Islam In Minnesota: A Community Reflects; SD-Edited

This broadcast is productivity's making the global local initiative funded by the Ford Foundation. Good evening I'm afraid to say I'm last row. Welcome to this special edition being held at the Islamic Center of Minnesota here in Fridley. This broadcast is brought to you in partnership with the O'Hana forum. It's a consortium of Asian Hispanic African-American and Native American media organizations. It's also a partnership with T.P. and Hamlin university called making the global local project which is funded by the crossing borders initiative of the Ford Foundation. It's almost hard to remember what the world was like a year ago today. The world before September 11th. Who would have imagined that we'd be talking about the driver's licenses in Minnesota should have immigration information whether Muslim women should wear head covering or can wear head covering for their photo IDs or Sikh men turbans through airport security. We've gathered a group of community members from Minnesota as diverse immigrant and

Islamic communities as they prepare to observe the first anniversary of a day in which a few men with airplanes attacked America. And as one of the participants here put it hijacked our religion hijacked our culture. We've also got lawmakers and law enforcers and we hope to mix it up this evening. I'd like to begin with Dr. Bruce Corey who is at Concordia University and someone who's tracked who has a keen finger on the pulse of communities here for a few reflections on just what this last year has been in these communities. Thanks for that. Before I begin I'd like to continue to mourn with the families and the victims who lost their lives on September 11 last year it was a tremendous tragedy for the nation and we are still recovering from it. And 9/11 brought up two strong. Forces emotions out in an American society when it was love. And the other was fear love love of family love of

friends the love of community love of the nation and fear and fear of the stranger fear of someone who looks as a terrorist and defined as someone looking Middle East. And in this. Merging of these emotions of love and fear. They were institutionalized in the in laws and regulations such as economic development initiatives as well as this new Department of Homeland Security and the immigration laws have changed. And I think it's set in motion also or it was part of these other trends in American society. The challenge of America as a moral nation from a religious angle with a religious crisis and then the great attack on the business model of America with the Enron scandal and so we are at a very critical point where we are once again going to redefine ourselves what who are we as a nation. That's where I see us right now.

Dr. Hamdy also Wolf is the executive director of the Islamic center here. First of all thanks for your hospitality here. Thank you. Tell us a little bit about this year that has passed has it has redefined the Islamic community if it is one full of tragedy for Americans in this country. It is a multiple fold for Muslims living in this country. Reason being. After any incidents of that kind of attack. The first reaction would be who did it and the answer. Muslim did it. Did it really. Muslims were involved in that had aggression against civilians and innocent people or someone else. This of whether the be the Rege. And outreach of people around. Especially people for many years living

living in a secure and a safe environment and all of the sudden the security and the safety of citizens living in there in the Indian agencies of America and start questioning. Are we safe. Are we secure. And of course the most cautions were. More emphasized why Muslim communities. Are we safe. Are we secure. One of the first things that was very noteworthy in the aftermath of September 11th was the president making a very visible appearance at the mosque in Washington and being very emphatic about the idea that this can't turn into a witch hunt against Muslims. And in support of Muslims and Muslim Americans I'm just wondering whether you sense Dr. Rader whether this has sustained itself over the course of the ensuing months has tended to erode. I was very very encouraged by President Bush's.

Attitude with the beginning and his pronouncements that this is clearly a bunch of people who. Introduced themselves as as Muslims et cetera et cetera. But this is not Islam and he was very respectful of the Muslim religion and how it is that that ties in with the Judeo-Christian traditions et cetera et cetera. Unfortunately it did not really sustain itself no strong pronouncements like the ones that happened at the beginning had been you know forthcoming. They're called for. I sit and think so. And the way I think about it is as a Muslim woman who's also a mother. And that's a very very important part of of my life. I think September 11 hit me on two levels out affected me on two levels. On the personal level and then on as far as the public persona is concerned very easy identifiable

as as a Muslim. And that that makes it easier for you to be a target. The part that concerned me the most. Is the fish. That the sense of fear that I have not really encountered since coming through that I saw this 51 years ago. I have felt safe most of our generation of immigrants from the Middle East came here not because of economic reasons but rather seeking political freedom. Not that we were or were seeking asylum or anything like that but the Middle East in the late 60s was going through a turmoil that hasn't abated yet but where a lot of us wanted a better life in the sense of a better opportunity to contribute to our to the nation which we are a part of rather than live under undemocratic governments et cetera et cetera. Many of us came for that reason or those who came to study decided to stay. I'm for one like a lot

