*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* { Sila lawat Laman Hizbi-Net - http://www.hizbi.net } { Hantarkan mesej anda ke: [EMAIL PROTECTED] } { Iklan barangan? Hantarkan ke [EMAIL PROTECTED] } *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* PAS : KE ARAH PEMERINTAHAN ISLAM YANG ADIL ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Alert #127 MUSLIM AIR TRAVELERS COULD BE SINGLED OUT FOR HARASSMENT-BODY IMAGING "STRIP SEARCHES" (WASHINGTON, D.C., 1/23-/97) - On Friday, January 17, CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad joined the White House advisory panel set up to deal with civil liberties issues raised by Commission on Aviation Safety and Security proposals to tighten airport security. Awad and other panel members met representatives of the White House Commission to discuss airline safety and the Commission's preliminary recommendation for the use of a so-called passenger "profiling" system. According to the Commission, profiling means separating passengers into "...a very large majority who present little or no risk, and a small minority who merit additional attention." Civil rights organizations and representatives of minority communities have protested the profiling recommendation. In the meeting, Awad outlined to the Commissioners American Muslim concerns about the profiling system and about "body imaging" technologies that would enable airport security personnel to view images of a passenger's naked body under clothing. (These images could be stored in a computer.) Commission members say that public reaction will have a significant impact on whether profiling and body imaging can be implemented in our nation's airports. "The Commission's recommendations, when finalized and adopted, will have an impact on the lives of every person who wishes to travel by air. These recommendations must not single out any religious or ethnic groups based on hysteria created by stereotyping and bias. I was encouraged by the Commission's receptivity on these issues," said Awad following the meeting. At the meeting, Awad asked for assurances that Muslims and "Middle Eastern" looking travelers would not be singled out by any profiling scheme. He was told that "as of now" no such assurances can be given. On the profiling issue, Awad's statement read in part: "...American Muslims have been stopped and searched, not because of suspicious activity, but because of their 'looks.' In some cases, the special security measures seem to be triggered by otherwise harmless, and Constitutionally-protected personal choices such as the wearing of a beard or Islamic dress. In other cases, American Muslim citizens and residents report being subjected to special attention because of their national origin or travel destinations." Awad gave examples of discrimination against Muslim travelers, described discrimination in the profiling system now used by El Al Airlines (a suggested model for new security measures) and analyzed anti-Muslim stereotyping in media coverage of the downing of TWA Flight 800, the event that lead to the Commission's recommendations. On the subject of body imaging, the statement said: "A major characteristic of the faith of Islam is an emphasis on personal modesty. It is for that reason that American Muslims would object strenuously to the implementation of technology that would involve a body imaging 'strip search' as a way to improve airport security." Awad's statement concluded with support for many of the Commission's other recommendations. CAIR supports: 1) Mandatory matching of baggage to passengers, 2) An increase in the number of bomb-sniffing dogs, 3) Better background checks and training for airport workers, and 4) Vulnerability assessments for all U.S. airports. To protect civil liberties and to address the specific concerns of American Muslims, CAIR recommended: * To include American Muslims on the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security. * To include in plans and recommendations for security schemes a complete bar to using actual or perceived race, religion, national origin, or political opinions as a basis to determine who will be subjected to special, and intrusive security measures. * To create a mechanism for reporting and acting on discriminatory treatment. Passengers should also be informed of patterns of abuse by particular airlines. The development of any safety plans, procedures and technologies should also be conducted in public and these safety measures must preserve individual civil liberties and privacy rights. ACTIONS REQUESTED: 1. Immediately call CAIR to report any mistreatment at airports by airline or government officials that you believe was related to your ethnicity, religion or appearance - including past incidents. Your identity will be kept confidential. 2. Educate yourself and your local community about the issues of airline passenger profiling and body imaging. Call CAIR to receive an analysis of the Commission's report. 3. Write the Commission stating your concerns about the issues described above. Address your letters to: "The White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security, c/o CAIR." Send the letters to CAIR by post, fax or e-mail. ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ( Melanggan ? To : [EMAIL PROTECTED] pada body : SUBSCRIBE HIZB) ( Berhenti ? 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