Muslim Monitoring Condemned As Politically Motivated

[DuctapeFatwa]

According to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Muslim leaders around the country have been contacted by the FBI in what it calls a “community outreach” campaign, and in many cases mosques have been presented with a detailed list of Muslims that the FBI want to interview.

The FBI say that they hope to interview people in their homes, but will not rule out formally visiting Muslims in their workplace to obtain an interview.

Where individuals have been interviewed, they have been asked clearly political questions, including “How do you feel about the Bush administration?”, and “What do you think of U.S. foreign policy in Israel?”

Critics of the FBI plan accuse the government of sowing fear in the Muslim community, and of intimidating Muslims through fear of the consequences to themselves and their families of engaging in political activism, or even voting.

fifth FBI dragnet against Muslims since September 11th 2001 - coincides with both the presidential election campaign and the beginning of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan....The FBI maintains that the elections and other recent events warrant the measures. “We’re trying to get a feel for people in the community who are dissidents, who are anti-government,” said an FBI spokesman

“Instead of bolstering security, the FBI’s new drive is going to stop Muslims and Arabs from attending mosques during the month of Ramadan, and participating in the upcoming election...."

http://www.world-crisis.com/news/918_0_1_0_M/

Note: This is not a duplicate of the thread about activities in Arizona in the run-up to the debate. This is about nation-wide activity unrelated to a single event.

[Southpaw Bookworm]

1. Posted an article a couple weeks ago

About this. I find it no different from the government-sanctioned intimidation of blacks in the South that occurred through the 1960s, and well, now.

Absolutely disgusting.

[Djinn]

2. If this is what goes into "protecting" America

I'd be very worried if I was an American - how does someone's response to the question "d'you like Bush" give one any information at all as to who is or isn't hiding bombs under the bed.

Apart from intimidating an entire community I can't see a single point to an exercise like this.

btw - nice to see you here DTF :hi:

[DuctapeFatwa]

5. Anti-Terrorism Safety Checklist: How to Stay Safer

http://ductapefatwa.blogspot.com/2004/10/anti-terrorism-safety-checklist-how-to.html

I know I posted the link to this a few days ago, I will probably post it again. and again.

Hi, Djinn! :hi:

[livinbella]

3. very scary

what happens if you say you hate Bush and
hate Isreal?

[Southpaw Bookworm]

4. One way trip to Gitmo

Or perhaps one of the countries the U.S. considers "friends," so you can be tortured off of U.S. soil. Maybe even to Israel itself, which has shown little objection to torturing people to get information, because we know how reliable that intelligence collected under torture is.

[illuminaughty]

6. It's happening here in Missouri

This was the lead story on local news today. There have been a lot of reports of intimidation of Muslims by FBI here.

They spent all day today confiscating the computers and basically hauling away a truckload of "evidence". Definitely not a coincidence that all this is happening before Ramadan and the election.

http://www.thekansascitychannel.com/news/3819689/detail.html

[DuctapeFatwa]

7. No Arrests Made, No Charges Filed

but I bet lots more peoples' Zakat taxes get stolen.

Thanks for reminding me about the computers. I will probably be bumping the safety checklist up to the top of the blog in the coming days, and I need to add a computer/internet safety section to it.

[ConsAreLiars]

8. computer/internet safety, safety checklist...

Such a guide will be essential for all of us. "First they came for the Muslims...." Thank you for the work you do.

[MadHound]

10. I live in the Columbia area

And we have a lively, vital Muslim community here, business owners(if you're ever in town, you've got to try out Osama'a Coffee Zone), students, doctors lawyers, etc.

Ever since 911, the local rednecks from the area surrounding Columbia have been up in arms, thinking that with all of these "traitors" in their midst, Columbia is going to blow up any day now(those these self same fools would probably celebrate if that happened, most consider Columbia the second coming of Soddom and Gommoreah, "Sin City" as my fundy aunt and uncle put it).

There was vandalism against the local mosque, some of the shops were vandalized, but nothing really bad. Shortly after 911, a local TV station ran an "investagatory" piece about a former Muslim resident who maybe had some vague connection to bin Laden, the FBI did a brief investigation of a local Islamic charity, but nothing really ever came of it.

Personally, I think that this raid yesterday was simply another fear tactic used by Ashcroft and his boys to whip up the fundies in the area, feeding them red meat so that they will all be sure to go out and vote for Bush. Not that it is going to make much difference anyway, since Boone County will once again be a blue country in a sea of red.

I think this raid was simply bogus, stir up the fundies while putting the fear of the DOJ into the local Muslim population. Happy to say, it doesn't seem to be working. While this little manuever even made the national news blurb on NPR today, most people around here are unconcerned, waiting to see what becomes of it. And it has energized the Muslim population, and they WILL be turning out to vote for Kerry in record numbers.

I expect that about a month after the election, all of these computers, vehicles, what have you will be returned to their rightful owners, and the matter will be quietly dropped.

[DuctapeFatwa]

11. Dunno if the relatives of the disappeared would agree, nor the people

whose Zakat taxes have been stolen since 2001.

I agree that the operation will be popular with the mainstream, but its greater utility is to innoculate you, to make you accustomed to seeing your neighbor led away.

[DuctapeFatwa]

9. kick & link to "FEMA Disaster Drill Set For Election Day"

On Tuesday, September 28th, a new federally-funded, FEMA-directed citizen training program began in my town called CERT. CERT stands for "Community Emergency Response Team.”

A quick internet search reveals that my town isn't the only one participating. Nearly every town in America has its own CERT program, it would appear....

The CERT training program is intensive. It’s scheduled to last for only a little over a month.

In the short span of just 35 days, CERT trainees will learn the following...

1) Disaster preparedness
2) Disaster fire safety
3) Disaster medical operations
4) Light search and rescue
5) CERT Organization
6) Disaster psychology

On Tuesday, October 25th, CERT trainees will receive training on "Terrorism and CERT.”

Then, exactly one week later, CERT’s training program will conclude with a "Disaster Simulation & Examination".

This final day for the CERT training program, the day when CERT will climax with a "disaster simulation," is none other than Election Day!..

http://www.sianews.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1971

DU Thread Link

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=2487083&mesg_id=2487083