of us we fell in love with the American Constitution. I looked at the American Constitution. So did that make him what he thought I thought to myself This is the closest to Islamic Shariah that I've ever encountered in any of the major. Laws or collection of laws anywhere else in the world. And my fear now since September 11 is that the very basis of the American Constitution are being shaken. And. We it's very understandable that America being a young nation being that they have not we have not as Americans had any water on our soil since. The Revolutionary War. It's rather shocking. And you could see the indignance. How dare they come to our land and do that to us here now. That's understandable. But at the same time I think an effort needs to continue to be made to

support the principles of democracy that the Constitution and not not have fear that he hijacked that other principle of democracy. Senator freshman senator. I don't think you would have anticipated that this that you would be talking about homeland security issues as you took office from the east side of St. Paul. How has that gone for you. How do you find it. Difficult discomforting in any way. I mean what's it been like to balance you know fundamental rights and civil rights with the need for homeland security. Well I think that it's been difficult. It's the national discussion that has yet to come to a resolution. And so we shouldn't expect that at the local level we in the state of Minnesota or any cities throughout the state of Minnesota would come to a very quick resolution. I mean I think as reflected by the other speakers September September 11 has affected all of us at a very core

level and he has demanded that we all re-examine what it means to be an American. You know I don't fit the traditional definition of who is an American. And when we try to create public policy to be responsive oftentimes we may end up with some unintended consequences that may also reflect the very human nature that that's embodied in all of us when we start separating out who is an American who is not who is entitled to certain rights and protections and who is not. You know as a refugee who came into who came to this country as somebody who has watched my relatives and family members and other political refugees packed up their goods or to leave and to flee from their home without anything. I was watching the newscast of the men and women in New York City leaving ground zero. And it really struck me that that these Americans look like what my refugee

relatives look like when they were fleeing from their village people without shoes people without handbags. They've got the shock shell shock loss look to their faces. And for once Americans born in this country people living in America are refugees even in their own homelands. And that is those are the core emotional things that we have to respond to at the public policy level because it's impacting people at the very core of who they are and their sense of security and their sense of American this and we're public policy has tried to respond to that. I think we need to be a little bit more pragmatic. We need to be more thoughtful and we need to be much more broader in our consideration so that we don't respond in a way that is sort of knee jerk. And that will result in unintended consequences. Can you cite any examples of the Patriot Act and the anti-terrorism bills in the legislature that you think in retrospect were too hastily reached that

may have been knee jerk as you said. I think the inclusion of the driver's license provisions in the anti-terrorism bill has sent out the message to the communities of color and in particular to immigrant communities that they are now part of the first response of what is called the anti-terrorism bill. And by definition just by title we are already marking individuals who are sort of targeted in the driver's license provisions as part of this anti-terrorism effort. It doesn't leave a very good feeling among the citizens of this state and among the communities of color who look at this larger bill that is supposed to be putting some financing structures in place to respond to safety and security of all Minnesotans. And then suddenly a very limited visually visible group of individuals are included in that as part of the anti-terrorism effort. Doesn't doesn't make us feel very good. I think in retrospect we could have broken the two apart and really examined the issue separately and that would have gone a long way and in sort of the public image that we project about the anti-terrorism effort at the same time we could have insulated some of our more vulnerable

communities from from the anti-terrorism discussion. I want to bring in Barbara Cox who is with the Department of Public Safety. And that obviously begs for a response. How does. How does the executive branch in this environment try and balance you know the the the legitimate anti-terrorism imperative that you have mandates that you have you know with the concerns about specific communities being singled out being made more visible to me or if you will the part of our rules that we're currently looking at which has to do with identification and Driver and Vehicle services is part of their mission is to ensure that the documents that we issue are valid identity document was already in place before September 11th. And it is a common misconception that this came as a result of September 11th. And what's unfortunate I think for us is something as simple as saying an identification card has to have a photo which I think most people would

recognize is that you can't go to a bank or to a store and show an identification card without a photo is a pretty basic thing. Because of September 11th it did become this racially charged thing which is very unfortunate. The other part of our proposal that I think also became racially charged when it didn't need to be was saying that people who came and applied for Minnesota driver's license all should have the same standards of identity. We asked 16 year olds to come and present a primary and secondary form of identity. And unfortunately people who are coming from other states had a driver's license from Tennessee or Utah and weren't asked to meet the same standard of identity that we consider important because we had received criticism about the fact that our identity standards were too low. And so for us to iron that out to say that everyone has to meet the same standards whether you're 16 whether you're an immigrant whether you're moving here from another state and you are an American citizen. You know should be somehow characterized as am as you know targeting

