MPAC Responds to FBI's Foiling Alleged Fort Dix Terror Plot
May 08, 2007
The Muslim Public Affairs Council responded today to the arrest of six men allegedly plotting an attack on Fort Dix in New Jersey and awaits the full facts in the case.
SEE: "6 Arrested in Plot to Attack Fort Dix" (New York Times, 5/8/07)
During a conference call earlier today initiated by MPAC and other Arab, South Asian and Muslim organizations, FBI Assistant Director John Miller stressed that this is a case against a group of individuals, not against a specific religious or ethnic community. Miller also thanked the communities for their outreach efforts and continued engagement. Dialogue with government agencies and law enforcement is a crucial component of ongoing Muslim American efforts to protect the nation and preserve the rights of all citizens.
Working with law enforcement on the local level yields effective partnerships between the Muslim American community and law enforcement. FBI officials indicated that the plot was discovered as a result of a tip they received from a local store clerk who had received a disturbing video for duplication from one of the suspects. This type of community cooperation will continue to positively affect law enforcement officials. Additionally, the two key cooperating witnesses who made information available for the indictment against the individuals came from the local Muslim community.
MPAC is outraged by the religious justifications used by suspects, as revealed in the court documents issued yesterday. Their false and sinister understanding of "jihad" in no way justifies their alleged plot. At the same time, it is crucial that public officials and federal law enforcement are strategic with their characterizations of the suspects. Any affirmation of the suspects so-called Islamic motivations serves to isolate the majority of the Muslim American community rather than the criminal elements who mask their heinous and terrorist acts with Islam.
Founded in 1988, the Muslim Public Affairs Council is an American institution which informs and shapes public opinion and policy by serving as a trusted resource to decision makers in government, media and policy institutions. MPAC is also committed to developing leaders with the purpose of enhancing the political and civic participation of Muslim Americans.
