"Guilt By Association is un-American", Aref Assaf, Home News tribune, 8/15/04
Re: letter by Abe Krieger, Muslims must make a choice to stay in U.S.
Castigating the entire Arab and Muslims communities in the US is as abhorrent an
act as those acts committed by the few terrorists who hide behind our noble
religion. Mr. Krieger’s anger is assuredly self-annihilating and it behooves him
to seek both medical and spiritual advice. What is always overlooked when
relating to the 9-11 disaster is, first, the terrorists who committed the
heinous act were not American citizens; they were specifically imported into the
United States to attack our symbols of freedom and economic supremacy. Second,
close to three hundreds of the victims who vanished in the ruble of the World
trade Center were Arabs and Muslims who were also American citizens. Third, of
the thousands of FBI interviews, searches and arrests, not a single Muslim
cleric has been found guilty of any ties to a terrorist activity or terrorist
cells.
All we hear about is time-released and politically motivated witch hunt of
alleged charges about Muslim this and Muslim that , who are being charged or, in
some cases, indefinitely held in detention for secret evidence or some other
nonsensical charge- the case of Muslim army captain John Yee is but one example.
Mr. Krieger, like many bigots who lack the decency to know the facts, has not
only denied our community the right to mourn its victims but also held our
entire community hostage to a regime of unconstitutional laws that affect all
Americans.
As a result we have now become suspect: our patriotism questioned; our loyalty
doubted. Mr. Krieger, the almost 10 million Arabs and Muslims in the United
States are American citizens who deserve to be accorded the same right to
innocence until proven guilty and not to be found guilty by association, ethnic
or religious affiliations. Where were you, Mr. Krieger, when Timothy McVeigh
blew up the Oklahoma Federal building in 1994? Did you demand that all Catholics
reassert their patriotism? Did you demand that all Catholics be questioned for
possible links to terrorism?
As we attempt to the counter the scourge of terrorism, we must remain vigilant
not to compromise the precious liberty of our citizens; the jewel that the
terrorists want us denied.
Respectfully,
Aref Assaf, President
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