different ethnic groups so I think the administration feels comfortable that our proposal wasn't meant to be racist. It is primarily intended to ensure the integrity of our identity documents we have with us. Probably the closest to the front lines of law enforcement. Greg Hesus from the Minneapolis Police Department and obviously September 11th some provisions of anti-terrorism have put you in the front line. What's the reaction from from the trenches if you will to having to deal with issues related to to immigration on a driver's license you from from patrolmen for example. Obviously there is the issue of the quality of the identification. On the other hand it's our opinion that it discourages people from. It doesn't discourage people from coming here. But it has increased the number of people were driving with always in serious drug bill surance and the reports from the field from my officers in neighborhoods that are particularly largely Hispanic because a number of hit and run accidents increased. You get

registrations coming back to Hispanic drivers so we part of the reason for restricting choice in Access was to not to not validate people who are not here legally but we all think it's a very suppressive effect to some and some other consequences that are negative. You're absolutely right. Regardless of what kind of markings we put on driver's licenses and this is an argument that we tried to put forth during the discussion on the driver's license issues regardless of the markings that we put on there. I'll tell you if anybody wants to be a terrorist and particularly the men who hijacked those airplanes they sure had the money and the resources to get the necessary documents to get a valid Minnesota driver's license. And we all know that. So this is an issue that's come up over and over again and really when we start making driver's license is so so restrictive that people feel that they have to go about illegal means to get a driver's license. You are absolutely right that threatens the public safety of the people in Minnesota much more than if we were to be a little bit more careful and

thoughtful on how how we allow people to get driver's licenses. What recourse do you have for those of you who aren't intimately familiar with our proposal. It is three things. One of one piece of our proposal is to clarify the identification documents that everyone meets the same standard. And yes that requires some legal presence and the idea that we should give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. Totally aside from terrorism. That's another discussion in regards to the identification piece. I want to state right now because it has been clear that our proposal was not that women would have to remove their veil their hijab or men would have to remove their turbans. It was that we would be able to get a full face photograph so that we would be able to identify people because even in the worst case scenario all law enforcement agrees that if you have been in a very very horrible victim of a crime we do need to be able to identify you and that's part of the reason that identification is so important. The last part of our proposal had

to do with matching the immigration documents and giving a person I'm satisfied the United States to the driver's license and that is because the United States does not have we do not have a national I.D. card like lots of countries have. And there's been a lot of resistance from kind of both sides of political spectrum to having a national ID card. People don't want fingerprints. People don't want biometrics. So driver's licenses are default identification card. And so for us it's important to that that is a valid identifier identity document. And regardless of how Deputy Chief Hasnat feels many officers Minneapolis-St. Paul across the state are a part of identity theft task forces and can tell you the trauma that someone can go through whether or not you're an immigrant or a natural born citizen. When someone steals your identity a lot of Minnesota. Minnesota citizens would consider these rather reasonable provisions. Well I'd like you perhaps to have

representatives from the Sikh community and people who you know who cover their heads to respond to this idea that you know it's a public safety issue as much for your safety as it is for public safety in general run saying would you like take a crack at this. Sure. I think on the question Ulfar before I answer the question will the drowsed issue one issue which I think I heard I'd like to reflect on that or at least touch upon that is a political leadership I think it's a question whether at the national level with the leadership about the issues that affect immigrants or people who look different for the skin or are various things different or speak a different language or or whatever at least from what my experience has been that I thought I saw a very very strong leadership from President Bush and Attorney General Ashcroft. That aside then there were other incidents which kind of make you wonder that's what's going on. It started off with an incident in February in the U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Rehnquist. Why did call the security guard and I asked one of the

women sitting in the press section. She was covering her head scarf and of course a very short item in an obscure newspaper that just happened. And of course it was mentioned was when a Muslim woman whose hair was covered. Once I started digging in it found out it was really a sick woman. And she was not wearing a thing for any religious reason. It was just a scarf she was wearing a vest and dressed it just that she had dark skin. So I sort of respond to that that there are kind of mixed messages about the issue about the driver's license. I think Barbara was the of the public safety issue. It's one of those things. It's the I think the fear of the blue square you mentioned that there's a part of it the families are getting together and then the whole thing in conjunction with the corporate scandals that there's more time is spent in the family as normal Americans but as immigrants. I mean do you sense a fear that I look different. And unfortunately my face maybe in some way shape or form resembles Obama. So I am part of them

