January 30, 2006

Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez

Representatives of Muslim, Sikh and Arab American organizations met with Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez today to discuss a range of issues, such as the domestic surveillance, the Patriot Act, immigrant registration, hate crimes, racial profiling and general relations between law enforcement and grassroots communities.

The meeting was coordinated by the Arab American Institute in cooperation with the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. Along with MPAC officials, those attending included the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), Karamah (Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights), the North American South Asian Bar Association (NASABA), the National Association of Muslim Lawyers (NAML), Pakistani American Public Affairs Committee (PAK-PAC), the Sikh American Legal Defense Fund (SALDEF).

MPAC Executive Director Salam Al-Marayati raised concerns from the community with the Attorney General, namely that American Muslims by and large oppose current law enforcement measures which target individuals for surveillance based on unspecified standards. The lack of information surrounding such programs serves to undermine the cooperation sought out by local law enforcement officials and community-based activists. Unlike the British government, which has formed an official Islamic Advisory Group, U.S. government officials have yet to create avenues for cooperation with community-based organizations.

Al-Marayati reminded Attorney General Gonzales that American Muslims are playing a significant role in securing America and ensuring that extremism is combated at the grassroots level, and asked the Attorney General to take actions that clarify the Administrations position on partnering with communities represented at the meeting.

The community groups also asked Gonzales to make permanent the position of Post-9/11 Special Counsel for National Origin Discrimination within the Department of Justice, because of the great successes that have been made in the arena of combating hate crimes against the Arab, Muslim and Sikh communities. The position is responsible for investigating and prosecuting federal hate crimes, and has been responsible for several federal convictions against hate crime perpetrators.

MPAC remains committed to working in partnership with government agencies, including the Department of Justice, in order to ensure national security and promote a place for Muslim Americans within our nation's pluralism.