CAIR, MPAC Discuss Muslim Concerns with DHS Officials

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CAIR, MPAC DISCUSS MUSLIM CONCERNS WITH DHS OFFICIALS

(ANAHEIM, CA - 12/24/04) - Representatives of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations - Southern California (CAIR-LA) and the
Muslim
Public Affairs Council (MPAC) met yesterday with senior officials from
the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its largest investigative
arm,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The meeting was designed to develop dialogue and communication between
the
American Muslim community and both government agencies. Concerns
addressed
at the meeting included the perceived lack of openness by ICE and DHS
officials, targeting of Muslim immigrants and ways to enhance the
nation's
security without undermining civil liberties.

Although DHS and ICE officials declined to discuss specific cases, the
Muslim community's concerns about the detentions of Imam Wagdy Ghoneim
and
Abdul Jabbar Hamdan were brought to their attention.

The recent detentions of these local religious leaders and the dozens
of
complaints of harassment filed by American Muslim travelers, which
include
being unable to remove their names from the 'No Fly List,' repeated
stops
and interrogations at airports, exclusion from entry to the United
States,
and revocation of visas to enter the country for no stated reason (such
as
in the cases of Yusuf Islam and Dr. Tariq Ramadan) have been of concern
to
the Islamic community.

Future meetings to address these issues are being planned with Muslim
organizations, religious and community leaders, DHS, ICE, and the
Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, is headquartered
in
Washington, D.C., and has 29 offices and chapters nationwide and in
Canada.
Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue,
protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions
that promote justice and mutual understanding.

- END -

CONTACT: Omar Zaki, CAIR-LA Director of Governmental Relations,
714-776-1847; Sabiha Khan, 714-776-1847 or 714-390-0334, E-Mail:
socal [at] cair.com

NOTE: CAIR offers an e-mail list designed to be a journalist's window
to
the American Muslim community. Subscribers to the list, called
ISLAM-INFONET, receive news releases and other materials dealing with
American Muslim positions on issues of importance to our society.

To SUBSCRIBE to ISLAM-INFONET, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/islam-infonet/

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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair [at] cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org

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