http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/nj06_pallone/pr_oct20_fbi_jewish.html
CONGRESSMAN FRANK PALLONE, JR.
Sixth District of New Jersey
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT:
October 20, 2003 Andrew Souvall (202) 225-4671
PALLONE EXPRESSES OUTRAGE OVER FBI DENIAL OF EMPLOYMENT TO OVER 90
ARAB-SPEAKING SEPHARDIC JEWS
Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) today called on the
U.S. Department of Justice to investigate reports that the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) denied applications for linguist positions from over 90
Arabic-speaking Sephardic Jews and called on U.S. Attorney General John
Ashcroft to require the FBI to reconsider the applications. Pallone made the
request in a letter to the Attorney General today.
"I find it outrageous that, despite a shortage of Arabic-speaking
translators, none of the 90 plus Jewish applicants met FBI qualifications,"
the New Jersey congressman wrote. "It is my worry that the FBI denied their
employment solely because of their religion. If this is the fact, I find
this most disturbing."
Arabic translation is a critical component of anti-terrorism investigations
and it has been widely reported that the FBI faces a backlog of untranslated
Arabic documents and recorded conversations. In October of 2001, the FBI's
New York office approached Sephardic Bikur Holim, a New York based social
services charity that works with Arab Jews, to submit applications for
Arabic linguist positions in the FBI. Sephardic Bikur Holim subsequently
submitted over 90 applicants, however not one was ultimately hired by the
FBI.
"Given the critical nature of this type of work and the high demand for this
specific and rare skill, this kind of discrimination cannot be tolerated,"
Pallone wrote. "The need for vigilance and heightened security in the face
of the terrorist attacks our nation has experienced is a necessity. However,
we must remain equally concerned that these applicants receive equal
consideration for employment, without discrimination based solely on their
religion."
The FBI faces difficulty recruiting fluent American-born translators,
because the Arabic language is rarely studied in American colleges, but
since 2001 has started hiring translators born in the Middle East. Many of
the Sephardic applicants possessed extensive translation experience,
including Arabic translation work for Israeli radio and TV news stations, as
well as the Israeli Army. Also, because many of the applicants were born or
lived in Arab speaking countries, they have extensive knowledge of the
nuances and colloquialisms in the Arabic language that a non-native speaker
may miss.
"This is not just a matter of discrimination, it's a matter of national
security," Pallone said. "These untranslated documents could hold the key to
information about future terrorist plots against the United States and here
we have over 90 people who are willing to help translate them."
Text of the letter follows.
October 20, 2003
Honorable John Ashcroft
Attorney General
United States Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Room 1145
Washington, DC 20530
Fax: 202-307-2825
Dear Mr. Attorney General:
It is with great concern that I am writing today regarding reports the FBI
turned down applications for linguist positions in the FBI from nearly 100
Arabic-speaking Jews.
In October of 2001, the FBI's New York office approached Sephardic Bikur
Holim, a New York based charity that works with Arab Jews, to submit
applications for Arabic linguist positions in the FBI. Sephardic Bikur Holim
subsequently submitted over 90 applicants, however not one was ultimately
hired by the FBI.
Arabic translation is a critical component of anti-terrorism investigations
and it has been widely reported that the FBI faces a backlog of untranslated
Arabic documents and recorded conversations. I find it outrageous that,
despite a shortage of Arabic-speaking translators, none of the 90 plus
Jewish applicants met FBI qualifications.
Many of these applicants possessed extensive translation experience,
including Arabic translation work for Israeli radio and TV news stations, as
well as the Israeli Army. Also, because many of the applicants were born or
lived in Arab speaking countries, they have extensive knowledge of the
nuances and colloquialisms in the Arabic language that a non-native speaker
may miss.
While I have not personally reviewed the applications of the 90 Jewish
candidates, I find it very hard to believe that none of them met the
necessary qualifications to be offered a position. It is my worry that the
FBI denied their employment solely because of their religion. If this is the
fact, I find this most disturbing. Given the critical nature of this type of
work and the high demand for this specific and rare skill, this kind of
discrimination cannot be tolerated.
I respectfully request that you ask the FBI to immediately reconsider the
applications submitted by Sephardic Bikur Holim. The need for vigilance and
heightened security in the face
of the terrorist attacks our nation has experienced is a necessity. Howeve
r, we must remain equally concerned that these applicants receive equal
consideration for employment, without discrimination based solely on their
religion.
I ask that you please keep me abreast of the review process for these
applicants. I look forward to your immediate and timely response to this
request.
Sincerely,
FRANK PALLONE, JR.
Member of Congress
CC. Robert Mueller, Director
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Pasquale J. Damuro, Assistant Director in Charge
New York City Field Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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