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OpEdNews Op Eds    H3'ed 10/23/11

Fbi Using Racial, Ethnic Profiling To Snoop On Us Citizens, Aclu Charges

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Michael German, a former F.B.I. agent who now works for the A.C.L.U., connected the ethnic mapping to a controversy over F.B.I. training and reference materials, first reported by Wired magazine, that portrayed all Muslims as having a proclivity for terrorism. The A.C.L.U. released additional such materials; the bureau promised last month to review its training and reference materials that refer to culture or religion.

 

Mr. German said the racial mapping documents and the disputed training documents showed a common "theme of mass suspicion of an entire group based on racial characteristics or religion." He said the trained agents might be "predisposed to treating everyone from a particular group as suspect."

 

Hina Shamsi, the director of the A.C.L.U.'s National Security Project, said the documents showed that the loosened rules had led to an "extremely pernicious" practice of ascribing propensity to crimes to people based on their ethnicity or religion.

 

"It's counterproductive because it alienates local communities from their

government, and it also sends the message that the government views prejudice as acceptable," she said.

 

Reaction from the Arab-American community was equally forceful.

 

Hassan Jaber, executive director, of ACCESS (The Arab Community Center for Economic & Social Services), said, " The ACLU information released today sheds a disturbing spotlight on practices that should have been rendered to the dustbin of history. Our organization and many others with whom we work dedicate ourselves to the support of a vibrant American democracy. This happens when all Americans become involved in their communities."

 

He added, "Unwarranted surveillance based on racial and ethnic profiling has the opposite effect, creating fear and distance among the targeted communities. This report, combined with recent news of FBI surveillance of day-to-day activities among Muslims in NY, and information about the problematic training techniques employed by the FBI, are causes for serious concern. We believe this situation demands immediate attention and examination.

 

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William Fisher has managed economic development programs in the Middle East and elsewhere for the US State Department and the US Agency for International Development. He served in the international affairs area in the Kennedy Administration and now (more...)
 
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