Attorney General Commended
Washington,
DC: The Muslim Public Affairs Council has commended Attorney
General Alberto Gonzales for calling on 100 US attorneys
to partner with the American Muslim community, which he
said "cannot be done effectively without Muslim community
leadership."
Gonzales said, in part (click here to view full remarks):
"You also have a duty to show your colleagues and your
districts that we are not engaged in a struggle against
a faith or religion. On the contrary, we very much need
the partnership of the Muslim community. Discouraging radicalism
is vital, and that cannot be done effectively without Muslim
community leadership. So seek it out in your districts.
We believe in religious freedom for everyone. The Department
of Justice is committed to protect these rights, and in
doing so, I think we promote trust and provide an alternative
way to that of radicalization."
Gonzales made the remarks recently at the US Attorneys'
National Security Conference in Columbia, South Carolina.
SEE: "Gonzales Talks Tough Against Terrorists"
The remarks follow a meeting of Muslim and Arab American
groups with the Attorney General in which leaders underscored
the need for enhanced interaction between the Department
of Justice and community-based organizations like MPAC.
SEE: "MPAC Raises Concerns Over Increased Islamophobia
To Attorney General"
In their meeting on Monday, MPAC Executive Director Salam
Al-Marayati and leaders from the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination
Committee, the Arab American Institute, the Islamic Society
of North America (ISNA) and the National Association of
Muslim Lawyers (NAML) also stressed the need for the Department
of Justice to take a leadership role in promoting integration
by speaking against Islamophobia, especially when anti-Muslim
statements are associated with law enforcement officials.
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