White Paper: Preliminary Report on Hate Crimes Against Arabs and Muslims in the United States

II.
Arab/Muslim Americans in the United States of America

According to the Economist (10/14/00) and the Washington Post (10/16/00), there are 3.5 million Arab-Americans in the United States "unusually concentrated in industrial states such as New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois and Michigan. There are about 300,000 ethnic Arabs in the Detroit metropolitan area, the biggest concentration of Arabs anywhere in the world outside the Middle East". Although there are 7 million Muslims in the United States, all Arab-Americans are not Muslim. Indeed, many are Catholic, Orthodox and Protestants who can trace a continuous line of Christian faith back to the first converts in the Church.

Among notable Americans of Arabic Ancestry are presidential candidate Ralph Nader, Secretary of the Interior and former Senator Spencer Abraham, former Senate Majority Leader and Ambassador George Mitchell, former White House Chief of Staff during the Gulf War and Governor John Sinunu, Candy Lightner who was the founder of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Colonel James Jabara who was the first "jet ace" in the Korean War, General George Joulwan who was the former Commander of NATO, Nobel Prize winners Ahmed Zewail (Physics) and Elias Corey (Chemistry), Dr. Farouk El-Baz of NASA, and school teacher/astronaut Christa McAuliffe who perished on the space shuttle "Challenger". 36% of Americans of Arabic ancestry have college degrees.

III.
The Extent of the Hate Crimes

A reading and interpretation of the data supplied by the news media, churches, mosques and community organizations indicates that the commission of hate crimes targeting Arab-Americans is widespread throughout the United States and numbers in the thousands. It has resulted in a loss of life and property in the Arab-American community with many of the targets being women and children, churches and mosques, and occasionally Pakistanis and Hispanics. Some of the targets bear ancestry to the very nations who are allied with the United States Government in its war against terrorism.

CNN reported on September 17, 2001 multi-state shooting deaths of a Sikh (Indian of Hindu faith) wearing a turban and a Pakistani garage attendant; both deaths are believed related to the backlash against Arab/Muslim-Americans.

ABC News reported through correspondent Derek Thomson the following incidents as of September 14, 2001:

Hours after the attacks on Tuesday, the Islamic Institute of New York received a telephone call threatening the school's 450 students, said manager Azam Meshkat. The caller "said he was going to paint the streets with our children's blood," The school is closed, but continues to receive several threats a day.

On Wednesday, a well-dressed young Manhattan couple yelled insults at a Lebanese-American who was desperately searching for survivors from the arts center he had run on the 92nd floor of the World Trade Center's north tower. "They told me, 'You should go back to your country, you fucking Arabs, we should bomb the shit out of you,"

A mosque in Denton, Texas, was firebombed, and another in Lynnwood, Washington had its sign defaced with black paint. In Huntington, N.Y., police say a 75-year-old man tried to run over a Pakistani woman in a shopping mall parking lot.

Khaled Ksaibati, the faculty adviser for the Muslim Student Association at the University of Wyoming described the attack on the Muslim family at a Laramie Wal-Mart. "The people who screamed in her face wanted her to go back to her country," he said. "This is her country. She was born here."

In Bridgeview, Ill., a suburb of Chicago, police stopped 300 marchers as they tried to march on a mosque. Marcher Colin Zaremba, 19, told The Associated Press, "I'm proud to be American and I hate Arabs and I always have."

CBS (and CNN) News, Los Angeles and Atlanta, 9/20-21/01

In Los Angeles a 48-year-old father of three and a Christian (A. Karas) was murdered at the store he owned for 20 years by what investigators believe to be a hate crime.

A Virginia woman was accused of a bomb threat against a Mosque.

In Seattle, a man with a gun was arrested for suspected arson outside a mosque.

In San Diego, an explosion outside a mosque forced worshipers to evacuate.

In Middlebury, Ohio a man drove his car into the entrance of a Mosque at 80 miles per hour.

In Evansville, Indiana, a 28-year-old man drove his car into a Mosque.

In Huntington, N.Y. a drunk driver tried to run over a Pakistani lady at a shopping mall parking lot and then chased her into a store threatening to kill her for "destroying my country." (CNN and CBS reports)

In Fair Haven, Michigan windows were shot out of a gas station believed owned by an Arab-American.

In Gary, Ind., a man in a ski mask fired a high-powered assault rifle at the gas station where a U.S. citizen born in Yemen was working.

In Austin, Texas an incendiary device was thrown at a Pakistani (Muslim)- owned gasoline station.

