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The Los Angeles Times - July 18, 2004

FBI starts to question Muslims in U.S.
 about possible attacks
Islamic advocacy groups contend that the latest
 program 'stigmatizes the entire community.'

By Richard B. Schmitt and Donna Horowitz
 
WASHINGTON — FBI agents are beginning another round of interviews with Muslims and Arab Americans around the country as part of an effort to root out a possible terrorist attack in the U.S. this summer or fall, civil rights activists and attorneys for some of the people questioned said Saturday.

The interviewing program was announced in late May at a news conference by U.S. Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft and FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III. Officials are concerned that terrorists may seek to disrupt the national political conventions in late July and late August or the general election in November, among other possible targets. But the actual questioning of people has taken weeks to get off the ground.

Muslim advocacy groups and lawyers said that, in recent days, the FBI had begun interviewing dozens of people in Virginia, Florida, New York and California, among other states. The individuals questioned include a U.S. citizen of Iranian descent in Missouri and a Yemeni college student in Arizona. None of the people interviewed so far had been told that he or she was a suspect in a terror investigation.

To many, the interviews are a bewildering case of déjà vu. The FBI interviewed thousands of Muslims and Arab Americans after the Sept. 11 attacks and in the walk-up to the war in Iraq last year, fueling accusations of racial profiling by the government. Hundreds of people were jailed or deported for alleged visa and immigration violations after the Sept. 11 roundup.

FBI officials said in announcing the latest set of interviews in May that they would work to ensure that the process would be driven by specific intelligence rather than race or ethnicity. The approach recently was cited by one bureau official as a reason why the interviewing had taken so long to begin.

But Muslim leaders said Saturday that they were concerned that the FBI was repeating mistakes of the past.

Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, in Washington said his office had received dozens of reports of Muslims being questioned at their workplaces and homes by the FBI. He criticized the operation, saying it inexplicably seemed to target even respected community leaders.

"The way it's being done stigmatizes the entire community and makes Muslims objects of suspicion to their neighbors and co-workers," Awad said. "This is not right. This is more politics than security…. Muslims should be enlisted in the war on terror, not blacklisted," he said.

An FBI spokeswoman, Michelle Palmer, declined comment Saturday about the latest interviews.

Bureau officials have been meeting in recent weeks with Islamic groups, seeking to enlist their support at a time when Ashcroft and other officials have said the chances of a terrorist attack on the U.S. are as high as any time since Sept. 11.

One FBI official in Washington indicated recently that the bulk of the interviewing would not begin until late this month. And although sources said the FBI in Southern California had started conducting narrowly tailored interviews, officials with some Islamic groups in the region were unaware of recent problems — or even of any questioning having taken place.

Stacy Tolchin, an attorney with the National Lawyers Guild in San Francisco, said her group got four calls recently from Muslims and Arab Americans contacted by the FBI or the local Joint Terrorism Task Force. Tolchin said she accompanied a Turkish woman to an interview Tuesday in which two agents asked a wide range of questions — including whether the client engaged in prayer.

Tolchin said she didn't know why the agents picked her client, a relatively new immigrant of Kurdish descent who was granted asylum based on her fear of returning to Turkey. She said the single woman in her 30s, a professional from Northern California, was unable to help them.

During the interview — which lasted less than an hour, Tolchin said — the agents asked whether her client knew people who had traveled to Pakistan, and whether she had information about a school in Syria where some American converts to Islam had studied the Koran.

"They asked if she knew any suspicious people who had come from Mexico and Canada," Tolchin said. "They asked if she knew people who had licenses to drive commercial trucks or transport firearms."

Tolchin said her client had no answers to any of these questions.

In response to the question about prayer, Tolchin said, her client told the agents that, although she is a Muslim, she doesn't pray.

Deedra Abboud, the director of CAIR's Arizona office, said she met with the FBI in Phoenix on Tuesday after receiving phone calls from people who had been recently approached by the bureau for questioning. She said officials in Arizona told her they were moving ahead aggressively with interviews in part because a proposed presidential debate is planned for Tempe in October.

James Hacking, a Muslim lawyer in St. Louis, said he thought the FBI was on a fishing expedition. Hacking said he accompanied an Iranian graduate student to an interview with the FBI in St. Louis on Wednesday. He said the client was asked a variety of general questions, including information about Iranian groups operating in the U.S. and abroad, and whether he had traveled recently to Iran. His client, he said, was unable to provide the investigators with much useful information. "This kid was born and raised in the Midwest. He is as American as apple pie," Hacking said. "I think they are just beating the bushes."
 

