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Liberty, Security and the Constitution: A Town Hall Meeting
for the Muslim Community |
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On
September 25, 2002, KARAMAH and the Constitution project co-sponsored
a town hall meeting for the Muslim community of Northern Virginia
at George Mason University. This unique event was precipitated
by the experiences of the Muslim community since September
11, 2001, and by the need to bridge the differences that have
arisen between the United States government and the community. Furthermore,
the raids, detentions, and investigations created fear and
a feeling of isolation in the Muslim community. This meeting
provided a forum for constructive dialogue between the various
parties. The eventual goal of this meeting and the common
mission of KARAMAH and the Constitution Project were to provide
public education on basic human rights and related constitutional
rights in the United States.
The meeting was constituted of a panel of
Muslim and non-Muslim legal and policy experts together
with a select group of American Muslims who have been directly
affected by recent government action, especially the raids
conducted by law enforcement in the spring of 2002. The audience
included members of the Muslim and Arab community, as well
as students, public officials, and policy makers.
The panel consisted of:
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Kareema
Altomare, Aysha Unus, and Ghazala Ashraf (all of whom
experienced raids on their homes or institutions); |
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Meredith
McEver (a therapist who has worked with many affected
Muslim women); |
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Professor
David Cole (Georgetown Law Center), Professor Rodney Smolla
(University of Richmond Law School), and Professor Muneer
Ahmad (American University), as the legal experts; |
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| 4. |
Juan
Carlos Benitez (Department of Justice Civil Rights Division);
and |
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Professor
Azizah al-Hibri (KARAMAH), who moderated the event. |
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At
the beginning of the event, Kareema Altamore, Aysha Unus,
and Ghazala Ashraf vividly described their personal experiences
and voiced the concerns and questions that many Muslims potentially
feel. Meredith McEver described the lingering psychological
effects of the raids on these women. Professors David Cole,
Rodney Smolla, and Muneer Ahmad followed with their constitutional
and other observations. Finally, Juan Carlos Benitez provided
the audience with information that would help them file a
complaint in cases where their civil rights in the workplace,
airport and other arenas were violated. The evening was concluded
by questions from the audience and further discussion by the
panel.
The evening was a great success in providing the Muslim community
a neutral and safe forum in which to air their grievances
and learn more about their constitutional rights. KARAMAH
has prepared a video of the town hall meeting for distribution
so that other communities may benefit from it.
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VHS
Video Available.
Please
Contact us |
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