A recent headline on the front page of The Record, one of New Jersey 's leading newspapers, read "Al-Qaida associates are in our midst," is remarkable and truly noteworthy not only in its not-so-life-shattering conclusion that al-Qaida may still have some sympathizers or operatives in New Jersey but, more importantly, in the fact that not once were the two words "Islam" and "terrorism" used together to describe acts or potential acts of terrorism.
In fact, many other words were not used at all. The article's 1,200 words did not include "Arab," "Muslim," "Islamic" or even "mosque." We welcome this qualitative change in how the FBI talks about the issue of terrorism and its efforts to intercept criminal plots. We hope it portends a quantum leap in how law enforcement views terrorism and how it perceives our Muslim community.
Greater interaction by the FBI in our community affairs, coupled with a receptive Muslim response, is finally bearing fruit. It has been our long-held position that ascribing terrorism to Islam is wrong and also confuses the mission of the FBI. Racial and ethnic profiling has not proven to be a credible tool for confronting terrorism. It is also equally imperative that American Muslims are not forever castigated and maligned for acts purported to have been committed in the name of Islam.
The FBI is to be commended for ensuring the safety of all citizens. Their behind-the-scenes work perfectly fits their mission: to prevent illegal acts before they occur, not to prosecute criminals after they commit their crimes.
Many leaders in the Muslim community have been an important conduit in disseminating information from and about the community.
No, they are not acting as informants, for there is nothing to hide. Muslim places of worship are open to all except for those who wish to bring harm unto our homeland. Instead, they are engaged in pursuing an open dialogue focusing on the security of our homeland and the safety of all its residents. There should be no doubt about our loyalty to this country's security and the safety of its citizens and land.
At a recent gathering, a representative from the state Office of Counter-Terrorism stated that of the 40,000 people who were interviewed since the 2001 World Trade Center attacks, not a single person was charged with terrorism-related crimes. So while we urge the FBI and other law enforcement agencies to remain vigilant in their pursuit of our collective safety, we hope this mission will be conducted without infringing upon the rights and freedoms of our community.
We also expect a maximum effort to prevent acts of hate, discriminatory practices and the destruction of our property, be it our homes or our places of worship. A recent survey stated that Muslims in New Jersey are 31 percent more likely to be victims of discrimination and hate crimes.
We want security for our nation, but it must not be at the price of violating our fundamental rights. Let us resolve to keep America land of the free not land of fear.
Aref Assaf is president of the American Arab Forum, based in Paterson. Contact him at aref@aafusa.org.