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-muslims18jul18,1,3768208,print.story?coll=la-home-headlines

Washington Post - July 17, 2004

Muslims, Arabs get new visits from FBI

By Mary Beth Sheridan
 
FBI agents have launched a series of interviews of Muslims and Arab Americans in the Washington area and across the country, hoping to glean information that could prevent a major terrorist attack during this election year.

A few dozen voluntary interviews of community leaders, students, businesspeople and others have been conducted so far, according to attorneys and Muslim activists. Authorities said they do not know how many people will be contacted, but the effort is expected to expand significantly in the next week or so.

The new round of questioning is also far more targeted than an earlier program of voluntary interviews with men from Arab and Muslim countries, which followed the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and was criticized for being ineffective and using profiling.

The questions being posed vary widely, according to attorneys, activists and interviewees. Several people in California and Arizona have been asked whether they knew anyone who had recently been in the Pakistani border region of Waziristan, regarded as a possible refuge for al Qaeda figures. They were also asked about Abu Nour, which agents identified as a mosque and school in Syria that was popular with American converts to Islam, the attorneys and activists said.

"We were told by the FBI agents that they're concerned there could be a coming threat from people who are recent converts to Islam," said Stacy Tolchin, a San Francisco lawyer who accompanied a Turkish Kurdish immigrant to an interview this week.

Law enforcement officials appear to be using different approaches in the interviews. In some cases, they have asked prominent local Muslim figures to simply pass on any helpful information, activists said. Asim Ghafoor, a Muslim attorney in Washington who was visited by two FBI agents about a week ago, said they noted that he had represented various Muslim organizations and charities and asked, "Is there anything we need to know?" He said he assured them that there was not.

Other interviews are highly specific. James Hacking, a Muslim activist in St. Louis, accompanied a U.S. graduate student of Iranian descent to an interview with the FBI this week. The student was asked about Iranian groups based in the Middle East and in the United States and whether he knew people who had been in contact with the Iranian Mission to the United Nations, Hacking said.

Some of the interview subjects were also asked broad questions, such as their opinion of the U.S. invasion of Iraq or of the Syrian government, activists said.

Those being sought for interviews appear to represent a broad spectrum. Attorneys and activists said they had heard from students, high-tech professionals, Muslim leaders and others who had been contacted. Most were immigrants, but at least one African American Muslim and some U.S.-born residents were also included.

Leaders of Muslim and Arab American organizations have been trying to build bridges with federal officials since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Many say that the earlier interviews cast too wide a net and reflected the wrong approach. "It creates fear in the community and accomplishes absolutely nothing," said James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute.

Some activists said that Muslims and Arabs were nervous about responding to the FBI, in part because thousands of immigrants wound up being deported after being contacted in earlier phases of the government's anti-terrorism campaign. Several people in the Washington area have told FBI officers that they will meet with them only if their attorney is present.

The FBI is carrying out the interviews in collaboration with the regional Joint Terrorism Task Forces, which include law enforcement officers from other agencies. Those officers have sometimes done the interviews on behalf of the FBI….

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56080-2004Jul16.html

Staten Island Advance -  July 16, 2004

Head of FBI New York seeks help
 of cultural and religious figures

BY YOAV GONEN

Muslim cultural and religious leaders from across the city flocked to the Muslim Majlis Mosque in Concord last night to meet the head of the FBI's New York office for the first time.

Continuing a dialogue begun by his predecessor, Kevin Donovan, who left the FBI last year, Pasquale J. D'Amuro met with the Muslim community over dinner at the mosque to answer questions, allay any fears, and ask for help in the war on terror.

"We're asking them to work with the FBI in trying to identify any element that they may be aware of that raises some suspicion," said D'Amuro. D'Amuro -- who said he's been working closely with the Muslim community in New York since 1997 -- also came to remind everyone that the FBI is working to protect their rights as American citizens. "Since 9/11 there have been a lot of concerns in their community about their safety and their civil rights. We want them to know the FBI investigates that also," said D'Amuro.

About 75 community leaders and members, mostly of Pakistani origin, welcomed the opportunity to continue building a strong relationship with the FBI, following the mistrust that pervaded the community immediately after the terrorist attacks in 2001.