which obviously I'm not. But but that's the fear really comes morceau from being identified. And you have to kind of be doubly good or twice as good. You have to first prove your innocence because you're going to assume guilty. And in conjuncture the driver's license issue. WALLACE I would definitely compliment the department discovered that they did respond to our concerns. And I've had a very good dialogue and hopefully we can get some good resolution to make sure the rules are very clear and I'm talking about the rules which kind of the way they're written mean that any driver's license examiner can ask would you go into. I would not know that any self-respecting say because that's considered to be very very intrusive. So in the sense of how the rules are written I'm sure that the community what I found has been very very responsive not just with the Muslim community and the way of salt from the response I'm sure things will work out but I think going back to the even the very issue White comes up as to why. This even to be questioned is too personal. Why should it. Why is it even a discussion.

It's hard to imagine. What I read and I prayed in the morning the afternoon whether or not or even pray. It's really not often what is business. Why is that even a point of discussion is really where I think it really comes down to. Are we living in a civilized society with our freedoms granted freedoms or are we not going to question each and everything because our sense of security is shaken. Yes. Question again to Dr. Rader I mean is it respond to this idea that this is as much for your safety as anybody to have a full face picture of you on file for your own protection. Generally I our own on but I really have no objection to that and thank you. Rather you covered quite a few of the thoughts that I had in mind. Obviously our experiences are very very common on January 18th when the new it all started coming as far as airport security is concerned I was thinking my daughter called the airport to go back to work to college. And I sense that she was very nervous

with my being you know standing there and I said bye bye and left. Why. Because you know he did not want to be seen with me. I mean those are real issues here. And yet I would say that safety is of paramount importance. As long as we do with respect. Now strapping young women up like that. What happened with that. Can't remember which airline or several airlines as a matter of fact when you say take this off right now and the poor start to think it off that's a huge violation that should not be tolerated at all. You can always respectfully you can always do it politely and then you would not encounter any resistance from anybody. All right. Now I want to comment on what you just said. But I also really as a person and as a mother I resent them and the issue that we're even discussing this at all because coming to the United States I did not come here to be a second class citizen. All right I could I stayed in my in my own country and

continue to be a part of a privileged minority before I came here put freedom in working here in the land of equality. And I personally am not willing to give it up. I'm an American. I've been here for 31 years and I would continue to fight for my rights under the Constitution and for the Constitution to continue to be the way it has been put all over those years and the Constitution of the nice things is not to put one ethnic group alone. It's a pretty biting. We have done Klauer here from the Immigration and Naturalization Service obviously having a new set of imperatives and mandates and how does that filter down to the level of the inspector who's greeting people as they get off the planes at the airport in Minneapolis and what's first of all the general sense of how it's been flowing lately. When I started 28 years ago in the Immigration Service the INS if I would have said I. And they also work for the INS to somebody.

Most people would have said You mean the IRS the Internal Revenue Service. Well there was a lack of awareness of what the INS did with the decades have gone by. There has been an increase in public scrutiny of what the INS does and in the last year. There's been a tremendous public scrutiny of what the INS does are the INS procedures adequate are the INS resources adequate and just what is it that the INS does not only at the border at ports of entry but also with issues of interior enforcement. OK very good. I also wanted to recognize Senator Sununu Chowdhry who's here taking time off from a busy busy campaign for survival to talk a little bit you actually represent this district here in Fridley Senator why don't you offer a comment or two if you would and I'll try and get the microphone to you. What have you been hearing from constituents on issues related to Homeland

Security immigration. You've listened to quite a bit of the discourse. How is it coming to your office from constituents before September 11th. I think we the at least the impression of race relations was between white and black or perhaps between white and Hispanics. But that has expanded the scope to include. Whites and people of Near-Eastern middle eastern South Asian descent as well. And so I think that is. I think we have a whole new angle on race relations and the fact that we are discussing this in a suburb where there are growing numbers of minority populations is an important one. The different changes in our population are going to require a different type of representation. In Minnesota of government. And that's changing a little bit in the Senate a little bit in the House of Representatives. But I think you're going to see a growing change of mood that there is a there is a fine line that you have

to walk between security issues which are extremely important and civil rights and and that issue is is different in this case because if you just look at the Oklahoma City bombing you didn't see reactions to farmers who buy fertilizer for example their driver's license weren't checked because one bomber bought some fertilizer that would have been ridiculous. Whether you're a minority or not. There is a concern about our ability to respond to emergency situations and our ability to catch the criminals who we know are out there. And I think that applies to everyone not just minorities. OK. Thanks very much. Let's broaden it out to the Somali community. What's it been like since September 11th. I think you and you're right thank you very much for giving me this opportunity. And I also want to thank the forum for putting this together and also for our leaders for articulating some

