Profiling as Policy

The FBI interviews of Arabs and Muslims are back, this time again including some in the DC area:

Those being sought for interviews appear to represent a broad spectrum. Attorneys and activists said they had heard from students, high-tech professionals, Muslim leaders and others who had been contacted. Most were immigrants, but at least one African American Muslim and some U.S.-born residents were also included. ....

Some activists said that Muslims and Arabs were nervous about responding to the FBI, in part because thousands of immigrants wound up being deported after being contacted in earlier phases of the government's anti-terrorism campaign. Several people in the Washington area have told FBI officers that they will meet with them only if their attorney is present.

Ghafoor said he was happy to talk to the FBI. But he was concerned that they were going to people's workplaces.

"I said, 'Hey, some people lose their jobs when the FBI shows up at their offices,' " he said. ...

Alamoodi said the questions included whether he knew anyone who had recently returned from Pakistan, anyone who had shown interest in a government building or agency or anyone who had shown extreme hostility toward Americans.

"The questions were just ridiculous," he said. "I said, 'You guys really think you're going to get anywhere with these kind of questions?' "

Alamoodi said he was puzzled about why he was selected for an interview.

"I don't go to the mosque that often," he said, "unless they have free food."

> W. Post: "Interviews Of Muslims To Broaden"

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