation common in the mosques around the country. But for any Muslim to expect this tolerance to last forever .. or just through one more incident ... is just plain foolish.

To our fellow American citizens of the Muslim faith the window of opportunity is till wide open for them to go into American mosques, reform this religion of hate and war, and make it a form of worship worthy of a free citizen of a free republic. That window will not stay open forever. Instead of mouthing off about traffic tickets, the Worthy Oriental Gentleman in this excellent post should be talking to his local Muslim cleric about his mosque's support of terroristic organizations. Get on with it.

I advocate the wholesale removal from this country of Muslims who are not citizens. They should sort themselves out on the home sands and re-apply. While they're still here, they ought to have the intelligence to keep their mouths shut. We now know how they feel about America and American Culture. Frankly, many of our presently restrained citizens are itching to show them some of its more direct sides. For Muslim illegal aliens, their very presence is a sign of a foolish and serious weakness in our institutions. They should be in the air, flying toward the Islamic world tonight.

To both groups, I say, "Don't press your luck."

33 posted on 05/30/2002 4:56:51 PM PDT by Francohio
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To: TopDog2
do these hyphenated americans feel the terror when ever their grandchildren go to places with massive attendance or do they check their back when they are in public places? well i feel for all of us that live wih that. what the he// is a traffic ticket. and by the way i will have my eye on anyone that i don't feel comfortable with. they (people of mid eastern hertage) need to get on the horn with the myriad of patriots and proudly stand for the beliefs of the country they adopted.
34 posted on 05/30/2002 4:56:53 PM PDT by aged
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To: TopDog2
HAMMOND — Many members of the Northwest Indiana Muslim community have felt frightened and targeted for racial profiling since since Sept. 11.

They haven't seen crap yet. IF a nuke or suicide bombers go off it will be the American Kristalnacht.

35 posted on 05/30/2002 5:43:36 PM PDT by Centurion2000
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To: TopDog2
That last guy has to be one of the stupidest guys on the planet. I've gotten a lot more tickets than that guy since 9/11. In fact I've probably gotten more than anyone in the state of Virginia.
36 posted on 06/02/2002 5:28:21 PM PDT by Michael2001
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To: Michael2001
Am a firefighter from florida and now working in Iraq as a firefighter. And let me tell you there are alot of arab,hindu and others of middle eastern descent or look alike people working for the armed service. My friend is a Hindu and is Marine thro and thro. SO before some people go about mouthing off something thats just sucks up air for the rest of us... know the facts. Maybe the Indians should kick us out of the usa, since it was there land first. All races are guility of something there not proud about. But lets try to get along and understand not everbody is bad.
It makes me sad that my brothers where attacked that day and that soliders are dying everday here. But we do it for varous reseason and I like to think its for helping everbody. Everbody needs alittle help time to time.
37 posted on 10/20/2005 2:05:57 PM PDT by latinfirefighter
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