In Salt Lake City a man attempted to burn down a restaurant owned by a Pakistani.

During the past week passengers and flight crews on United, Northwest and Delta airlines on separate occasions ejected previously boarded passengers who looked Arabic because they made others "uncomfortable" and therefore posed a "security threat". All of the passengers passed security checks and none of the ejected passengers were arrested. One of them was an Egyptian-American and another who was a 15-year-old Saudi teen.

[It is noteworthy that an ABCNEWS/Washington Post poll conducted Thursday, "43 percent of Americans" said they thought the attacks would make them "personally more suspicious" of people who appear to be of Arab descent.]

Newsweek, 9/24/01 issue

In Washington, D.C., Muslim women have had hijab scarves snatched from their heads.

A mosque in San Francisco was splattered with pig's blood.

A bomb threat at a mostly Arab school in Dearborn, Mich., sent frightened teens running into the streets.

Internet and talk radio became a hothouse for hate.

"You are the true coward now sand n---r."

"Police won't protect Muslims now," raged one e-mail to a Muslim organization in Florida.

Radio jocks are amping up callers with comments like, "Death to ragheads."

Even legitimate journalists have vented rage. Political analyst Ann Coulter wrote in an op-ed: "We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity."

Reports from the Chicago area Muslim Community through United Muslim American Association as of September 16, 2001 are as follows:

Arab-American deli owner in Ardsely, New York asked if he was Arab by one customer. When he responded honestly, the customer cursed and yelled at him. The customer then sprayed the deli owner with pepper spray when the deli owner attempted to escort him out of the store.

At a gas station in Dearborn Mich., a female customer was insulted by a man driving by in a car who yelled, "Get out of America, Get out of America."

The public school system in Jefferson Parish, New Orleans closed down due to the attacks on Arab and Muslim students.

Rockville, Maryland- A rug company was set on fire during the night of the 11th. The Palestinian owner had been renting the building to another Palestinian and an Iranian. The men reported threatening phone calls Tuesday.

Six bullets fired through windows of Dallas area mosque, overnight Tuesday (tolerance.org)

Carrollton, TX mosque (Madinah Masjid) has windows shattered late Tuesday, or early Wednesday (tolerance.org and bbc)

A woman was on her way to pick up her son from school in Brooklyn, New York, when she was approached by an older Caucasian man who threatened her (cair)

Two girls were on their way home from school when they were approached by a group of adults and teenagers who began to threaten them and threw stones at them. (cair)

Texas, a woman was sent home from work Wednesday following a meeting with her boss who had singled her out because of her Palestinian heritage. He commented that he didn't know if she would be celebrating the death of Americans in the office.

Waverly, TN, two Arab American clinic workers received threatening phone calls telling them to "go home and get out of our country" and calling them "foreign fags." Their daughter in Atlanta, GA received threatening phone calls.

In Brooklyn, New York, an Arab-American grocer was subjected to a litany of racial slurs and threats. This transpired after the grocer was attempting to pay the balance of his bill in cash and the delivery person suggested that the grocer call into the main office of Derlie Farms and the manager who answered the call began spewing racist venom. This incident was reported to the police.

The Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee reported in Washington, D.C., on September 19, 2001 that comments were made by United States Congressman John Cooksey (R-LA) on Louisiana radio stating that "someone who comes in that's got a diaper on his head and a fan belt wrapped around that diaper on his head, that guy needs to be pulled over'." The Anti-Discrimination Committee has received a reported 250 alleged hate crimes and harassment on college campuses alone. Some of the targeted students were actually Hispanic and African-American. CNN in Atlanta reported on September 21, 2001 specific instances of the backlash on college campuses:

Boston University student was stabbed in the back and arms after leaving an off-campus fundraiser for victims of the World Trade Center attacks.

Women students have been spat at and had their traditional hijab scarves pulled off. [See Newsweek report that a Virginia college student was detained by a police officer who demanded that she remove her headscarf and searched her car.]

Male students have had turbans plucked from their heads or been targeted because of their beards.

A Muslim Student Association reports threats

You people are going to die.

The Holy War has begun

Go home

CBS News reports University of California, Berkeley campus newspaper publication of a cartoon depicting demonic caricatures of Muslims burning "in hell".

A Muslim student at Colorado University was approached as she entered the campus library by four men dressed in black who asked 'What are you doing in this country?' and used racial epithets. The library's six columns were then spray-painted with graffiti: "Arabs Go Home," "Nuke sand niggers"

Examples of hate mail and voice messages received at the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee in Washington D.C. on September 11-12, 2001.

