August 19, 2005

In a press conference held earlier today, Muslim leaders and chaplains called upon the Federal Bureau of Prisons to hire more Muslim chaplains to combat potential radicalization among Muslim inmates. The press conference was a joint effort by the Muslim Public Affairs Council, the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California and the Southern California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Fears of prison radicalization arose in light of recent media reports that FBI officials suspect a Pakistani man arrested on unspecified charges and two African American men arrested for a series of gas station robberies were plotting an attack in Southern California. One of the men converted while serving time in Fulsom County Prison, where authorities allege he joined an extremist group called Jamiyyat Ul-Islam Is Saheeh. Law enforcement officials say all three men attended the same mosque in Inglewood, California. The arrests are part of an on-going investigation being conducted by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force.

"The suggestion by the Rand Corporation, the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, and several legislators that federal prisons are being used as bases for recruiting what they call Islamic terrorists is not true and is unsubstantiated," said Shakeel Syed, who is a contractor chaplain with the Federal Bureau of Prisons. "I have not come across even one instance where such a suggestion is true in the course of my 15 years with the Bureau of Prisons as a volunteer or contractor."

Syed and MPAC Executive Director Salam Al-Marayati presented findings from an April 2004 report by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General which examined the selection process of Muslim chaplains.

SEE: "A Review of the Federal Bureau of Prisons' Selection of Muslim Religious Services Providers" (Department of Justice, April 2004)
http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/special/0404/final.pdf

The report found that radicalization took place when inmates followed Islam without direction or analysis- allowing inmates to distort Islam to encompass prison values such as gangs and loyalty to other inmates. In these institutions, Muslim inmates often lead Friday prayer services, and inmates who engage in radicalization have the opportunity to teach and lead other inmates without the countervailing influence of a mainstream Muslim chaplain, contractor, or volunteer.

"We believe that the Muslim chaplains are a valuable resource within the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) for preventing inmate radicalization and can assist with the recruitment and selection of Muslims who have mainstream Islamic beliefs," the report states. "No other group of BOP employees has as much expertise and experience with Islam as the chaplains."

Al-Marayati also called upon federal law enforcement officials to investigate the identity of the individual who prematurely, partially and irresponsibly leaked the story of the terrorism-related arrests to media outlets before an indictment is issued. Muslim American community leaders argue that such leaks undermine the partnership they have built with all levels of law enforcement, which is based on communication and cooperation.

"Those of us who are on the front lines of battling extremism are not being utilized by law enforcement and, to make it worse, we are being incriminated recklessly by those who are giving out leaks in an irresponsible fashion to the American public," said Al-Marayati. "That is what leads not only to a backlash but it directly compromises our national security."

Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi, Chairman of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, called on law enforcement authorities to exercise utmost care, since generalizations breed hate and may lead to hate crime and violence against innocent people. The Shura Council is an umbrella group which represents over 80 mosques in Southern California.

"You cannot say that people have ties to terrorism without an indictment," said MPAC Senior Advisor Dr. Maher Hathout. "It is not in the best interest of our country to create a psychological ghetto or a culture of fear within the Muslim American community, which is fighting the war against terrorism and extremism on behalf of the country."

Ra'id Faraj, Public Relations Director of CAIR-LA, underscored the need for restraint, since such arrests and allegations are typically followed by hate crimes and hate incidents.

"We believe that chaplains in California and elsewhere have played a significant role in the rehabilitation of Muslim inmates," said Faraj. "While we don't know much about these individuals, we appeal to everyone to refrain from speculating about this particular case until the conclusion of the investigation. We should not use this case to generalize and incriminate the entire community."