Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

The Arab American Institute (AAI) endorses policies that make our country strong and secure, while protecting the civil rights and civil liberties enshrined in the Constitution.

The sweeping counterterrorism measures implemented during the emotional aftermath of September 11th were presented as necessary protections, but were based on the false dichotomy of safeguarding our national security or our civil liberties. The result since has been a steady erosion of our most basic freedoms; enforcement measures that foster mistrust; and policies that have proved both unreasonable and ineffective. Many of these initiatives have targeted Arab Americans and continue to be of particular concern, such as the greatly increased powers of search and seizure, enhanced by provisions in the PATRIOT Act and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act; racial profiling; selective law enforcement; prosecutorial discretion; the use of secret evidence; indefinite detention; lack of due process; and refusal of the right of habeas corpus.

AAI advocates for the restoration of our fundamental civil liberties while supporting policies that reflect our core values and principles as patriotic Americans. The federal, state and local officials who work to protect us must demonstrate their commitment to respect fully the civil rights and liberties of all U.S. citizens and legal immigrants. To ensure this, Congress should institutionalize regular oversight of executive departments and agencies; provide formal reports on Executive measures; review controversial counterterrorism legislation and revise or repeal any statute that provides opportunity for egregious civil liberties violations in the name of national security.

AAI Issue Brief: Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

AAI Issue Brief: Immigration
AAI Issue Brief: Islamophobia
AAI Issue Brief: NSEERS

From AAI

• Fanning the Flames of Confrontation with Iran — 02/02/2012
• White House Gets it Wrong on Palestine…Again. — 02/02/2012
• Two Arab Americans could face off for Giffords’s old Seat — 02/01/2012
• Why Aren’t More Arab Americans Working in Mainstream Journalism? — 02/01/2012
• Florida’s In, But All Remaining Candidates Fight On — 02/01/2012

Countdown

• Getting a Little Out of Hand — 01/31/2012
• Bring On the Heat — 01/24/2012
• In Case You Haven’t Noticed — 01/18/2012
• Don’t Read This Standing — 01/11/2012
• Happy New Year! Countdown is Back — 01/04/2012

From Washington

• Durbin Statement Regarding Islamic Center Controversy — 08/22/2010
• Citing Conflict With Federal Law, Department of Justice Challenges Arizona Immigration Law — 07/06/2010
• Statements on H. Res. 867 (In opposition to the Goldstone Report) November 4, 2009 U.S. House of Rep — 05/12/2010
• TSA Nationality Screening Guidelines Revoked — 04/06/2010
• Selected Statements against H. Res. 867 — 11/18/2009

From Dr. Zogby

• Bridging the Divide — 01/30/2012
• GOP Primary: A Fratricidal Embarrassment — 01/23/2012
• Listening and Learning: Arab Opinion Matters — 01/17/2012
• Predicting the Presidential Election, 2012 — 01/09/2012
• Lesson to GOP: Don’t Play with Fire — 01/03/2012

Resources

• Al-Majallah/AAI Poll (1998) — 01/04/2012
• Attitudes of U.S. Voters Toward Saudi Arabia (2003) — 01/04/2012
• Attitudes of the American Public Toward the Recent Arab-Israeli Dispute (2002) — 01/04/2012
• U.S. Attitudes Toward Arab Countries and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (2000) — 01/04/2012
• Arabs: What They Believe and What They Value Most (2002) — 01/04/2012