Muslims Accuse Homeland Security of Discrimination

Houston Islamic religious and community leaders criticized the Homeland Security office, saying the department routinely discriminates against Muslims, especially at airports and other points of entry.

Ten Houston-area imams and community leaders voiced their displeasure to Daniel W. Sutherland of the Homeland Security's Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties in an inaugural meeting Monday between the federal office and the city's Islamic leaders at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy. The federal officials hope to continue the meetings every few months.

"The main problem the Muslim community has ... is the presumption of guilt," said Yasir Qadhi, a Houston imam and a doctoral candidate at Yale University. "It is the singling out of people just because of their looks or their identity."

Muslims are routinely detained and questioned at airports and other ports of entry, he said. Qadhi also protested the denial of visas to imams and other religious leaders who are invited to this country to speak.

Sutherland said his office was empowered to investigate any complaints over discrimination and urged Muslims to report any incidents and problems.

Qadhi said he was detained for five hours, along with his wife and three small children, about four months ago when he drove back from Canada through Niagara Falls. He said he is routinely detained whenever he enters the country.

Qadhi said his name is on a terrorist watch list. He said he has no idea how he got on the list.

The imam said Muslim Americans are the same loyal citizens they were prior to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. Singling out and targeting Muslims who are traveling is playing into the hands of radical Islamists who want to stir up anger and hatred of this country, he said.

"The last people on Earth who want to see another 9/11 are American Muslims," he said.

Zoubir Bouchiki, of Mosque Abu Bakr in southeast Houston, said the U.S. Middle East policy is eroding support for this country among Muslims.

"There is a problem, a big problem," Bouchiki said. "The Muslim community does not trust the Ameican government."

Bouchiki said the war in Iraq and the U.S. support for Israel is hurting the country's international reputation in Europe and Islamic countries.

Sutherland said his office wants to enlist the support of the Muslim community not only in Houston but throughout the nation.

"We came to the conclusion that for us to be effective in securing the country, we could not leave any particular communities isolated from or disengaged from our efforts," he said.

Sutherland said that complaints came to his office several months ago about small children with the same name as known terrorists being stopped from flying on airplanes. He said the complaints led to changes, with airlines urged to use discretion.

He said developing good relations with the Muslim community may take time.

"Meetings like this are not going to solve the problems overnight."

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