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DOJ to Recruit Special Counsel on Post-9/11 National Origin Discrimination

Posted on Monday February 2, 2004

Washington-The Arab American Institute (AAI) welcomes the announcement by the Justice Department that it is recruiting “an experienced attorney for the Office of Special Assistant Attorney General in Washington, D.C. to serve as a Special Counsel on Post-9/11 National Origin Discrimination.”

The position, created after 9/11, has been vacant for more than six months, and has been the subject of a number of meetings and communications between AAI and Alexander Acosta, the Assistant Attorney General who heads the Civil Rights Division. The Special Counsel specifically monitors the impact of post-9/11 activities of law enforcement officials on ethnic communities, communicates with the affected communities, and refers concerns and allegations of abuse to the proper agencies.

Jean AbiNader, Managing Director of AAI, noted that the role of the Special Counsel was a keystone in building credibility between the federal government and the Arab American, Muslim, and Sikh communities. “The efforts of the Special Counsel are critical to bridging the gap between local communities and law enforcement authorities on all levels. AG Acosta has shown his willingness to continue this important work by filling this position. We hope that it will be done expeditiously so that we have a key point of contact in the Department of Justice.”

Interested applicants should go to: http://www.usdoj.gov/oarm/jobs/speccounselforpost911.htm for more information.