Eric Holder Must End FBI's Abuses Against American Muslims

A recent headline on CNN read, "FBI planting spies in U.S. mosques," Muslim groups allege. This outrage was sparked by revelations that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had sent an agent provocateur into a mosque in southern California who was coercing worshippers in becoming informants and inciting them to make violent statements. The planting of spies in mosques is just the latest in the FBI's long list of actions that have angered both civil libertarians and members of the American Muslim community.

In March 2003, FBI launched the mosque counting project whereby agents were asked to document the number of mosques in their areas, "to help measure the number of terrorism investigations that the various field offices should be expected to open and pursue." By their actions, the FBI needlessly linked terrorism to mosques despite the paucity of any evidence tying the 9-11 hijackers to the mainstream American-Muslim community and the mainstream Muslim community's absolute and unequivocal rejection of terror. Ahead of the 2004 Presidential election, the FBI had launched a so-called October Plan indiscriminately "interviewing" Muslims. In 2005 FBI agents secretly monitored radiation levels at mosques to determine whether nuclear bombs were being assembled there. Nothing was found. In 2008, an American Muslim was arrested and tortured in UAE at the apparent direction of the FBI.

My concerns also relate to a January 2009 Fox News story that reported the FBI's severing of its ties with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a leading American Muslim organization. It was more disconcerting, when a month later a FBI agent stopped by my office purporting to ask questions about my resignation from the Chairmanship of CAIR, an action I had taken eight months ago.

My reasons for leaving CAIR were no secret. In an interview with my local newspaper, I had noted that in order to make the organization a more effective voice in the American socio-political discourse, CAIR must empower a new and younger generation of leaders. My departure was clearly related to disagreements over governing philosophy and yet the FBI perplexingly found something nefarious in a matter that is not entirely out of the ordinary.

The FBI wants to avoid "formally constructed partnerships" with CAIR stemming from concerns over "distinct narrow issues" specific to CAIR's "national leadership." Such vague pronouncements have provided a pretext for some members of Congress to turn the ambiguity into a "government-wide policy." In order to remain consistent with the constitutional hallmarks of due process, it is essential that our lawmakers and law enforcement agencies do not make hasty pronouncements that can needlessly hurt innocent people. If CAIR has "terrorist ties" as some members of Congress claim then the FBI should shut CAIR down. However, if there is no evidence linking CAIR to any terrorist activity, then the FBI should re-engage with CAIR.

From 2005 to 2008 as the Chairman of CAIR, I participated in numerous meetings and press conferences with the FBI. I conducted sensitivity and diversity training for the FBI and at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia. During this time, no one from the FBI ever alerted me about "distinct narrow issues." In all of my association with the organization, I was not aware of any unlawful activity.

The FBI Director Robert Muller recently said, "The communities from which we need the most help are those who trust us the least. But it is in these communities that we must re-double our efforts." It is unclear as to how the steps taken by the FBI will lead to a building of trust.

Perhaps tired of the growing list of provocative actions against the community or perhaps indignation over being side-stepped, CAIR led several American Muslim groups in asking members of the community to "consider suspending all outreach activities with FBI offices." Not all major Muslim groups joined this call perhaps realizing that such a call is counter-productive. Suspending dialogue can only make matters worse. Moreover, it is unclear as to what the groups meant by suspending "all outreach?" If the FBI comes knocking on the door of an American Muslim organization seeking diversity training should they be turned away? The groups seeking boycott went on to say, "The credibility of all Muslim organizations who maintain ties to the FBI that do not react decisively is undermined in the eyes of the community." Does this mean that the American Muslims who just won the 2008 Community Leadership Awards from the FBI are turncoats, if they accept the award?

Whatever legitimate concerns FBI has about CAIR, they need to give the organization's 11-member national governing board a chance to weigh the facts. During my tenure at CAIR, no such overture was made by the FBI.

