Comments on: What’s More Important: Political Correctness or Your Safety? http://www.floppingaces.net/2007/11/15/whata%c2%a2a%e2%80%9a%c2%acae/ Tue, 02 Dec 2008 19:45:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Salam Al-Marayati http://www.floppingaces.net/2007/11/15/whata%c2%a2a%e2%80%9a%c2%acae/#comment-8465 Salam Al-Marayati Sat, 17 Nov 2007 23:40:15 +0000 http://www.floppingaces.net/2007/11/15/whata%c2%a2a%e2%80%9a%c2%aca%e2%80%9e%c2%a2s-more-important-political-correctness-or-your-safety/#comment-8465 Mapping is a Symptom of Profiling, while the Root Cause is in the Policy - Nov 16, 2007 Muslim American organizations along with the vast majority of civil society opposed the mapping plan considered by the Los Angeles Police Department ... click to expandMore click to shrinkLess (LAPD). Ideas like mapping don't occur in a vacuum but within a paradigm of treating Muslim American as suspects. That is the thinking of many on Capitol Hill, where the idea of profiling is tolerated and the notion of secret evidence against Muslim Americans is sanctioned. Until a clear debate takes place in our nation's capital on how to engage Muslim Americans in a healthy and transparent manner, then law enforcement agencies that take their cue from our political leaders in Washington will continue to propose ideas and implement plans that violate the trust of the Muslim American community. In a meeting with LAPD Chief William Bratton, over 20 Muslim American leaders were reassured that no plan will move forward without the input and support of the Muslim community. Now it's time to reassure the Muslim American community, who continue to be viewed under a cloud of suspicion and to have their patriotism questioned. It's time that our political leaders, not just law enforcement, engage with Muslim Americans. Mapping was an idea by the LAPD mentioned at the Senate Committee on Homeland Security, co-chaired by Senators Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) and Susan Collins (R-ME). They have had several hearings on radicalization. To date, the Senators have not invited a mainstream Muslim organization to testify and they have not offered a definition of radicalization. That vagueness leads policy-makers and policy-enforcers to define Muslim Americans rather than allowing us to define ourselves. The most troubling aspect of this episode with the LAPD mapping plan is the sentiment among Muslim youth. They feel that they have to explain what they are not, i.e, radicals, rather than who they are, i.e. citizens contributing to the fabric of American society. The vast majority of Muslim Americans, young and old, are well-integrated and socio-economically successful. Let's keep it that way by challenging our policy-makers to dialogue with Muslim Americans. Mapping is a Symptom of Profiling, while the Root Cause is in the Policy -

Nov 16, 2007

Muslim American organizations along with the vast majority of civil society opposed the mapping plan considered by the Los Angeles Police Department …
click to expandMore
click to shrinkLess
(LAPD). Ideas like mapping don’t occur in a vacuum but within a paradigm of treating Muslim American as suspects. That is the thinking of many on Capitol Hill, where the idea of profiling is tolerated and the notion of secret evidence against Muslim Americans is sanctioned. Until a clear debate takes place in our nation’s capital on how to engage Muslim Americans in a healthy and transparent manner, then law enforcement agencies that take their cue from our political leaders in Washington will continue to propose ideas and implement plans that violate the trust of the Muslim American community.

In a meeting with LAPD Chief William Bratton, over 20 Muslim American leaders were reassured that no plan will move forward without the input and support of the Muslim community. Now it’s time to reassure the Muslim American community, who continue to be viewed under a cloud of suspicion and to have their patriotism questioned. It’s time that our political leaders, not just law enforcement, engage with Muslim Americans.

Mapping was an idea by the LAPD mentioned at the Senate Committee on Homeland Security, co-chaired by Senators Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) and Susan Collins (R-ME). They have had several hearings on radicalization. To date, the Senators have not invited a mainstream Muslim organization to testify and they have not offered a definition of radicalization. That vagueness leads policy-makers and policy-enforcers to define Muslim Americans rather than allowing us to define ourselves.

The most troubling aspect of this episode with the LAPD mapping plan is the sentiment among Muslim youth. They feel that they have to explain what they are not, i.e, radicals, rather than who they are, i.e. citizens contributing to the fabric of American society. The vast majority of Muslim Americans, young and old, are well-integrated and socio-economically successful. Let’s keep it that way by challenging our policy-makers to dialogue with Muslim Americans.

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