"In a democratic society such as ours, dialogue is an essential ingredient in reaching comprehensive understanding and the meeting of the minds," said Dr. Suhail Muzaffar, chairman of the mosque's board of trustees. "There is no better alternative than to sit across the table and listen and be listened to."

Some of the concerns Dr. Muzaffar relayed were the fear of sending money abroad through a charity, the presumed but often false affiliation of someone who prays at a mosque with that mosque itself, and the fear that Pakistani tourists now have of taking pictures of landmarks.

"The use of a camera, an innocent instrument, has become problematic for us," Dr. Muzaffar told D'Amuro, citing a Pakistani-American who was recently accused of taking surveillance photos for use in terrorist operations. The man was eventually cleared of those charges.

Taking questions from the audience, D'Amuro unexpectedly stumbled onto a touchy subject when he used the term "Sunni extremists" in one of his responses. Several audience members spoke out to alert him of their sensitivity to that term. They said associating Sunni -- the largest denomination of Islam -- with extremists created an implication that a majority of Muslims are extremists, or terrorists. "For him to say 'Sunni extremists,' you can't use those terms and get away with it," said Dr. Abdul Rehman, director of religious affairs for the mosque.

But Dr. Rehman added that this was precisely why the meetings were important: Both groups still need to learn about one another, and to keep building up a level of trust….

http://www.silive.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/news/1089985522116710.xml

Orlando Sentinel – July 19, 2004

Muslim groups say FBI interviews can intimidate

By Lisa Emmerich

Central Florida Muslims and Arab-Americans say they are feeling a renewed sense of dread as FBI agents kick up efforts to prevent terrorist attacks with a batch of interviews similar to those conducted after Sept. 11, 2001. Local Muslim leaders said several people in Florida had already been questioned, leading many to stay out of the public eye and hesitate before answering their phones.

"Each time the phone rings and if the caller ID says unknown on it, you get worried," said Mohammad Qazi, national coordinator for the American Muslim Alliance. "You get worried out of no reason because, from stories that we hear, if the federal agencies want to get you in trouble, they can get you in trouble whether you have done anything wrong or not."

The government introduced the new interview program in May amid concern that terrorists could target national political conventions this summer or the general election in November. The program didn't get off the ground until recently, Muslim advocacy groups said, when FBI officials began questioning people in Florida, New York, California and Virginia, among other states.

FBI officials interviewed thousands of Muslims and Arab-Americans after the 2001 terrorist attacks and before the Iraq war, leading to accusations of racial profiling. FBI officials said in May that they would work to ensure that neither race nor ethnicity motivated the new interview process. Instead, they said, they would try to target interviews to those thought to have information about possible plots.

The Tampa office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations received about 10 calls from Florida residents who had been questioned, said Ahmed Bedier, a council spokesman. Three of those calls were from the Orlando area, Bedier said. He said most of the calls were complaints that investigators had asked personal questions about politics or taxes, which had nothing to do with national security.

"We are for security and we are for strong law enforcement," Bedier said. "At the same time, we don't want to do that at the expense of our civil rights and our privacy. The act of canvassing different communities across the country, that's just going to alienate people."

Bedier said federal officials should engage Muslim community leaders to help avoid targeting innocent people. What seems suspicious to a law-enforcement official could be an easily explainable religious custom, he said.

Areej Zufari, a spokeswoman for the Islamic Society of Central Florida, said she thinks the government will be more careful about respecting people's civil rights with this set of interviews. "I think we've learned a lot of lessons," Zufari said. "Hopefully this is an effort by our government to make pointed attempts to catch the real bad guys. Our government is making a conscientious effort to say that all American Muslims are not bad guys."

But some Central Florida Muslims said personal interviews -- many with people not thought to be terror suspects -- circumvent the problem entirely. Ishaq Beg, a local voter-registration coordinator, said interviews with terror suspects would be vital, but he said it is the government's responsibility to identify those suspects rather than interview dozens of loyal American citizens, making them feel as if they have done something wrong. Beg said Muslims want to help the government in any way possible, but the revived interview program puts the community on the defensive.

In Central Florida, the new round of interviews comes as Muslims and Arab-Americans express concerns that Orange County officials used profiling in developing a new program that would train firefighters, cable repairmen and others to report suspicious activity they might witness in private homes.

