|
January 24, 2004
Hajji's are encouraged to report harassment at airports
By Edina Lekovic
"Hajj is intended to be the most peaceful time of a Muslim's life, which makes having to worry about harassment when you return to your home country unacceptable," said Hate Crime Prevention Coordinator Sireen Sawaf of the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC). "Unless the government is looking for a particular person and has clear evidence of criminal wrong-doing, they have no business harassing American citizens as they re-enter the country."
Recent media reports indicate that officers with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have been instructed to watch for Americans coming from Islamic conferences and confirm their identities beyond their passports.
Last month, over three dozen American Muslims were subjected to unwarranted detention and fingerprinting at the U.S.-Canadian border after attending an Islamic conference in Toronto. Leaders from MPAC's Western New York Chapter met with DHS officials on behalf of the individuals, who described the experience of being fingerprinted as "humiliating." DHS officials have yet to explain why American passports are not sufficient proof of an individual's citizenship.
With an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 American Muslims returning from hajj this week, the Muslim Public Affairs Council announced a telephone hotline to assist individuals who are harassed and/or detained by customs officials as they re-enter the U.S.
Call MPAC's Hate Crimes Hotline at (800) 898-3558
If you or someone you know has been subjected to harassment upon returning from hajj. Hajj returnees who experience harassment and/or detention are advised to document 1) the officer's name, 2) officer's badge number, 3) officer's agency - Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and 4) the nature of the harassment.
Edina Lekovic is the Communications Director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council
CAIR 'Hajji Hotline' for returning pilgrims who face possible harassment
On Jan. 15, 2005, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) called on the Bush administrationto clarify whether American Muslims participating in this year's Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca, will be fingerprinted or singled out for special security measures based on their participation in the annual religious rite.
To assist returning pilgrims, CAIR also created a "Hajji Hotline" and a downloadable incident report form for those who believe their constitutional rights are being violated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials. (Some 10,000 American Muslims go on Hajj each year.)
CAIR's actions follow reports that dozens of American Muslim citizens were singled out recently for security checks and fingerprinting based on their attendance at an Islamic conference in Canada. Several of the Muslim detainees told CAIR they objected strenuously to being fingerprinted, but were informed by CBP representatives that "you have no rights" and that they would be held until they agreed to the fingerprinting procedure. An agency spokesperson later admitted that the Muslim citizens were fingerprinted because of their participation in the Canadian conference.
CAIR called for an investigation of that incident, saying it was a disturbing example of religious profiling that would have a chilling effect on the constitutional rights of American Muslims.
Despite repeated requests for clarification from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and CBP, no clear response has been given as to whether mere participation in Islamic religious activities is now being viewed as "probable cause" for increased security checks or forced fingerprinting of U.S. citizens. In a letter to the DHS civil rights office, CAIR Legal Director Arsalan Iftikhar asked the following questions:
"1. Under what U.S. law(s) are border and customs agents given broad authority or discretion to fingerprint and detain American citizens with the threat of arrest for noncompliance? 2. If fingerprinting and detentionare refused by an American citizen, what are the legal repercussions of such a refusal? 3. Does mere attendance at an Islamic conference constitute sufficient 'probable cause' of a criminal act to justify a detention which could be legally tantamount to an arrest?"
Any returning pilgrims who believe their constitutional rights have been violated should call CAIR's "Hajji Hotline" at
1-800-784-7526. During business hours, the hotline number rolls over to CAIR's Washington, D.C., switchboard. After hours during the Hajj, a recording will give cell phone numbers for CAIR civil rights staff and the latest information on the legal rights of U.S. citizens at border crossings.
Chicago Tribune: Muslims in U.S. raise an outcry; Travelers object to border scrutiny
Oakland Tribune: How U.S. “harassed' Bay Area Muslim; Customs delay imam who advised Bush
American Muslims fingerprinted by U.S. at Canadian border for attending an Islamic conference
|
