CAIR: Seattle FBI Class Handout Linked Arabs, Islam to Nazism

SEATTLE, Oct. 2, 2011 -- On Monday, October 3, the Washington state chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-WA) will join a coalition of community groups at a news conference in Seattle to express concerns about persistent reports that FBI agents are trained to view mainstream American Muslims with suspicion and to view the faith of Islam itself as the source of terrorism and extremism.

The news conference will feature a community leader who attended the 2011 FBI Citizens' Academy class in Seattle, during which literature seeming to link Arabs, Muslims and Islam to Nazism was distributed.

The document, signed by a local FBI agent and distributed to the class, stated in part: "A careful comparison of Arab/Islamist propaganda and Nazi propaganda reveals the closeness of these links... I would suggest that the current conflicts are a continuation of Nazi policies carried out by Arabs..." The community leader will provide copies of the handout.

At the news conference, CAIR-WA will also release a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) signed by a coalition of at least 16 community, labor and interfaith organizations requesting an investigation into the pattern of biased and inaccurate trainings provided by the FBI.

WHAT: News Conference at CAIR-WA Seattle Office to Express Concerns about FBI use of Anti-Muslim Training and Literature
WHEN: Monday, October 3, 10:30 a.m.
WHERE: CAIR-WA Seattle Office, 671 South Jackson Street, Suite 207, Seattle, WA 98104
CONTACT: CAIR-WA Executive Director Arsalan Bukhari.

The coalition news conference is scheduled following new revelations that the FBI apparently continues to employ an analyst who tells counterterrorism and security personnel to go after Islam itself and to undermine the validity of key Islamic scriptures and key Muslim leaders.

That same FBI analyst recently told FBI agents that mainstream American Muslims are likely to be terrorist sympathizers, that the Prophet Mohammed was a cult leader, and that Islamic charitable giving is a funding mechanism for combat.

CAIR recently sent a letter to FBI Director Robert Mueller calling for swift action to reform the agency's use of anti-Muslim instructors and Islamophobic materials during counterterrorism training.

The FBI says it is "conducting a comprehensive review of all training and reference materials that relate in any way to religion or culture," but Muslim and civil liberties groups question the impact of the review and seek further corrective measures and reforms.

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.