Blacks, Other Communities Brace for Tougher Terrorism Crackdown
Pacific News Service, News Digest, Compiled and Edited by Pueng Vongs, Posted: Nov 13, 2003
While the anti-terrorism Patriot Act is widely thought to affect only Arabs and Muslims, the law has put all blacks in an increasingly vulnerable state according to ColorLines, an Oakland magazine that covers race and politics.
Tammy Johnson writes that black immigrants are also detained without due process, especially Haitian immigrants seeking asylum, says Johnson. Attorney General John Ashcroft has used the "twisted logic that detaining Haitians would discourage others from coming to America, thus preventing the diversion of Coast Guard resources from homeland security initiatives."
Johnson also argues that the Patriot Act makes the police more aggressive about racial profiling. She cites the case of a Sudanese refugee from San Jose, Calif. who was in his car en route to the federal immigration office to obtain documents for his employer of his legal status in the United States. The police pulled him over with no justification and pointed guns at him. In the end, the police did not give Abraham a ticket for speeding but questioned him about his immigration status.
Johnson suggests that black leaders continue to meet with others affected by the Patriot Act to turn back what he calls a tide of racial-profiling and injustice.
***
Male nationals of 25 countries living in the United States are bracing themselves for a second round of registration next month as part of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services' efforts to track down terrorists.
In 2002, more than 100,000 men and boys registered with the government and approximately 13,000 were detained and subject to "aggressive intimidating interrogation," according to the American Muslim Voice (AMV), a California based advocacy group. Those detained also faced the possibility of deportation due to visa violations, according to the AMV.
The AMV is forming an alliance with the Blue Triangle Network, a Muslim advocacy group in Michigan and the Pakistan American Alliance, a California-based group, to ask the Justice Department why individuals who registered last year must do so again this year.
"To my knowledge no terrorists have been captured," sais Samina Faheem with the AMV. " On the only Muslim nationwide special registration hotline, over and over I heard from confused and fearful people; 'No terrorist is going to walk into the INS office and register. Why are we being targeted and treated like common criminals?' This program has created a culture of anxiety, humiliation, frustration, anger and total despair in my community," said Faheem.
The BCIS (Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services) is requiring males ages 15 and older who are citizens of the following countries and visitors to the United States to re-register: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Eritrea, Lebanon, Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Qatar, Somalia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan or Kuwait.
During the registration process, the individuals are finger printed and photographed and their addresses, credit cards, social security number and driver's license number are recorded. The immigration authorities also track individuals each time they leave the country and require them to only leave or enter from specific ports.
Filipino Vets, Member of Lynch's Unit Seek Greater Military Benefits
Two Asian American advisory groups to the White House are recommending a proposal to allow the recruitment of Philippine citizens into the U.S. armed forces, reports So. San Francisco based Filipinas magazine. Philippine citizens were able to serve in U.S. armed forces until 1992 when the United States terminated its agreement to use military bases in the country.
During the U.S. war on terror the U.S. military has again intervened in the Philippines and recruitment of Philippine soldiers will ease recruitment pressures in the United States and provide jobs for Filipinos, says Ernesto Gange, chairman of the Endowment for Strategic Leadership for Asian Americans and the man who authored the proposal. The proposal is also being backed by the United States President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and the White House Initiative on Asian Americans. In addition, Philippine Congressman James Gordon, Jr. says the proposal would also enhance friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
Filipino soldiers have had a rocky relationship with the U.S. armed forces, however. Some 200,000 World War II veterans are still waiting for full military benefits including healthcare promised them when they enlisted.
***
A soldier in Jessica Lynch's unit, shot in both ankles, was content to be discharged from the Army without any attention while her fellow prisoner of war Lynch garnered book and movie deals.
But when Army Spec. Shoshana Johnson, an African American woman, got notice from the Army that she would only receive a 30 percent disability benefit for her injuries versus the 80 percent disability benefit going to Lynch, she felt compelled to protest the injustice of it all, reports BET.com, the online site for the African American cable network.
The difference between Johnson's and Lynch's payments is $600-700 a month, writes Christine Phillip.
Johnson's family has asked Rev. Jesse Jackson to lobby for equal treatment. Said Jackson to the Washington Post, "Here's a case of two women, same [unit], same war; everything about their service commitment and their risk is equal yet there's an enormous contrast between how the military has handled these two cases."
In denying charges of a double standard, the Army said the claims are awarded according to the seriousness of the injuries. Johnson walks with a limp and suffers from bouts of depression. Lynch's injuries came from the Humvee crash and included a back injury and multiple broken bones.
Johnson plans to appeal to the Army to increase her benefit.
Donal Brown contributed to this report.
NCM Coverage: Bridges Ethnic Media Digest
Page
1 of 1
|
