(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/2/2010) -- A prominent national Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization is applauding new intelligence-based airline security measures announced today that will replace the mandatory screening of travelers from 14 countries implemented following the failed Christmas Day bombing in Detroit.
When the policy targeting nationals from the 14 Muslim-majority nations was announced in January, the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations said it amounted to racial and religious "profiling."
The new policy is designed to reduce the number of passengers pulled aside for secondary screening and will not be based on nationality, but will instead focus on travelers who match information gathered about terror suspects, such as physical descriptions, names or travel patterns.
SEE: New Airline Security Measures Announced (Reuters)
"We applaud the Obama administration's new passenger screening policy because it does what security experts and civil libertarians have always asked for -- it screens passengers based on actual suspicious behaviors or actions, not on national origin or religion," said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. "This new policy is an acknowledgment that racial, religious and ethnic profiling is inefficient and ineffective."
Awad said CAIR will seek clarification of the criteria used for secondary screening and will monitor reports of passenger mistreatment submitted by the traveling public.
CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787 or 202-341-4171, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com
CAIR Director Named One of World's 100 Most Influential Arabs
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/2/10) -- Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), has been named among 100 of the "World's Most Influential Arabs" by the prestigious Middle Eastern magazine "Arabian Business."
Awad, who is cited for his "commitment to improving Muslim rights and relations" in the United States, is number 39 on the list. Dalia Mogahed, an advisor to President Barack Obama, is number three.
SEE: Power 100 2010 (Arabian Business)
"We appreciate that the efforts of CAIR and its executive director to defend civil rightsand improve interfaith relations are being recognized not only in the United States, but worldwide," said CAIR National Board Chairman State Senator Larry Shaw (NC).
Become a Fan of CAIR on Facebook
Subscribe to CAIR's E-Mail List
CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, 202-341-4171, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com
No comments:
Post a Comment