Really bothers me djf Be Very Afraid: Nearly half of Americans wou ld restrictMuslimAmericans Civil Rights

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

This note bothers me so much that I see red 

We survived more dangerous situations with out modifying what makes the US worthwhile. Hitler was much more dangerous 
yet we did not register german extraction. Then again Hitler made the Jews register. djf


Author: "Robert C. Atkinson" <rca53 () columbia edu>
Date:           18th December 2004 4:16:15 pm

Dave:

This is certainly serious, difficult and not surprising.

Hopefully, things like this poll will encourage Muslims in America (and 
in Europe too, it seems) to do more to reassure their fellow countrymen 
that such restrictions won't be necessary. Mr Bray's proposal to 
"continue to interface" probably won't be enough though.

Like it or not, the burden is on the Muslim community to take the 
initiative to convince the vast majority of Americans (and now 
Europeans) that Muslims can be "trusted." Otherwise, a poll a year from 
now will probably show that over 50 percent favor restrictions and if 
(when?) there is another Islamist terrorist attack within the US, the 
number will instantly go into the 80+% range. Then what?  Fast 
Constitutional amendments, probably, and Draconian ones, possibly.

To protect core civil liberties from being swept away in a post-attack 
panic, civil liberterians should start thinking the unthinkable: what 
sort of Bill of Rights will best protect life, liberty and pursuit of 
hapiness in an era of terrorism? I doubt the populace--and many 
politicians--will have the patience for nuanced and thoughtful debate 
after a WMD kills a few hundred thousand civilians. This is the time for 
the nuanced and thoughtful debate.

Bob

David Farber wrote:

> http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=341659
>
>
> [ABC News]In U.S., 44 Percent Say0 Restrict MuslimsPoll: Nearly Half of All Americans Support Restricting Rights of 
> Muslim Americans
> [The Associated Press]
> ITHACA, N.Y. Dec 17, 2004 — Nearly half of all Americans believe the U.S. government should restrict the civil 
> liberties of Muslim Americans, according to a nationwide poll. 
> The survey conducted by Cornell University also found that Republicans and people who described themselves as highly 
> religious were more apt to support curtailing Muslims' civil liberties than Democrats or people who are less 
> religious. 
> Researchers also found that respondents who paid more attention to television news were more likely to fear terrorist 
> attacks and support limiting the rights of Muslim Americans. 
> "It's sad news. It's disturbing news. But it's not unpredictable," said Mahdi Bray, executive director of the Muslim 
> American Society. "The nation is at war, even if it's not a traditional war. We just have to remain vigilant and 
> continue to int:er.face."
>
> The survey found 44 percent favored at least some restrictions on the civil liberties of Muslim Americans. Forty-eight 
> percent said liberties should not be restricted in any way. 
> The survey showed that 27 percent of respondents supported requiring all Muslim Americans to register where they lived 
> with the federal government. Twenty-two percent favored racial profiling to identify potential terrorist threats. And 
> 29 percent thought undercover agents should infiltrate Muslim civic and volunteer organizations to keep tabs on their 
> activities and fund-raising. 
> Cornell student researchers questioned 715 people in the nationwide telephone poll conducted this fall. The margin of 
> error was 3.6 percentage points. 
> James Shanahan, an associate professor of communications who helped organize the survey, said the results indicate 
> "the need for continued dialogue about issues of civil liberties" in a time of war. 
> While researchers said they were not surprised by the overall level of support for curtailing civil liberties, they 
> were startled by the correlation with religion and exposure to television news. 
> "We need to explore why these two very important channels of discourse may nurture fear rather than understanding," 
> Shanahan said. 
> According to the survey, 37 percent believe a terrorist attack in the United States is still likely within the next 12 
> months. In a similar poll conducted by Cornell in November 2002, that number stood at 90 percen.t. 
> .
> ..
>
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