of the issues I think some of that some of the some of the problems that have occurred to the Somali community or predominantly the East African community in the Twin Cities post-9 11. Some of them can be generalizable to the Muslim community and they're very similar. For instance the female dressing issues is of particular concern for women who are going to walk even in the school district this huge emotional effects on school children are dressed with their God who are being picked on by their bye bye by their colleagues we've have had you know things like being called Osama's sister Osama's wife. So for someone who comes from sub-Saharan African continent to even know geographical links all through the Middle East it's quite the crisis. It's one thing and then the more more they're also more economic effects. The the soil the community particularly was affected by the the money wedding businesses that was closed Somalia. Some of you may know is a country that is only existing by the remedies sent back made if it isn't immigrants that live in in countries outside

the country because the country has know how to see full toll us so many families had incomes only from their relatives here. And so for almost two months post-911 have not had a channel to provide for their families who are in refugee camps and also these monies that are frozen for business people because there's a lot of social networks even been in business so people put their money together so it's not only the individuals who are tested but also middle class business people hate them and is frozen with that crisis. The other thing there's just been a lot of fear and anxiety particularly for a group of people who are here as refugees who've come here running away from civil strife and the pictures of Nine one one are similar to what they're been seeing in their cities being bombed and then you think all of a sudden you're in a safe haven. Now we we're getting exhibition's of post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions in our patient profile because of what now they are having all this uncertainty and fear that things should remove move out of this country. Some of them are contemplating should we move to Europe

which is a big issue. So there's that issue of fear and anxiety. Well Jones you're with the. The African-American Chamber of Commerce here proud of 9. 11. Racial profiling was thought to be an African-American and Hispanic problem. And before the African-American community was portrayed that the problem was portrayed by the press to be an African-American problem after 9/11. A It is a quality of life issue for all Americans. And I'm here out of love in the aggregated interest of the people here to make sure that we address the problem. You know as a group together I want to try and open it up for comments and questions that folks might have and if you if you do I'd encourage you to actually come up to the microphone over here. OK go ahead sir. My name is Hassan Ali Mohammed time with Immigration Law Project. Legal Aid Society of Minneapolis and also a mom of a mosque. Also Vice President of mass Muslim-American Society Minnesota chapter. Last year

we only have like two gentleman who came because of all the law that enforced by immigration with just like chant truth which forces that every immigrants who move to another new address must report to him. It's like in 10 days an immigrant just cannot do that. It's not the solution. It's not the attitude of the immigrants. They cannot remember one of the leaders call me and say. Why don't you try with a couple immigration attorneys to propose something because this is not workable for the immigrants. What is the practical problem that immigrants have with just I mean what's wrong with turning in a driver's license I mean a new address if you violate this law and then you will be asked for deportation. That's the consequence. So it's just like a harsh punishment harsh punishment because is not such a harsh violation. Exactly. And how about this whole issue of the address change notification. Well I think it's important to clear up the misperception that the address the proposal for the address change requirement

is just a proposal to clarify something that's been in place in law since 1952 that requirements been in law for 50 years already. And if and if there's a failure a willful failure to comply with that requirement that also makes a person subject to the removal the deportation sections of the law. And that provision of law has been in effect for 50 years since 1952. Part of what I was hearing is not so much that the that the new rule is just forbidding or excessive but the consequence is of for a violation that could be a very innocent that could have a very innocent explanation. I don't understand the notification. There are some practical problems with it. And there appears to be a rigid and very harsh penalty for it is that.

A law enforcement agency does have I think Secretary discretion where there is an innocent violation of the law law enforcement agency does have responsibility. Take a look at that and say is that a meaningful violation of law is it is it something that we would want to put the person in removal proceedings for with the consequence of being removed from the United States with all with all of the consequences that that may entail with that action many of which may be harsh. There's no doubt about that. So the law enforcement agency has a responsibility as the operational. Word as well. I don't think I can imagine a Somali who wants to looking at this as the land of hope and opportunity. Who wants to willfully break the law. That's the last thing on his mind because he wants to survive and he wants to make a living and he wants to provide for his children and family et cetera et cetera. But does he or she have the skills to address those kinds of points in the system or do we want to help them in different ways

to bridge the gap between cultures the moonlight impressed on how the administration is part of our legal system back to line. As someone once said will compromise liberty for security deserve neither. And I think. The reaction of the American people and the average level was the magnitude of. The tragedy of 9/11. It's very. Reasonable and very. Commanding. You when you look at your neighbors co-workers or the people you find out that they really saw through it. This act. Of 9/11 was done by pure evil and you cannot in any way.

