Media Coverage about ICCF:

Backlash feared by some area Muslims

About 100 talk with police chief, FBI staffer about cultural issues.

By Vanessa Colón / The Fresno Bee

Saturday, June 18, 2005

Some local Muslims worried about becoming targets of hate crimes because of the publicity surrounding the arrests of two suspected terrorists in Lodi gathered Friday night to share their concerns with law enforcement.

About 100 people met Friday at the Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno to speak to Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer and Tom Knowles, FBI supervisor of the Central California Joint Terrorism Task Force, about increasing cultural awareness and preventing potential hate crimes.

An FBI probe in Lodi led to the arrests about two weeks ago. A federal criminal complaint accuses 22-year-old Hamid Hayat of training in an al-Qaida camp in Pakistan to learn "how to kill Americans." His father, Umer "Mike" Hayat, 47, faces charges of lying about his son's alleged involvement and of helping to finance the camp.

Qari Saeed-ur Rehman, the grandfather of the 22-year-old and a cleric and leader of the Jamia Islamia madrassah in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, has said his grandson and son-in-law, Umer Hayat, are not linked to an al-Qaida cell.

Still, some local Muslims said the publicity is tarnishing their image.

"It's vital to maintain and strengthen ties with our law-enforcement agencies following events linking Muslims to terrorism. We consider ourselves partners, not suspects, in efforts to protect our country, our community and our civil liberties," said Kamal Abu-Shamsieh, director of the Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno.

Some Muslims said they've been harassed in the past and believe it will happen again. One teen said he was harassed June 10 for wearing a T-shirt with the word "Muslim."

Ismael Ali, 15, said a man in his 60s approached him and his friends at Fig Garden Village while they were eating ice cream and cursed at them. Ismael said: "This old guy stops by and looks at my shirt. He asked me if I was really a Muslim . He said, 'Your people are killing my comrades in Iraq."

Ismael said he remained silent and did not provoke the man, who eventually left, he said.

Marylin Jennaty, a Muslim convert, called the forum a good opportunity to address concerns.

"It's the tip of the iceberg. At least we have that forum," Jennaty said.

She said she's seen an increase in hostility in Fresno.

"There have been instances here in Fresno . either they spit on you or they tell you to go back to your country," she said.

Dyer and Knowles spent most of the forum explaining police and FBI policies. Neither agency practices racial profiling, they said, and hate crimes should be reported.

"We don't want to do anything to violate that trust," Dyer said.

Knowles said he understands there is an impression that the United States is trying to "squash Islam" because of the war in Iraq and investigations into suspected Muslim terror groups since 9/11. He said authorities must reach out to the Muslim community to defeat terrorism.

"In many ways we've done a terrible job," he said.

The Associated Press and The Sacramento Bee contributed to this report. The reporter can be reached at vcolon@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6313.


Back to Newspaper coverage