Department of Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano recently highlighted her department’s efforts to reach out to build "stronger relationships with Arab and Muslim Americans, as well as South Asian communities across the country,” seemingly reflecting an awareness of how the war on terror has stigmatized and cast irrational suspicion on these groups. Despite the best of intentions, however, Napolitano’s self-assurance is premature. DHS’s engagement of vulnerable communities emphasizes form over substance and, historically, has amounted to mere public relations.

Outreach efforts conducted by the Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL), for instance, have long fallen short of repeated requests from vulnerable communities. Just last month, a coalition of over a dozen civil rights organizations issued a letter (PDF) to Secretary Napolitano reiterating a series of substantive and structural concerns, while proposing concrete solutions to fulfill the new administration’s promise to pay greater respect to the Constitution and civil liberties.

Under the Bush administration, the FBI and various DHS components grew notorious for their aggressive scrutiny of American Muslims, Arabs, and South Asians: infiltrating mosques around the country with ex-convicts hired to initiate plots, selectively prosecuting immigration or tax violations, and subjecting entire ethnic groups to targeted surveillance. To placate these communities’ legitimate concerns about racial and religious profiling, outreach became a substitute for meaningful reform of discriminatory underlying policies. President Obama’s historic recent speech in Cairo seemed to reflect a change.

Yet eight months into the new administration’s tenure, continuity appears to have triumphed. The FBI continues to infiltrate mosques and maintain the secrecy of its investigative guidelines, while CRCL has yet to address many policy concerns raised by organizations representing vulnerable communities.

CRCL, in particular, is failing its mission under its existing leadership. Examples abound. For years, the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS) has faced criticism for abusing civil rights, and undermining trade relations with our nation’s foreign allies and international exchange programs. Yet NSEERS remains in effect.

A recent report by the Asian Law Caucus confirmed that federal officials routinely violate the civil rights of law-abiding Americans, including U.S. citizens, through invasive interrogations about their constitutionally protected religious beliefs and practices, as well as political views and activities. Responding to systemic racial, ethnic, and religious profiling by DHS personnel, such as Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) airport screening officers and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials, civil rights organizations have requested that DHS revise its inadequate guidelines on racial and ethnic profiling. Specifically, they have urged—thus far, in vain—the adoption of new guidelines prohibiting profiling on the basis of religion, and removing loopholes that allow profiling for national security and border integrity purposes.

Finally, the DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (TRIP), originally intended to help remedy abuses by providing a process for resolving complaints, has instead become an exercise in futility. Even after submitting complaints about potential violations, individuals receive no notice about the status of their TRIP complaint, the timing of potential resolution, or what shape the resolution (if any) ultimately takes. Not only are administrative redress procedures inadequate, but there is no process for communities’ concerns to inform the policymaking process.

Rather than resolve civil rights violations or raise them in the policymaking process, CRCL’s activities mostly involve sending entry-level bureaucrats to community meetings to mollify individuals who complain about violations. Several staffers responsible for conducting this outreach are themselves from marginalized communities, recruited under the pretense that the Department would leverage—rather than merely co-opt—their cultural competency, subject matter expertise, and language skills. Instead, recent developments suggest a potential political purge by holdovers from the Bush administration who continue to run CRCL in the absence of appointed political leadership.

Officials responsible for field outreach should enjoy sufficient authority to, where appropriate, investigate potential abuses. Ideally, they would also enjoy access to senior management and an opportunity to influence the policymaking process to prevent potential abuses before they occur. Because CRCL lacks such institutional authority within the DHS organizational structure, however, it will remain limited even after the administration finally appoints someone to lead its efforts.

President Obama ran on a campaign of hope and change. Hope may spring eternal, but change is proving more elusive. In the meantime, American Muslims, Arabs, South Asians, and Latinos continue to wait for federal officials to respect our civil rights.

(Photo: Kelly Huston)

Seriously, how are we important to America, to the government that they should reach out to us? We are ethnically fractured, politically disunitied, culturally disjointed, socially introverted and economically self-interested. What benefit does reaching out to us provide? How do you reach out to the ghost of the Muslim community, since indeed there is no real Muslim community to speak of. We are merely a ephemeral demographic aggregate of localized mosques, PACs that mostly advocate for foriegn groups with alien and naive ideologies, and charities which funnel American cash out of the country.

The very few well-run Muslim organizations and institutions can only represent a very small constituency. And, only now in the post-9/11 era are we seeing US-born Muslims barely starting to take the reins of these institutions in thier infancy.

