LOS ANGELES (
April
10, 2006) - Maleki Foundation Release
Non-Muslims and Muslims come together with
concerns to FBI
At
the Bureau’s first
Multi
Cultural
Town
Hall meeting,
FBI supervisors and Multi Cultural Committee members addressed the audience’s
questions and concerns. Saturday's
Town Hall meeting at the
Exposition
Park
Community Center
near USC
was the first of
what organizers have planned to be a series of meetings in Southern California
.
The
Multi Cultural Advisory Committee, formed in 2004, consists, of community
based organizations, groups and associations representing the diversified people
of
Southern California
.
Americans of Latino, Asian,
Arab, South Asian, Pakistani, Indian, Iranian and Egyptian descent, American
Christians, Bahaies, Muslims and Sikhs.
The Multi Cultural Advisory Committee’s mission statement reads:
“The Multi-Cultural Advisory Committee (MCAC) endeavors to create an
environment to facilitate dialogue and enhance the relationship between the FBI
and the Community which is based on mutual respect, understanding, and the
protection of Constitutional rights and civil liberties.”
P. Patrick Ashouri
, President of the
Iranian American Lawyers Assn., Executive Director of the Maleki Foundation, and
the advisory committee’s spokesperson told the audience, that, “As
a lawyer’s association, we determined that the protection of the
constitutional and civil rights as well as the unconditional right to counsel,
which were addressed, would bring a necessary balance to enhance dialogue and
relationships between law enforcement (FBI) and the community. The
association and the foundation are two of 20 community organizations that are
members of the Advisory committee. The
committee has advised the Bureau on numerous matters and have opened discussions
with state and local law enforcement groups as well, he added.
Mr. Ashouri continued to
summarize the committee’s activities of advising on cultural sensitivity
issues, about practices of field agents regarding various religious beliefs and
local procedures which were changed to adopt to those concerns, unconditional
right to counsel in voluntary interviews, clarification on FBI’s name and
background check process and procedures, the ramifications of the Patriot Act
and its application in FBI’s local practices, hosting various meetings for key
speakers from various State and Federal departments including, Debra Yang (U.S.
Attorney, CA-Central District), Bill Lockyer (CA, Attorney General), Ana
Hinojosa (US Customs and Boarder Protection), USCIS regarding immigration
updates and contact information and the start of the committee’s youth
committee.
The FBI’s
Los Angeles
office brought
staff specialists and supervisors to answer questions about its role and
procedures and about crimes against children, public corruption, civil rights
and hate crimes, identity theft, counter-terrorism, Internet crime, gangs and
organized crime.
Some
attendees used the Town Hall meeting to share their experiences.
For instance, Pouran Momand, an American grandmother of Iranian descent, expressed
fear for herself and her family. "I
am a
U.S.
citizen, have been
here for over 25 years and always paid my taxes.
I am worried about my family, my four children and six
grandchildren". She went on to say she is sometimes afraid to even go out
shopping because her hair covering identifies her as a Muslim. "What is the
solution for us?"
Others complained of the similar names on the no fly list and security check
points at the airports which scrutinize the Middle Eastern sounding name
travelers and the inconvenience and unnecessary embarrassments this process
brings to the traveling
U.S.
citizens.
Dr. H. S. Dhillon
representing the Sikh Society posed a question on “When exactly is a hate
crime committed and what should the victim do about it?”
In
response the FBI explained the scope of hate crimes (race, ethnicity, religion)
and how State laws supplement its scope to sexual preferences and encouraged the
audience to contact them in regard to any such incident.
J.
Stephen Tidwell, Assistant Director in charge of the Los Angeles FBI office,
said that the Bureau has always investigated and helped local authorities in
cases of hate crimes and shared examples of their recent investigations and
cooperation. He went on to explain
the FBI’s jurisdiction and how it differs from the other agencies of the
Federal government, including the Department of Homeland Security, which
deals with
immigration, deportation, boarder and customs and encouraged everyone to contact
the FBI or their community based organization members of the advisory committee
in case of any concerns or issues whether it involves the FBI directly or where
the FBI can assist in addressing the issue.
Pervaiz
Lodhie, of Pakistan-American Business Executives, a member of the advisory
committee, perhaps had the most practical answer in response to “What can we
[community] do?” He said “It is
our own fault; we must vote and let the Representatives know that we do
count.”
After the meeting which
lasted through
1:30 p.m.
, J. Stephen Tidwell, assistant director
in charge of the Los Angeles FBI office and his staff stayed to address and
respond to audience’s questions.
end.
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