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ISNA Asks DHS Secretary Napolitano to Withdraw Recent Directives by TSA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Source: ISNA

(Plainfield, IN – January 8, 2010) The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) joins over two dozen civil rights organizations in asking the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to withdraw the new screening standards it issued on January 3, 2010.  The objections to the new directive were outlined in a letter sent to Janet Napolitano, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security  (DHS).

The letter noted that the TSA new security directive targets all individuals traveling from Muslim-majority countries.  “With the exception of Cuba,” the letter noted “TSA directive targets individuals, including US citizens, traveling from Muslim-majority or Middle Eastern countries with no regard as to whether the passenger poses an individualized threat. ”

The letter also noted that implementation “of this policy will result in racial and ethnic profiling, a practice that the DHS has repeatedly disavowed.”

The letter agreed that security needs to be enhanced, but disagreed with TSA approach, and described it as discriminatory and ineffective. “All of us are concerned about the security of our nation. However, security policies based on ethnic and religious profiling are both ineffective and contrary to Constitutional principles. Terrorism is neither ethnically nor geographically confined.”

See: http://www.isna.net/assets/Documents/TSAProfilingLetter.pdf.

Contact:
Mohamed Elsanousi, Director Community Outreach
melsanousi@isna.net
202-544-6767