So she this act to a certain religion as opposed to how the Bush administration acted it was the special laws and special changing of photo institution all of those things. It sounds like a country. Well people came here as Cuban All this feeling that they really can be deported. They can be detained they can be the same way it happened in the Middle East or anywhere else. We survived. The hostage crisis. We survived the Gulf War. People used to give us peace sign on the highway. But the 9/11 people somehow they were. They need to they needed to know a little bit more about us and we became visible and the people that we become I was in the spotlight and I think all of our as we demand understanding with the American people I think we demand to follow the leaders and Muslim leaders and other minority leader to come out there and define yourself. Don't let the

terrorists or the government define us. So I would like to address some of the leaders of the different communities here that they talked about what is our role to define ourselves regardless of what Bush thinks Ashcroft or anybody else what do we need to do looking forward. And of course the thing that looms large is it's a potential war in Iraq or an invasion in Iraq and I'd love to get reaction for what the rippling effect might be especially in the Islamic community locally here. When when some groups start attacking Islam. And the mainstream of Islam is the violence and and evil and so on and so forth. That's not the time for this. Now we should realize that we're facing a crisis and we have to do something about it. It is a tragedy and it has to bring us more closer to each other

not to divide us from each other. That's that's that's one point. And also when you look at the whole situation you know. What we're planning to do. I like that question just. Has brought up. Most of the time talk about negative things about the negative impact which is OK this what would lead us to pinpoint to the stick approach or the illness or the sickness or what we have been suffering from. But what is the cure. What is the treatment. What we're hitting at. What we should plan for. We have too many wants. And all of them were so deep. And I'm afraid we did not give the proper time for those wounds to heal. Some of them were already in the process of healing. But some of them are getting DeBoer and severe than before. And we added some rooms to them.

I don't think this is the way we should be dealing with in the United States of America. I want to rephrase my question about Iraq again because I really would like an answer from you and I don't want proclamations about whether we support invading Iraq or not but on a very day to day basis how is the. Conflict in Iraq likely to affect the lives of Arab Minnesotans and Islamic Minnesotans or just people who look like any of these groups. I mean is it going to make any material difference to your life here. If there's a war raging. Give us one or two. Very briefly because we're running out of time. Examples of how that might affect your life here. As a minister again would would increase the state of fear. You do not know what would happen. You would be more confused if I can share with you undoctored on what might happen. Briefly if you look at the mental. Health issues counseling psychological and emotional effects not only on the adults but mainly on our kids in this community and every everywhere you'll find that terminus

the conflict inside the families how that tension and that confusion would print a lot of conflict there. It is the unknown. I do not know what would happen tomorrow. OK Senator where did you go. Fighting the reality of it is that you know our country does have some. Critical political issues internally that has always governed how we behave towards one another. You know when the United States is involved in Southeast Asia all Asian-Americans are the enemy. When the United States is involved in the Persian Gulf all individuals of Middle Eastern descent are the enemy. And so the natural inclination is going to be that if the United States is involved in engagement with Iraq or any other countries there will be a direct impact on individuals who live in this country. Don't tell me that after September 11th that when my son and I were walking outside my house and I had beer bottles thrown at us with the words you you F-ing gooks go home that that was not a direct consequences of people reacting

to September 11th. If that can happen to me in front of my house on the east side of St. Paul it will happen and if the United States persists in its engagement in the Middle East we all have felt that we all have friends and family members we have children who have been taunted in school yards with family members who have epitaphs written on their doors with family members who have had certain things left on their doors and have have received ugly letters and hate mails column to go back to their own country because they're seen as the enemy. You watch. If this were to happen in Iraq that the escalations will continue to happen in the community. Hate crimes continue to grow up and racial profiling will most definitely increase and we can we can chart that and we can mark that and we can come back this time next year and have a discussion on it and you will see a market increase in that. And there should be no doubt in any of our minds that that will happen. Let's remember our conversation last year when Deputy First Minister was here and we're seeing the reaction that they were doing already as the events were unfolding and I