Even if CAIR feels that it is unfairly taking one on the chin, it should not issue self-serving calls asking members of the American Muslim community to break off relationship with the FBI, especially when such relationships in small measures do help in promoting mutual understanding. While the results of such interactions are not always spectacular, nonetheless these interactions are helpful for building civic harmony.

Speaking from my personal experience, having conducted dozens of hours of training for members of law enforcement, such interactions allow outsiders like me to understand the myriad of challenges facing law enforcement. It helps to ensure that our demands are tempered by the recognition of the enormous challenges law enforcement officials face in an effort to ensure the public safety of all. On the other hand, even the few hours that law enforcement officers spend in diversity training classes allow them better perspective on the concerns of minority communities, helping them to more effectively engage.

The FBI's hasty pronouncements and ensuing misguided responses by some American Muslim organizations have placed undue burdens on the American Muslim community. It is incumbent that both the FBI and American Muslim groups meet to work out their differences before their respective intransigence undermines security and civic harmony. The new Attorney General Eric Holder, who has called for, "adherence to the rule of law," and a cessation of "the needlessly abusive and unlawful practices" must step forward to assure the American Muslim community that the Obama administration will break away from the bad policies that plagued the Ashcroft-Gonzalez Justice department.

Comments

[JJLSD]

It is amazing that Parvez Ahmed asks for FBI Evidence that shows CAIR's ties to terrorism, yet ignores Holyland Foundation trial evidence (that led to convictions) that places CAIR founders Omar Ahmad and Nihad Awad plotting with other Hamas members and supporters to create a stealth group for promoting Hamas goals here in America.

As FBI agents testified, CAIR was created as a front group for Hamas Mr. Ahmed would have you believe that this actual wiretap evidence was simply "urban legend". Fat chance.

Omar Ahmad, who lead and organized this meeting over several days in Philadelphia, was committed to this plot of starting a new organization with many chapters, and said: "Registering an organization is easy. I can register 100 organizations in 100 cities in one day ..."I mean, we don't really have available people whom we could dedicate for the work we want to hide ..."

What work would CAIR want to hide?

Senators Schumer, Kyl, & Coburn praised FBI actions in severing ties to CAIR stating: "We Certainly Support That Action"

We should all do the same and support the FBI.

Please don't be fooled America, CAIR does not speak for Muslims, they speak for Hamas terrorists, and those who wish to damage America - in their own words "sabotaging its miserable house"

In fact, most, and this means 99% of America's Muslim community, want nothing to do with CAIR and the poison they represent. Most Muslims came to America to get away from that political-Islam tripe.

[joker44]

There's a whole lot that Holder and DOJ should be tackling and it seems that other than going along with Bush era court tactics they haven't been doing much.

The only other DOJ initiative I can think of is putting a hold on the raids on medical marijuana use.

What about the financial fraud that has brought the world economy to its knees? And on, and on, and on.

[MissKaren]

I would be in favor of imams assisting by barring violent rhetoric from their mosques and making sure their members don't take part in the activities the rabble rousers encourage.

[Merg]

I am mostly a progressive leaning individual­...but I confess that I am fearful of the activities that MAY but not necessarily DO take place in American based mosques. I am afraid that because there is so much violent rhetoric in the Koran (as well as in the bible) that the interpretation of such language has been used to justify violent actions by SOME. I don't believe all Muslims are 'evil terrorists' but because it seems to me that even if some mosque leaders condemn the violence..­.most ordinary muslims do not condemn the violence PUBLICALLY, though they may personally condemn such violence.

I realize that to do such public condemnation of the violence of a relative handful of extremest muslims may put these people at risk of retaliation. But, to me it would seem to be necessary for the average, normal non violent muslim to band together with like minded muslims and VERY VOCALLY AND VOCIFEROUSLY oppose the extremist that claim to represent them. I am terribly concerned that the silence = support for these extreme vicious terrorists. That is why I would feel better to think the FBI or some American Law Enforcement agency SHOULD in fact 'infiltrate' these mosques to hear if hateful messages are being drilled into young gullible minds and the peril of the rest of us.