The government is only interested in us because we can be a threat to American lives and economic performance. Yes, many individual Muslims contribute significantly to American scientific advancement and prosper economically which is good for all. Yet, they do so not out of Islam, but out of American culture.

We are only barely starting to earn the respect of our peers, and until we do, we will remain unworthy of reaching out to.

>>> The FBI continues to infiltrate mosques and maintain the secrecy of its investigative guidelines, while CRCL has yet to address many policy concerns raised by organizations representing vulnerable communities.

The worst thing about this is that its utterly fascist and supposedly unAmerican. Its also proven to produce no results, Yet they continue!

OmarG >>> How do you reach out to the ghost of the Muslim community, since indeed there is no real Muslim community to speak of. We are merely a ephemeral demographic aggregate of localized mosques,

I think the protection of minorities from what are obviously ongoing violations of their rights by the government is a cause of concern for all decent people. Look at the contributors to that memorandum and what they are calling for. Its a very broad base drawing those complaints (i.e not just muslim) and its not calling for special treatment for the community, just non-discrimnatory treatment.

Omar G >> Yet, they do so not out of Islam, but out of American culture..

That's so wrong! Are you going to say Indian and Korean engineers are do not contribute out of their Indian or Korean culture, but by rather being culturally American? That's obscenely false. When I hear of inner city drug problems being countered by the local muslim community, I say Islam is contributing to America and America is contributing to that community (by the free exercise of their very Islamic faith). Come on dude.

I hear your call for unity, but unity doesn't necessarily imply a beauracracy. Maybe just a level of organisation and mutual exchange. Secondly, there should be some empathy with the issues of different communities if you want to achieve that. They can't all be arrogant self-righteous immigrants.

http://www.ummahunite.com/

>>Are you going to say Indian and Korean engineers are donot contribute out of their Indian or Korean culture, but by rather beingculturally American?

Well, I've never heard Asians say they work hard in America to glorify Korea nor that they immigrated for the sake of Krishna. Have you?

>>When I hear of inner citydrug problems being countered by the local muslim community, I say Islam iscontributing to America

I grew up in the inner-city; look carefully at who those Muslims are who actually care and work in these neighborhoods. They are indigenous Muslims (Blackamerican and some born here's). The US government has no reason to outreach to them on grounds of working against terrorism because indigenous Muslims by and large are not part of the problem the US government is fighting.

My point is that protection of rights does not come from "outreach" to the US Muslim self-styled elites, but from proper application of existing laws.

>>> Well, I've never heard Asians say they work hard in America to glorify Korea nor that they immigrated for the sake of Krishna. Have you?

Its a testimony to their unique culture and you can bet your top dollar that they do boast about it. Americans themselves proclaim their love for God and Country. So its a double standard to expect Muslims to practically abandon their intention to serve Allah SWT and humanity in their lives?

The Sahabah asked the Prophet SAW why he continued to pray even though all his sins were forgiven, and he responded "should I not be a grateful servant?". It is a normal and fundamental tenet of any religious faith to serve your Creator as you believe best. Its the reason it is protected in your very own constition as a human right. Patriotism is a similar subjective right.

>>> My point is that protection of rights does not come from "outreach" to the US Muslim self-styled elites, but from proper application of existing laws.

And I think that is the assertion of the article too. But do you think that this law does not grow and evolve? Affirmative action and a womens preferential custody rights are two examples of a law that takes cultural specificities into account. Wouldn't you agree that discrimination at airports and in public institutions is a violation of this law? Don't you believe that when a persons dignity and rights are undermined unduly, that they must seek the recourse of their law and the change in their government?

>>> The US government has no reason to outreach to them on grounds of working against terrorism because indigenous Muslims by and large are not part of the problem the US government is fighting.

I know enough of American culture to know what these people think of their government. The government is NOT your country. Only one piece of it. A reflection yes. But in such liberal and secular country, not its entire measure of its people.

These Muslim self-styled elites, only exist as far as Muslim create them. I don't think that undermining a border guard from harrassing a sikhs or brown people or a person with a muslim sounding name actually is serving that elite.

Seriously, how are we important to America, to the government that they should reach out to us?>>>

OmarG, what "us" are you referring to. You can't possibly be referring to yourself as a Muslim. I have yet to hear one positive, grateful, supportive comment from you in all the time I have seen you post that is not bigoted and clearly anti-Muslim yet hidden begind a disclaimer of calling yourself "us." Really, I can't imagine anyone here see you as "us." So I don't think anyone is being lead by your comments. It's preposterous. Really dude.