think based on what we learned on September 11 that we start doing some being proactive rather than reactive and getting messages out to people that certain kinds of behavior are not tolerable. Making sure that people are treated with respect and that there's a balance between the needs of the law and the rights of citizens. I think we're going to get there but it's not saying that we want the war to happen. We don't have enough information in my mind what's going on out there to make a qualified judgment. I remember when 9/11 happened and my friend called me in the morning and I was really tired trying to finish my homework for a class and to come in she told me it was kind of shocking. We started seeing it on TV and I didn't leave my room for the day and I couldn't because I was so afraid and I was thinking well an American citizen I was born here you know in Minnesota and you know very proud of that

fact you know go to Egypt. I'm very proud to walk around flashing my American passport you know. And you know it's really easy to get anywhere with American. They're used to being used. And and so I was thinking well this is crazy this is the first time I've been afraid to leave and just to walk out and I'm unknown. I'm not on campus I'm the token Arab American Muslim girl on campus. And you know a whole bunch of Scandinavians and few other white people really. You know there's a small small minority there of non white people at our school and so it's I have quite a presence there. And for me to feel like I'm afraid to walk around because people like I would have my friends go out and go you know classes I skipped all my classes today which I never did and they'd come back and they'd say you know we were talking about this in class. All these people

were saying you know we need to bomb all the Arabs and stuff like that. That's scary. And I think that you know when we're targeting Iraq it's just prolonging that. You know it just it's just promoting that you know we're going to attack these other people and. And I think what Senator moas said was right on. You know I mean it affects everybody it doesn't just affect me. My roommate was Cambodian. And she's of Cambodian refugee and she felt it too. She didn't she didn't feel like she could even leave. I don't think you had your hand up on the order of folks who didn't show sure. Just a comment about the role of the media especially television of September 11 as well as for the aftermath. I mean it's easy to forget the people who died that day on that horrible tragedy were not just. I mean just Americans there were available citizens there were Germans British Indians you name it. Well it was like 40 45 countries and then Muslims and Hindus of India second there but could have been I don't know. And then the aftermath of that you watch

television and of course there's a lot of emphasis on sensational sensationalism. What makes news. But the heroes there are Muslim heroes. There were six heroes. In fact one of the stories which ran kind of in a very small print in some obscure newspapers was picked up by Newsweek later on was the first central set up in the basement of World Trade Center was a doctor. Now. In all of the anniversary kind of. Programs there's been no mention about what the other one recording them think about or have been with us. So as we look at that if the television represents for good or for bad real opinion forming kind of a media. If there is at least some tension about there's a tragedy which is first global not just American. Secondly there are other communities involved in both the healing as well as the heroic work that have happened but probably would go much longer that we don't have to get into the nitty gritty about making rules or regulations when it's all about creating some sort of a wall around us at the end of September last year two or three weeks after September 11th we had a

large naturalization ceremony where almost 750 people naturalized and and Naturalization is typically a very emotional event but the emotion that ran through the audience that night you could almost cut it with a knife it was so strong on TV of reporters commented on it on the emotion of the event. This year we're going to have another large naturalization ceremony on September 18th which will be one week after the September 11th anniversary the one year anniversary. And I really anticipate that the emotion of that event will will be very high. One week after the one year anniversary it's going to ask you and I frankly thought you'd be feeling more questions than than have been so far. Deputy Chief Hesters What does he know. What are you hearing. Basically as the major challenges in the wake of September 11 a rather sweeping question I mean are you being roped into things that the officers aren't familiar with and comfortable with aren't equipped

to handle or has life materially been affected. Well certainly in this region many ups and see Paul in terms of preparation to avoid being the target of terrorism. That in the end the constant warnings we get from FBI and so we're going to evaluate those on a daily basis. That's that's a strain which has merit and which which maybe is not the one thing I would go so I would add though is what we came out of from September 11th is generally with the increase in immigrants in our cities it's always assumed worst of 20 years of law enforcement if we're going to be effective in combating crime. You know identity theft beaten or conduct's would be terrorism. We've got to have the trust and support of the community so that's always that's actually a law enforcement strategy in itself. So to keep that healthy as we try to do our job security. My name is the song of the Islamic center. Glad to have you

here tonight. But my comment is about the Iraqi and I don't think there are many people who would be unhappy to see Saddam Hussein's regime go. However if we haven't an axis of three Why why pick on one and not the other two. Why not hate North Korea or Iran. Is it because the Iraqis are easier target to pick on. I would definitely not help the healing process that was talked about. Here and the international scene and it will will definitely not help in the sense that Muslim and. Perception of many Muslims that there is indeed an American conspiracy against Islam and Muslims want to start wrapping us selves up here with perhaps some file reflections preferably looking forward to you know what makes you hopeful What makes you. Nervous concerned.