Baby killers, spineless worms, dirt of the mothers womb...

Godfuckingdamyou

I now enjoy watching Arabs and Muslims die

Fucking Arabs go to hell. You will pay.

Americans are no longer sympathetic to you, your cause, or your people.

You should start acting like Americans and not terrorists.

You are either American or Arab. Arab-American is an oxymoron.

I am usually a levelheaded person, but now I believe your organization should shut down, and I will refrain from going to any Arab owned businesses. Now Arabs all over the world will suffer.

Go Home! You people act violently towards Christian nations.

Die bastards.

You Muslims must die.

Get out of our country...you ignorant pieces of crap!

You will all die at the hands of Americans.

Go fuck yourself you raghead fuck.

Get out of our country.

I will enjoy watching your countries and people burn.

I hope Bush kicks you bastards out of my fucking country.

I really enjoyed watching the footage of that Palestinian man with his son, right before they were shot by Israeli troops...he died like (all) Arabs should."

A Chicago Tribune article by Noreen Ahmed Ullah and Don Terry on September 15, 2001 reports that:

Mosques and Islamic institutions have been vandalized in the days after terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, and Muslims have faced harassment and even violence. Fearing for their congregation's safety, a few mosques across the country decided to close Friday. Officials at the Mosque Foundation in Bridgeview seriously considered it after nightly confrontations with protesters.

CNN reports that:

The head of Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee claims that Arab-American community is "keeping its head down for the moment... don't want to be conspicuous right now. Being inconspicuous for most members means staying home, not going to work, not even going out to shop"

At an Arab-American Family Support Center in Brooklyn, a counselor reports to CNN on September 16, 2001 that they have received "hundreds of calls from Arab-Americans who have been threatened by people who blame the community for the attacks. The center also has documented reports of physical assault in the Atlantic Avenue area, which has a large population of Americans from Yemen, Lebanon and other Arab nations.

Brooklyn police confirm presence of armed guards to protect one retail establishment after numerous death threats to the Arab-American proprietor. Local police now guard his office and walk him to and from work every day.

A 17-year-old Palestinian American student reported that her health teacher told her class at a high school in Brooklyn that "Palestinian children all want to become terrorists."

Maher Saleh, a News York City schoolteacher, said he had Arab-American friends who were New York City police officers and firefighters helping in the rescue effort, as well as a Marine who was called up for duty today. "I had friends and family who worked in the World Trade Center." Even though he was born and raised in his Brooklyn neighborhood, Saleh said he found himself being shunned today by some non-Arabs. "A lot of people I usually talk to, they turn away their faces".

The Chicago Sun Times reported on September 15, 2001 that:

The Chicago police said they have received 13 reports since Tuesday of hate-related incidents targeting Muslims and Arabs. On Thursday afternoon a man walked into a grocery store at 4326 S. State carrying a briefcase. "I'm going to blow up this store the same way the World Trade Center was blown up," he told the Arab-American owner, according to police.

The United Muslim Americans Association said a Palos Hills Islamic organization has received more than 50 death threats in e-mails and phone calls. Most Muslim and Arab children in the Chicago area are staying home from school, the association said.

ABC News/WBEZ Radio, Chicago:

Evanston, Illinois police reported an Arab-American cab driver and his passenger who resembled an Arab-American were chased by two motorcyclists and beaten. One of the assailants was a corrections officer with the Sheriff of Cook County (Chicago), Illinois who said, "This is what you get, you mass murderer."

A Muslim school was firebombed the morning of September 12, 2001 with no damage or injury to the children.

CNN New York, 9/19/01

A San Francisco man from India was severely beaten up and his girlfriend "Robin" was stabbed by a gang of young men made anti-Arabic epithets.

A turbaned Sikh in New York was chased into a subway station by a group of young men who called him a "terrorist" and threatened to kill him.

Finally, on Sunday, September 23, 2001, while a prayer vigil took place at Yankee Stadium in New York urging persons of all faiths to show restraint, Fox News of Chicago flashed a report that an arson fire was set at St. John Assyrian Catholic Church in Chicago with a property loss of over $200,000.