Well, being Muslim is not dependent upon social identity, but based on belief if One God and the Prophethood of Muhammad. That all by itself makes me a Muslim, whether I advocate for contemporary so-called Muslim causes or not. It seems to me that your criterion for being Muslim is purely a social identity issue. It also seems to me that a good part of your social identification as Muslim is based on your old hippie self-hatred of America attitude. A pity, really.

>>You can't possibly be referring to yourself as a Muslim.

And, since we're being personal, this is really rich coming from you of all people.

@Ghulam: >>So its a double standard to expect Muslims to practically abandon their intention to serve Allah SWT and humanity in their lives?

To the contrary, I don't want people to abandon thier intention to serve Allah. I am simply highly skeptical of people who insist they came to America for Islam while they drive away in the shiny Mercedes to thier McMansions. I'd actually find them more trustworthy if they simply owned up to the fact that they came here to prosper economically. So what? So has everyone else and its nothing to be ashamed of. I just don't like that kind of two-facedness and outright dishonesty. I can accept motivations and social flaws and character flaws, but I outright detest using Islam as a cover for those all-too human character traits.

OmarG >>> I don't want people to abandon thier intention to serve Allah. I am simply highly skeptical of people who insist they came to America for Islam while they drive away in the shiny Mercedes to thier McMansions.

What does your skepticism serve? I agree with you are that there are issues with identity. But its quite clear that the benz driving devotees are not the only members of the community. You've set a standard for compliance, but I don't think even you can discern when a Muslim is being true to an Islamic code and consequently honouring the country. Its an unrealistic measure. People will sympathise with you when you recognise their humanity and stop critiquing their identity on how many flags they have in their homes.

OmarG >>> It also seems to me that a good part of your social identification as Muslim is based on your old hippie self-hatred of America attitude.

That's a very unfair statement. Because all Akena is trying to search out, is some sense of your personal identification with the Ummah who shares and promotes that belief. By your assertion that Muslim is only kalimah and not Ummah, you're basically saying that you don't associate with your fellow musallees until they enjoin your notions of national pride.

old hippie self-hatred of America attitude>>>>

Actually, during my hippie days I didn't have a hatred of America. Hatred of the government and its policies, yes. Just like now. I don't have a hatred of America exactly because I do not recognize a solid mass of anything in the US enough to even identify on the radar of consciousness as "America." If the governing body of corporate stooges is what you are calling "America" then sure, I hate it. If a mind numbing sumbission to TV and psych meds and fast food and drunken consumerism is truly "America" then, yeah, you got me. I hate America. But whateevr it is I hate, it's not a product of hippieism, it's a product of decades of education in history and anthropology and walking around with my eyes open, and I hope it is not the true essence of "America". But sure, "hippe hatred of America" sounds like a nice blog entry for Rush Limbaugh. Have at it.

I will add one further comment to this thread. If i do have a hatred for the policies and positioning of the US government, it is because of the false positioning as the saviors of the planet, rescuers of humanity from oppression, knight on a white horse BS that the US attempts to hide all of its activities. I have more respect for the former Soviet Union. Their programs were the same, but they didn't bother with any lame humanitarian pretense that was clearly false to anyone with a brain. They wanted you, they went in and took you. No fairy tales, no apologies, no PR spin, no humanitarian brochure than only dupes would buy anyway. If this is who we still are as a race of human beings, just like the good old days of the ancient worlk, okay. But drop the goody two-shoes crap. And OmarG, if the US was still on top, why are they having to try to put out "wildfires" all over the planet from nations and people who disagree? The US will have to enlist compulsory every man, woman and child and devote 100% of its economic resources to crush all the "insurgencies" to its hegemony around the globe. Doesn't sound like a world full of adoring sycophants to me. The US: A Legend in its Own Mind. And Omar, you really do sound like a government plant. And if you are taking down my ISP, don't bother. Email me off list for address and my phone number. I will answer.

@Ghulam: >>But its quite clear that the benz driving devotees are not the only members of the community.

Often enough, they are the ones in charge or trying to be in charge. Resources = power. And, in any case, it is them I'm referring to and not whole communities which I do recognize have lots of different people and views. aBut the people without power or privelege are not the ones asking for reachouts nor are the powerless the ones who will get it.

>>you're basically saying that you don't associate with your fellow musallees until they enjoin your notions of national pride.

No, sharing national pride is not the same as not wanting to hear America-bashing so often. They don't need to wave the flag, they just need not figuratively burn it in my face. That's all; as long as there is room for me and other Americans who won't badmouth where we come from just to fit in, I'll be happy enough to tolerate whatever private opinions people have of the country that let them in, however hypocratic the opinions may be.