Critics said the program, whose original pamphlet had mentioned groups of Middle Eastern-looking men living together with few furnishings as potential terrorists, would violate civil liberties. The pamphlet was revised to eliminate that language and include warnings against racial profiling, but some critics were not satisfied…..

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orl-locmuslims18071904jul19,1,3746035.story

Florida Today - July 20, 2004

FBI visit shakes up Florida Muslim

BY J.D. GALLOP
 
PALM BAY -- On any given day, Mahmoud Alzebak can be found ringing up orders at the specialty food store or readying a tray of freshly baked spinach pies for customers at the lunch counter.

But nearly three weeks ago, the 24-year-old Palestinian found himself answering questions -- not about food, but about ties to political or militant groups during two rounds of interviews with a pair of curious FBI agents.

"They asked me about Hamas, did I know them or if I knew of anyone that would do America harm," said Alzebak, a newlywed who recently moved from Chicago to Palm Bay to work with his cousins at the Holy Land Food store. "I was shocked . . . it was the first time in my life I've ever been through anything like that."

Alzebak was one of several Muslim men recently questioned in Florida by the FBI following reports of increased "chatter" among groups plotting another terrorist strike on U.S. soil.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations has fielded at least half a dozen complaints about such interviews in Central Florida. "Some of these measures are counterproductive," said Ahmed Bedier, the state spokesman for the Counsel on American Islamic Relations in Tampa. "You alienate the people you're trying to get help from, and they feel like you're targeting them." ….

http://www.floridatoday.com/!NEWSROOM/localstoryN0721MUSLIM.htm

Arizona Daily Star – July 23, 2004

Authorities hold 'chats' with Arizona Muslims

By Joseph Barrios

 Terrorism investigators have questioned about a dozen Tucson-area Muslims, saying they're trying to prevent any attacks during an October presidential debate in Tempe. The "chats," conducted by FBI agents and other investigators from the state's joint terrorism task force with members of Arizona's Muslim community, started last month.

 FBI officials in Washington, D.C., announced July 9 that the country's 56 field offices were ordered to increase their contacts with Muslim, Sikh and Arab-American leaders to hear any concerns they might have as investigators try to collect leads about possible attacks and terrorism suspects.

 Attorney General John Ashcroft reiterated that intelligence indicates al-Qaida is planning an attack intended to disrupt the democratic process.

 The third and final presidential debate is scheduled for Oct. 13 at Arizona State University.

 The interviews alarmed some members of the state's Muslim community, said Deedra Abboud, director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. While most interviews took place in the Phoenix area, she estimates about a dozen have been conducted in Tucson. Two of those interviewed called Abboud with concerns. "Whenever the FBI contacts you, you assume you're under investigation," Abboud said.

 Susan Herskovits, a spokeswoman for the FBI in Phoenix, said investigators are simply looking for help in identifying potential threats to the United States. "We don't have any specific information that there will be any kind of attempt to disrupt the debates here locally," Herskovits said.

 Abboud, who met with FBI officials in Phoenix to talk about the recent round of chats, said she was told that the FBI is trying to talk with those who may have crossed paths with people who are currently or at one time were under investigation.

 "There's a lot of fear or misperception or misconception. We wanted to try to find a way to work with the FBI to help them get the information they need and help our community feel less targeted," Abboud said. "We need to show the community that the FBI is not necessarily the enemy. Even though we don't always like how they do it, we want to be part of how they do it."

 Despite concerns, the interviews have been cordial, Abboud said. Investigators are conducting interviews at times and places convenient to those being interviewed. Compared with reports from other states, investigators in Arizona have been "very good" in their sensitivity toward Muslims, she said.

 Muslim leaders in other parts of the country have decried the recent interviews, saying they simply make the general public suspicious of Muslims.

 While he's supportive of investigators' efforts to root out terrorists, Muhammad As'ad, a spokesman for the Islamic Center of Tucson, said there is reason to worry about hate crimes directed at Muslims. Just recently, several Muslims were conducting evening prayers at a North Side park when a woman started screaming at them. Later, a man tried to fight with them and police were called to the scene. In another instance, a group of Islamic men and their sons who set up camp on Mount Lemmon had to move after being threatened by men at a nearby campsite….

 http://www.dailystar.com/dailystar/dailystar/31189.php