IV
Government & Media Response to Backlash

After the attacks last week law enforcement and public officials have been unified and clear in cautioning Americans to refrain from taking vengeance against their fellow citizens who may be Muslims or of Arabic Ancestry. President Bush cautioned Americans to refrain from reprisals against innocent Arab/Muslim-Americans. Indeed, all of our former Presidents, Ford, Carter, Bush, Sr., and Clinton, have urged restraint and promoted the rule of law. The Governor of New York and the Mayor of New York City have urged their citizens to refrain from using violence, and Chicago's Mayor Richard Daley very passionately appealed to Chicagoans to obey the law, stating that Arab-Americans are among Chicago's most prominent and loyal citizens. Members of Congress and religious leaders have also spoken out. Finally, local law enforcement have publicly announced criminal complaints against individuals accused of hate crimes in an effort to deter more of them.

The media has by and large been diligent and fair in reporting these messages of restraint and deterrence to the public. Moreover, the media has aired public interest stories showing the impact of discrimination on a personal level. For example, on September 18, 2001 ABC's Nightline aired a piece depicting the funeral of a murdered Muslim husband and father in Texas and then presented interviews with children at a Muslim school, ending the piece with a little girl's hope that some day "we can play together again and be normal".

Although media coverage of the human impact of the atrocities and the statements of government leaders has greatly reduced the violence, the violence has continued and, with the continuing arrests of terrorist suspects bearing Arab/Muslim names and the prospect of a prolonged war, there is a reasonable basis to believe that the atrocities against Arab/Muslim Americans will increase.

Adding to the danger is the prospect that the United States is on a "war footing" and, therefore, law enforcement will necessarily be preoccupied with the security and defense of our country

V.
Overview of Government's Legal Duty to Act

The Constitution of the United States guarantees all Americans the right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". The American Bar Association's Standards for the Administration of Criminal Justice outlines certain rights and duties concerning the police. Clearly, the duty to enforce laws and protect property are inherent constitutional and statutory requirements of a law enforcement agency. What the police actually do in a given situation is determined by several factors. (1) Is there a legislative mandate to act? (2) Do the police have the authority and means to enforce the Law? (3) Are the police sensitive to community needs? That is, do they demonstrate their duty to "create and maintain a feeling of security in the community" and, further "to promote and preserve civil order"? ABA Standards, 2.1

The legislative mandate of most municipalities is similar to Chicago's Municipal Code, 2-84-220 (General Duties of the Police), which requires that the Chicago Police "preserve order, peace, and quiet and enforce the laws and ordinances throughout the city". Section 2-84-280 of the Code provides that a policeman who "shall refuse or neglect to perform any duty [so as to] tend to hinder, obstruct or impair in any way the proper and strict enforcement of any law... is hereby declared to be no longer qualified to be a member of the police force, and shall be discharged...."

Most states have laws similar to the ones in the books in Illinois. These laws mandate the police's duty to preserve life and property. See 720 ILCS 5/7-1 et seq (use of force), paragraph 33-1 ("mandatory duty"), and paragraphs 107-1 et seq (power of arrest). Under Chapter 125, Section 82, the legislature specifically directs peace officers to "suppress all riots and unlawful assembling and to keep the peace..." Under Chapter 129, paragraph 220.83 the Governor is empowered to use military force when necessary to the degree that the governor "may deem to aide civil authorities in suppressing riots and unlawful assemblies. (See also paragraphs 265 and 266)

The ABA Standards provide that law enforcement should "take appropriate action to prevent disorder... and to deal properly and effectively with disorder when it occurs". ABA Standards, 3.3 (iv). Police are granted wide discretion, particularly in areas of selective enforcement, investigative techniques, and enforcement methods. ABA Standards, 4.3

Despite the authority to act, can law enforcement act quickly, decisively, and effectively [and should they]? The Report of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, New York Times Ed., 1968 (pages 325-334), maintains that success is often based upon the sufficiency of the manpower to control a crowd and the speed with which the manpower can arrive to the scene of the civil disturbance. There must be a preconstructed strategy for this. See also, Violence in the City -- An end or a beginning? A report by the Governors Commission on the Los Angeles Riots in 1965.

Recommendations:

The Arab-American Bar Association is recommending that Federal, State and local governments develop contingency plans for the enforcement all laws applicable to those suspected engaging in widespread hate crimes against Arab/Muslim Americans. Based upon a plan implemented in Chicago after the June, 1992 civil disturbance, the Arab-American Bar Association is recommending the following:

a. That law enforcement be very vigilant during highly sensitive events that may impact upon minority citizens;

b. That law enforcement act upon any intelligence information gathered through inquires and reports to the police of hate crimes;

c. Where widespread hate crimes are foreseeable, the Government should make available adequate personnel and equipment and emergency communications to deal with it. Law enforcement should plan to alert and/or redeploy a maximum complement of personnel and resources from other districts and towns or the state at sensitive times to sensitive areas.

d. Courts, prosecutors, and correctional facilities must all be prepared for any such event(s).

e. Society and Government, through the media and through community service projects, should endeavor to educate the public to defuse the hatred. (e.g. Chicago Sun Times and Detroit Free Press full page Ads dated September 24, 2001 entitled "12 Answers to Questions About Our Arab American Neighbors")

VI.
Findings

1. On September 11, 2001, using hijacked airplanes as weapons on targets in New York City and Washington D.C., terrorists attacked the United States of America, destroying the lives and property of American citizens.

