Issues

AAI Hosts New York Town Hall Meeting on Immigration Reform, Civil liberties, and National Security

Posted on Thursday February 18, 2010

On Wednesday, February 17, New York Arab Americans from across the city gathered in Brooklyn for a Town Hall meeting on immigration, civil liberties, and national security issues hosted by AAI and cosponsored by seven local groups serving Arab Americans in greater New York, The Arab American Association of New York (AAANY), The Arab Muslim American Federation (AMAF), The American Mideast Leadership Network (AMLN), Arab American Family Support Center (AAFSC), The Salaam Club of New York, Network of Arab American Professionals (NAAP-New York), and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee of New York (ADCNY).

More than 150 Arab American leaders attended the forum, moderated by AAI President Dr. James Zogby and voiced their concerns to congressional representatives and federal and local officials about the impact of NSEERS, immigration enforcement, racial profiling, searches at the U.S. border, selective deportations, the impact of family separations on the broader community, other ongoing issues in the immigration debate and priorities for comprehensive immigration reform.

How to report instances of airport harassment

From AAI
Posted on Wednesday January 20, 2010

In light of the attempted attack on Christmas day of Northwest flight 253, new policies and practices have been implemented by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) that put our community under the microscope. Therefore, in order to serve our community better, AAI has been in contact with the White House, Department of Homeland Security, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), State Department, Department of Justice and other federal agencies in regards to those changes and their affects on our community. Federal officials strongly recommend that any episode of harassment at airports or other border crossings be reported immediately.

Profiling

Posted on Thursday January 14, 2010

Get the facts on racial profiling, including AAI’s “Statement on Aviation Safety and National Security”; transcripts and video of AAI briefs on the Hill; Dr. Zogby’s columns and appearances (including January 11th’s appearance on CNN’s ‘The Situation Room”); media coverage, resources and talking points; and how to report instances of harassment.

AAI Hill Briefing: Targeting Needles, or Adding More Hay?: Airport Profiling, 'Countries of Interest', and American Security

Posted on Tuesday January 12, 2010

Washington, D.C. – January 11, 2010 – The Arab American Institute held a briefing on Capitol Hill entitled, Targeting Needles, or Adding More Hay?: Airport Profiling, ‘Countries of Interest’, and American Security, where three experts discussed the new Transportation Security Agency (TSA) screening regulations and the impact of these policies on aviation safety, affected travelers, and overall national security.

AAI Statement on Aviation Safety and National Security

Posted on Friday January 8, 2010

The Arab American Institute (AAI) supports efforts by the Obama Administration to review transportation safety and national security policies in response to the attempted attack on Northwest flight 253. AAI endorses improved screening practices that effectively enhance our national security, safeguard American civil liberties, and demonstrate respect for the traveling public.

"End racial profiling now" --- December 7, op-ed piece by Margaret Huang and Benjamin Todd Jealous

Posted on Tuesday December 8, 2009

The End Racial Profiling Act (ERPA) will soon be reintroduced by Rep. John Conyers, Democrat of Michigan, and Sen. Russ Feingold, Democrat of Wisconsin. Numerous incidents throughout American history have taught us that racial profiling not only fails as a law enforcement tool but ultimately makes us all less safe. Passage of ERPA would be an important step toward ending racial profiling.

Resources about sunsetting PATRIOT Act provisions (2009)

Posted on Thursday December 3, 2009

The Hill is too quiet about the PATRIOT Act—if we’re not talking to them about it, then who are they listening to?

The next few weeks are critical! This is the time to tell our leaders: there is a better way to keep our country safe and secure without compromising our rights, freedoms and privacy.

Stay informed on what is happening on the PATRIOT Act. Become an expert on the PATRIOT Act today, so you’ll have the facts you need when you talk to your Representatives.

