Summary of Jan. 24, 2002 Meeting with Department of
Justice Officials
On Thursday, January 24, 2002, the
Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago
(CIOGC) participated with approximately 30 Muslim
community leaders in the second outreach forum organized
by the Community Relations Service (CRS) of the United
State Department of Justice, and cosponsored by the
Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Federal Bureau
of Investigation, the U.S. Attorney's Office, and the CRS.
Their goal was to inform community leaders about mandates
governing the INS, FBI, and the U.S. Attorney, and address
community concerns. The CIOGC was invited by the CRS to
assist in the preparations for the meeting and ensuring
productive participation of key community leaders. The
event continued the CIOGC's ongoing efforts aimed at
improved communications between key Government authorities
and community leadership.
Muslim community leaders had the
opportunity to interact directly with three critical
representatives of the Department of Justice-Thomas Knier,
the FBI Special Agent-in-Charge for the Chicago Division,
Brian Perryman, the INS Regional Director for the Midwest,
and Patrick Fitzgerald, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern
District of Illinois. Attendees raised a variety of
concerns and asked many important questions. The following
are some of the issues that were raised and discussed:
racial and religious profiling; the needs of Bosnian
refugees; the immigration quota allotted to Afghan
refugees; the need for sensitivity training for law
enforcement officials; the availability of information
about detainees; the freezing of assets of Muslim
charities; and whether the Muslim community can raise
funds to assist the employees of the charities.
Br. Kareem Irfan, Chairman of the CIOGC,
presented the opening remarks on behalf of the CIOGC and
the Muslim community. He raised concerns about the gradual
erosion of civil/individual rights under the USA Patriot
Act and specifically highlighted concerns about
racial/ethnic profiling (e.g.: the Anna Mustafa, Kaukab,
Haddad cases) and targeting of Muslim charities. He also
pledged the CIOGC's commitment to building meaningful
relationships, and engaging in respectful and candid
dialogue with the FBI, INS, and the U.S. Attorney's Office
as a means of addressing growing concerns of Muslim
Americans regarding actions being taken by these U.S.
Agencies.
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