SAN JOSE, Calif. (Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The training received by some FBI agents on dealing with U.S. Muslims is biased and anti-Islamic, civil rights groups and attorneys say.
Almost 30 California Bay Area community and civil rights groups and three attorneys say the FBI is acting with a lack of sensitivity, and in many cases, bias against Muslims.
They allege perhaps hundreds of Islamists in the region have been visited without cause by bureau agents who may have possibly received unprofessional training leading to bigotry and prejudice regarding Muslims, the San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News reported Sunday.
Stephanie Douglas, special agent in charge of the FBI office in the Bay Area does not dispute the charge; she has acknowledged one FBI trainer who presented to a class of 37 agents in Virginia six months ago who is "no longer making presentations."
Some of the FBI's training material compared the Prophet Mohammed to a "cult leader" and called the Muslim tenet of charitable giving (shared by Judaism) a "funding mechanism for combat."
"That's like calling Jesus Christ a cult leader," American Civil Liberties Union attorney John Crew said.
Veena Dubal, an attorney with the Asian Law Caucus said she has had about 40 clients over two years who've been queried about their faith and political beliefs, the newspaper reported.
"I think the whole intelligence community has felt a huge sense of guilt since [the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks] and they feel they cannot let another one happen again. So, their response has been to collect as much information as possible from Muslims, who they see as the perpetrators," Dubal said.
In mid-September the FBI in Washington released a statement confirming unprofessional training was given to some agents.
"The FBI is committed to protecting Americans' rights under the U.S. Constitution," the statement said. "Strong religious beliefs should never be confused with violent extremism. Views that are contrary should not and will not be taught to FBI employees."
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15 October 2011 - 20:30
News ID: 272358
The training received by some FBI agents on dealing with U.S. Muslims is biased and anti-Islamic, civil rights groups and attorneys say.