I'll be happy enough to tolerate whatever private opinions people have of the country that let them in, however hypocratic the opinions may be.

>>>

I guess you are referring to me here as I am the loudest voice at the moment that you disagree with. Are you the arbiter of truth that any disagreement with you makes one a hypocrite? And as far as letting me in, this country didn't have much choice. My mother dropped me at the Staten Island Naval Hospital where my father was serving in the US Navy. My mother was an Army Nurse. Before their recent deaths a couple of years ago, we used to discuss these topics often, and they were of the same mind as I. Very disappointed in the system they had given their all too. They were Roman Catholics the both of them until the day they died.

I would think that mosques are being investigated by the government and to that we can only thank the fact that 95% of the terrorism and anguish in the world is coming from those who practice the Islamic faith.

This may be profiling but its profiling with intellect and the facts.

If there is a worldwide situation where we have to worry about plane bombings, wholesale destruction for the sake of destruction, attacks on innocents merely because they are non-Muslims or Muslims of the wrong sect, and this is ENCOURAGED and promoted in all too many mosques, justified as jihad, spreading the faith or defending the faith, then what should intelligent people do that doesn't include investigating where all of this hatred comes from?

I suspect most intelligent people know where the hatred comes from. Once they know, they might start to investigate a little deeper and see where the rabbit hole leads and who the main rabbits are and when they were crafting and disseminating their original ideas, who embraced those ideas and what became of those ideas over two or three generations. This isn't some hidden secret mystery. And even among those with a deep seated hatred for imperialist regimes of the last 250 years, there are varying degrees of rationale applied to those ideas. And some of the work of those ideologues has been transformed further and become wholly cannibalistic movements aimed at all Muslims who do not embrace their brand. It's not an easy thing to parse out and I have been studying it for a good while rather closely, and for a very long time before 9-11. One simple book is a damn good place to start. "Pioneers of the Islamic Revival" by Ali Rahnema. I'd buy this book and give it free to every person who'd be willing to read it. And it is not some preaching tome but rather an historical explanation of raw open events of history.

OmarG >>> No, sharing national pride is not the same as not wanting to hear America-bashing so often. They don't need to wave the flag, they just need not figuratively burn it in my face.

Well, your position definitely posits some challenges to dawah at the very least. A sensitivity for American identity can only be positive for the Islamic message. I sometimes read your posts as defending ideology rather than the nation of Americans. A good example of the fascism in action is bill.

bb999>>> I would think that mosques are being investigated by the government and to that we can only thank the fact that 95% of the terrorism and anguish in the world is coming from those who practice the Islamic faith.

wow ... how'd you get 95%? I suppose Chechen and Palestinian rebels are included in that figure. How'd you measure that 95% of anguish? Does global warming not cause anguish dude? How about the war on Iraq .. did that not cause anguish? How about trade protectionism and dumping (also known in the US as AID), does that not cause anguish? Is it anguish that your media doesn't present also anguish? Are all humans equal in anguish or some peoples suffering more relevant than others?

Akena>>> And some of the work of those ideologues has been transformed further and become wholly cannibalistic movements aimed at all Muslims who do not embrace their brand.

The sad thing is that many people are ideologues and don't even know it. Western ideologues. Consumerists caught in a capitalist system who don't look further than their nose for the impact their system has on other people.

The sad thing is that many people are ideologues and don't even know it. >>>>

Good point. Maybe I should capitalize "Ideologues" when I am referring to the seminal big boys who works have helped shape these narratives in the Muslim world. al-Banna, al-Maddudi, al-Afghani, Qutb. To me those are the big four and are also under my current microscope. Along with my other ideologue, Ali Shari'ati from the Shi'te world. And I should not leave out Jalal al-e Ahmad by any stretch. And of course there are others and a lot of people have their favorite "teacher."

@Ghluam: >>Well, your position definitely posits some challenges to dawah at the veryleast.

Why? Must we assume that dawa towards Islam must conquer American culture and subsume it in order for Islam to spread among my people? I believe that for many behaviors, we need not; just a few like alcohol and others, but these are not the fundamentals of who we are. In any case, many Islamic behaviors are not found often even in majority Muslim populations, so no one should expect Islamic practice in America to be perfect either.

OmarG >>> Why? Must we assume that dawa towards Islam must conquer American culture and subsume it in order for Islam to spread among my people?

I didn't say that at all. In fact I suggested the opposite. I suggested a sensitivity (respect) towards American native/naturalised citizens.

Right on. I think I missed a word in that sentence, or using "challenge" gave me a mistaken impression. Your next sentence after that fits with your intention, though, so let's attribute that to the fog of fasting.