Why don't we begin in the opposite direction this time. Go ahead Senator. Well for me personally this whole discussion in light of September 11 has raised a lot of very fundamental questions I've asked myself which is that we as a country. See ourselves as a haven for individuals and we also see ourselves as a champion of individuals who are subjugated to governments that are contrary to their human. Human interest or to their human rights interest then we ourselves have to hold ourselves to that same level of scrutiny and the very fact that our president can go on national television international television and mandate that another country remove their leadership isn't enough itself solve something for us all to think about what this really brings me down to is the fact that here at the local level this is a huge political year for all of us. And if we really want to have engage in this discussion with our leadership if we really want to be

engaged and be heard and this is the year for us to act and make ourselves thought to make our presence known in this country if we in this discussion really embrace the fact that we're citizens that we're Americans and this is the time to go out and vote this is the time to put in place leaders who will listen to us and hear our voices. This is the time for us to become the Americans that we are. If President Bush is waiting for the American people's approval then he is waiting for our approval on how he ought to act and how this country ought to behave and engage itself internationally. Thanks very much Dr. Rader. It is very important for everyone to remember that. We are all Americans and that whatever happens to this country affects us as Americans. Apart from being Muslims. The second part has to do with the foreign policy and the potential for violence in the future. One of the

reasons I know Giuliani refused the Million Dollar is because the Saudi prince said that America has to look its foreign policy. But the fact that he means that and as an American mother was raising American children I have grave concerns about how duplicitous America comes across to the rest of the world. In other words standing for certain principles but certainly not putting those principles in action. You give one example. The other example is Who are we to tell the Iraqi people what they should or should not do. Who are we. Who are we to go in there and remove somebody again. I will agree with that with. Ama. I mean when I say that. All of us here are right and the vast majority of US Muslims would like very much to see the pricing go simply because he's an evil person. All right. But that does not give us license to go and put the rest of the universe the duplicitous part of it

is that a lot of us have the suspicion and I know when I say a lot of us I say a lot of us Americans that this really has nothing to do with Saddam Hussein or with democracy in Iraq simply because the United States is supporting Egypt which is undemocratic. It's supporting all kinds of undemocratic and human rights violators. Saudi Arabia the number one human rights violators in the Middle East according to the State Department itself reports is that is one of the major allies of the United States. This way we come across the rest of the world that we Americans we American government come across to the rest of the world as being very disingenious very duplicitous and really not worth our salt. All right. And that is going to breed more violence everywhere. Until America I mean there was and in my opinion an extremist Muslim leader from London who basically said Tell the Americans to stay within their boundaries and mind their own business and nobody will come to them.

When we come to them with bombs and whatever whatever. Obviously that's an oversimplification of things. But at the same time that the rest of the world is perceiving us as meddlesome as as going after our own material interests because this is a consumer economy and because this is an economy that is based on limitless growth. And so whatever it is a drop of oil anywhere in the world we're going after it. It has nothing to do with principles. And I have great difficulty telling my children that you have to be. Proud of yourself as being a part of this nation while this nation presents this ugly peace that the rest of the world. Thank you very much. Islam has been teaching us we shouldn't despair. There is always has been always a light by the end of the tunnel and we have to reach that light in that tunnel. We are all Americans. We might not look what the stereotypical Americans look like

but we are Americans and we have a vested interest in building this country and we will do that. And one of the profound insights that I got today was hearing how closely the American Constitution mirrors the Islamic way of life. And I think that's the truth that the American public if they know it would would respond that what you're talking about is not something evil it's something that that is very similar to our core values as Americans. And I'd like to say going from here I'd like to borrow the concept of our famous leader Dr. Martin Luther King about intelligent love intelligent love will balance the need for homeland security with our tolerance and openness to society's intelligent love we'll balance our own concerns for our own material needs to the concerns of the entire world. Right now we have we are having the World Summit on Sustainable Development. So there are poor in the world and they are here there and we have to show our moral and ethical

leadership in this entire world. And I think that's how we have to look in the future. How do we start building our just equitable society where everybody. Will be free. Thank you very much. I want to thank everybody for showing up want to especially thank the Islamic Center of Minnesota for so off. I want to thank especially Hector Garcia our coordinator here for a Hanna Hector put all of us together. I know it was a lot of work. We appreciate it very much. This broadcast is a partnership with Hamlin university and as much as it's part of the making the global local project which is funded by the crossing borders initiative of the Ford Foundation. Thanks very much for watching. Goodnight