2. Included among the victims of this attack were citizens, nationals, rescue workers and policemen of Arabic ancestry or of the Muslim faith.

3. The acts of the terrorists are condemned as crimes against humanity and must not go unpunished, as required under the law.

4. Since it is believed that the terrorists were Middle Eastern and/or Muslim, civil disturbances involving the widespread commission of hate crimes have erupted throughout the United States targeting Americans of Arabic descent, Americans of the Islamic faith, and Americans who were stereotyped as "looking like" Arab/Muslim-Americans. These crimes include murder, arson, bombings, aggravated assaults and batteries (using weapons such as handguns, pepper spray, stones, and motor vehicles), vandalism to businesses, schools and religious sights, mob violence, looting, death and bomb threats, school closings, job discrimination, workplace violence and harassment.

5. Therefore, the threat of widespread hate crimes and civil disturbances against Americans of Arabic Descent and Muslim Americans who comprise an ethnic/religious minority in the millions is unprecedented and dangerous.

6. There are approximately 3.5 million Americans of Arabic ancestry and 7 million Muslims in the United States who have served their country as Congressmen, Senators, Governors, Cabinet members, Mayors, Soldiers, Firemen, Policemen, Scientists, Bankers, Businessmen, Doctors, Lawyers, and Educators.

7. In an attempt to enforce the Constitution and the Rule of Law, public officials and religious clerics have acted responsibly in cautioning Americans to refrain from taking vengeance against their fellow citizens who may be Muslims or of Arabic Ancestry.

8. There has been responsible media coverage of the human impact of these hate crimes, including reports of public statements condemning them.

9. As more U.S. resources are used to search for, apprehend and punish the terrorists, impacting our economy, there is reason to believe that more potential resentment, discrimination and violence could be triggered against Americans of Arabic Descent and Muslims.

10. The Constitution of the United States guarantees all Americans the right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". The American Bar Association provides Standards that provide that law enforcement should "take appropriate action to prevent disorder... and to deal properly and effectively with disorder when it occurs".

VII.
Resolutions

This Association requests that other professional bar groups join us in the adoption of the following resolutions:

1. The threat of widespread hate crimes and reprisals against blameless Americans of Arabic Ancestry and Muslims (and those who resemble them) constitutes a danger to the liberties of all Americans.

2. In addition to the law enforcement's response to hate crimes, Government should: (a) develop and coordinate preventive measures to protect the rights of Arab-American and Muslim citizens, and (b) develop and coordinate pre-constructed strategies to protect the lives and property of Arab-American and Muslim citizens in the event of an escalation of hate crimes against Americans of Arabic descent and Muslim Americans.

3. Society and Government, through the media and through community service projects, should endeavor to educate the public to defuse the hatred.

4. It is recommended that Government not act in haste to enact special legislation that may negatively impact upon the civil liberties of all Americans.

5. It is recommended that Americans continue to speak out against this backlash of hate crimes and that the media report it.

6. It is recommended that the Government of the United States bring the terrorists and those who aided and abetted the terrorists to justice, and proceed to use all reasonable and necessary measures to protect the people of the United States of America.

7. It is recommended that other Arab-American and Muslim organizations present this Report to local government to document the danger and to begin a dialogue to defuse the danger.

VIII.
Conclusion

Those who would harm others because of their ethnicity or religion become accomplices to the terrorists. Those who embrace the innocent become accomplices to Freedom. The goal of our enemies is to destroy our Freedom

Respectfully submitted,

Rouhy Shalabi, President
William J. Haddad, Executive Director

ARAB-AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION OF ILLINOIS, INC.
Post Office Box 2462
Chicago, Illinois 60690
312-946-0110

II. Arab/Muslim Americans in the United States of America

III. The Extent of the Hate Crimes

II.
Arab/Muslim Americans in the United States of America

III.
The Extent of the Hate Crimes