PATRIOT Act revisions hit the House floor: update on H.R. 3845 and 4005

From AAI
Posted on Thursday November 19, 2009

Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) Huffington Post Op-Ed: “A Patriot’s PATRIOT Act”

The mark up for Congressman John Conyers’ (D-MI) bill, the USA PATRIOT Amendments Act of 2009 (H.R. 3845), happened last week in the House Judiciary Committee.

On the same day of the mark up in the House Judiciary Committee, Congressman Rush Holt (D-NJ), a member of the House Intelligence Committee, introduced his bill, H.R. 4005.

AAI leaders and coalitions continue to meet with members on the Hill to request more is done to protect our civil liberties. We ask you continue to contact your congressmen and demand they support the changes. More information inside…

AAI Endorses Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board letter to President Obama

Posted on Friday November 13, 2009

On November 11^th, AAI and 28 other organizations sent a letter to President Obama expressing concern over the lack of nominations to the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board.

Support H. R. 3845: Amend the PATRIOT Act!

Posted on Tuesday November 3, 2009

The Arab American Institute (AAI) strongly supports H. R. 3845, the USA PATRIOT Amendments Act of 2009, a bill introduced by Congressmen John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), and Bobby Scott (D-VA) and co-sponsored by Congressmen Steve Cohen (D-TN), Jane Harman (D-CA), Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX) and Henry Johnson (D-GA).

H. R. 3845 addresses the most controversial provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act, due to expire at the end of 2009, by reforming expanded powers of search and seizure and increased domestic surveillance. These practices have proved to be ineffective and unreasonable, fostering mistrust between communities and law enforcement, while steadily eroding civil liberties in the name of national security.

Take action: reform the Patriot Act

Posted on Friday October 2, 2009

The ‘library’ provision, wire taps, and the ‘lone wolf’…

Three controversial provisions of the USA Patriot Act slated to sunset at the end of 2009 are currently being debated in the U.S. Senate.

They affect your businesses, your homes, and your freedom to protest peacefully.

Call or write your senator to say you support a bill that will keep us safe AND protect civil liberties.

Truth Over Fear

Posted on Friday June 12, 2009

A major workshop on the 2008 elections and Islamophobia was organized by AAI at the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education (NCORE) on May 29 in San Diego, California. “Race, Politics and the Presidency: How Arab-baiting and Islamophobia in the 2008 Elections Pose a New Civil Rights Challenge” was co-presented by AAIF director Helen Samhan, Salam Al-Marayati, Executive Director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) and Ken Maxey, Democratic political strategist and a former Obama ‘08 campaign coordinator in California.

Senator Jon Kyl screens controversial, anti-Islam video, “Fitna”, at the U.S. Capitol

Posted on Thursday February 26, 2009

AAI strongly opposed the decision of Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) to host Dutch MP Geert Wilders on Capitol Hill on Thursday, February 26 and urged him to cancel the screening of the film ‘Fitna.’

Although the timing of this event seemed to purposefully coincide with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on “Engaging with Muslim Communities Around the World,” scheduled for the same day, the decision to show this film, with Mr. Wilders as Senator Kyl’s invited guest, raised substantive concerns beyond the optics of partisanship or political show.

Statement on Civil Liberties

Posted on Thursday February 26, 2009

The Arab American Institute (AAI) endorses policies that make our country strong and secure, while protecting the civil rights and civil liberties enshrined in the Constitution.

The sweeping counterterrorism measures implemented during the emotional aftermath of September 11th were presented as necessary protections, but were based on the false dichotomy of safeguarding our national security or our civil liberties. The result since has been a steady erosion of our most basic freedoms; enforcement measures that foster mistrust; and policies that have proved both unreasonable and ineffective. Many of these initiatives have targeted Arab Americans and continue to be of particular concern, such as the greatly increased powers of search and seizure, enhanced by provisions in the PATRIOT Act and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act; racial profiling; selective law enforcement; prosecutorial discretion; the use of secret evidence; indefinite detention; lack of due process; and refusal of the right of habeas corpus.