Did DHS ask them about the CAIR officials who have been arrested for terrorist activities — how they got jobs at this “moderate” organization without offending anyone with their “extremist” views? Did DHS ask them about Nihad Awad’s declared support for Hamas, a terrorist organization?
A CAIR press release (thanks to EPG):
ANAHEIM, CA — (OfficialWire) — 12/24/04 — Representatives of the Council on American-Islamic Relations – Southern California (CAIR-LA) and the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) met yesterday with senior officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its largest investigative arm, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The meeting was designed to develop dialogue and communication between the American Muslim community and both government agencies. Concerns addressed at the meeting included the perceived lack of openness by ICE and DHS officials, targeting of Muslim immigrants and ways to enhance the nation’s security without undermining civil liberties.
Although DHS and ICE officials declined to discuss specific cases, the Muslim community’s concerns about the detentions of Imam Wagdy Ghoneim and Abdul Jabbar Hamdan were brought to their attention.
The recent detentions of these local religious leaders and the dozens of complaints of harassment filed by American Muslim travelers, which include being unable to remove their names from the ‘No Fly List,’ repeated stops and interrogations at airports, exclusion from entry to the United States, and revocation of visas to enter the country for no stated reason (such as in the cases of Yusuf Islam and Dr. Tariq Ramadan) have been of concern to the Islamic community.
Future meetings to address these issues are being planned with Muslim organizations, religious and community leaders, DHS, ICE, and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
CAIR, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties group, is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 29 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.