CALIF. TOWN HALL MEETING TO ADDRESS TARGETING OF MUSLIMS

by cair Thursday, Dec. 16, 2004 at 1:06 PM

LOS ANGELES AREA MEETING CONCERNING HARASSMENT BY DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY.

CALIF. TOWN HALL MEETING TO ADDRESS TARGETING OF MUSLIMS
Coalition of civil rights, interfaith and community groups to focus on DHS
tactics

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(LOS ANGELES, CA, 12/15/04) On Monday, December 20, a coalition* of
community, interfaith and civil rights organizations will host an emergency
town hall meeting to discuss what they say is the unfair targeting of
Muslims by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

WHAT: Town Hall Meeting on Selective Targeting of Muslims
WHEN: Monday, December 20, 2004, 6 p.m.
WHERE: Holiday Inn Select, 14299 Firestone Blvd., La Mirada, CA
CONTACT: Sabiha Khan at CAIR-LA, 714-776-1847 or 714-390-0334, E-Mail:
socal@cair.com

Invited speakers will include representatives of DHS, Immigration and
Customs Enforcement (ICE), FBI, and Department of Justice (DOJ), as well as
local attorneys and family members of immigration detainees. Hundreds of
community members are expected to attend.

Over the last few months, several Muslim religious leaders in California
have been detained on minor immigration infractions and have been denied
bail. Recent cases include the detentions of Imam Wagdy Ghoneim (Islamic
Institute of Orange County in Anaheim), Abdul Jabbar Hamdan (West Coast
Islamic Society in Anaheim) and Abdel Malik (Islamic Center of Irvine).
According to their attorneys, these individuals have been in the country
legally and have filed all necessary documents to maintain their status.

Dozens of complaints of harassment have also been filed by American Muslim
travelers. The incidents 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 for no stated
reason. Islamic leaders and activists prevented from entering this country
include Yusuf Islam (formerly known as Cat Stevens) and Swiss professor Dr.
Tariq Ramadan.

"While we are all in full support of securing our nation and its borders,
we believe the selective application of the law only reinforces the
widespread perception that government officials are targeting Islam and
Muslims," said Sabiha Khan, communications director for the Council on
American-Islamic Relations in Southern California (CAIR-LA).

- END -

* Southern California Civil Rights Coalition (CRC): Council on
American-Islamic Relations - Southern California (CAIR-LA), Islamic Shura
Council of Southern California, Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), Free
Imam Wagdy Committee (FIWC), Airman Halabi Justice Committee (AHJC),
National Lawyers Guild (NLG), League of United Latin American Citizens
(LULAC) - Orange County Chapter, Los Amigos of Orange County, Coalition for
Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), South Asian Network (SAN)