Muslim distrust of police scrutiny focus of seminar

BOISE — Against the backdrop of this summer’s terrorism trial and continuing fallout from the terrorist acts three years ago, the Muslim community’s distrust of law enforcement has taken center stage.

“The perception, I believe, since 9/11, post-Patriot Act, is we don’t have any rights or if we have rights it could be understood differently by law enforcement agents, and the court system has not tested all of the laws that are out there,” said Furqan Mehmood, the president of the Boise Islamic Center.

Mehmood and others met for four hours Wednesday with more than 80 representatives from police and other law enforcement agencies from throughout southwestern Idaho to explain the customs of Muslims, Arabs and Sikhs, break down stereotypes and discuss the attitudes of minorities who seem to be primary targets of police scrutiny since the 2001 terror attacks.

“Nothing’s going to happen overnight,” said Walter Atkinson, who coordinated the seminar for the Department of Justice’s Community Relations Service. “But it was a big step forward to educate and inform law enforcement about the culture and customs.”

Mehmood also was part of a training session Tuesday night to make people from Middle Eastern countries aware of their rights as federal officers from some of the agencies that took part in Wednesday’s sensitivity training also are conducting a new wave of questioning Muslims and others nationwide.

“Some days I feel we are moving two steps ahead and one step back, but as long as we’re making progress,” Mehmood said. “Nobody wants to question the job the FBI or others have. We want to be helpful, but it’s when they go overboard.”

FBI Special Agent Bob Wright at the Salt Lake City regional office said the questioning is part of a national anti-terrorism initiative that 56 FBI field offices have launched. Its goal is not sinister, Wright said, but rather is intended to increase contacts with local Muslims, Sikhs and Arab-Americans.

Boise Airport Police Chief Michael Johnson acknowledged the importance of understanding and respecting the culture and dispelling the stereotypes to reducing any tension.

“It’s just little things that a cop can do,” Johnson said. “We’re all Americans.”

The FBI undertook a similar round of questioning last July to solicit cooperation of Muslims, Sikhs and Arabs in thwarting possible terrorist attacks.

It came as federal prosecutors decided whether to seek a new trial for University of Idaho computer science doctoral candidate Sami Omar Al-Hussayen after charges he supported terrorism were rejected by a jury.

The remaining charges of immigration violations, on which the jury deadlocked, were ultimately dropped. In return Al-Hussayen returned to his home in Saudi Arabia but not before spending six more weeks in jail after his acquittal.

Muslims “are aware of what happened up with Sami Al-Hussayen and the trauma his family went through, and people are concerned could that happen in Boise, and if so what do they do,” American Civil Liberties Union attorney Marty Durand said.

The ACLU session Tuesday night laid out the options people have when they deal with police or federal agents and emphasized that while being polite be sure to ask for a lawyer to assist, even if agents say the questioning is voluntary as they have been in the latest initiative.

“Some people have been questioned more than once,” Durand said. “Some people are being questioned at work, which they are very uncomfortable with — the FBI comes marching up to your desk. That’s not a pleasant experience.”

But Mehmood said interacting with police, even if it is cautious, is critical to eventually building trust and understanding.

“We need to learn about our rights, and we need to teach law enforcement so there’s not these conflicts,” he said. “This message has to be repeated, baby steps have to be taken from both sides. But law enforcement is initiating. The Muslim community is responding.”