WARREN — The Council of Islamic Organizations of Michigan (CIOM) has asked U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to launch an investigation into complaints that Michigan Muslims are being approached by the FBI to spy on activities of Muslim congregations. Through coercion of certain members of congregations, the FBI is reportedly promoting entrapment of innocent, law-abiding citizens in otherwise peaceful houses of worship.

CIOM is an umbrella organization of mosques and Muslim organizations within the state of Michigan. Its mission is to facilitate and coordinate communications and key initiatives for Michigan’s Muslim organizations; to provide effective advocacy on critical social justice issues impacting American Muslims; to establish and maintain productive collaborative relationships with government, civic, legal, interfaith, social, and media organizations; and to educate fellow Americans about Islam as a religion and a way of life, about Muslim cultures and traditions, and on critical issues and challenges facing American Muslims as well as Muslims in other parts of the world.

“We seek to ensure that our country is secure from all threats regardless of the source, but we take exception to community members being asked to spy on law-abiding Americans exercising the constitutional rights of freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom of assembly,” said CIOM Chair Victor Ghalib Begg.

“We call on Attorney General Holder to launch an investigation into the current methods used by the FBI, targeting entire Muslim congregations, which we believe are misdirected and un-American.”

The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI), which is a CIOM member, has received complaints that the FBI has approached Michigan Muslims to spy on unsuspecting worshippers including monitoring of their legitimate charitable donations.

“Through civic and political engagement, and the promotion of dialogue with interfaith leaders and law enforcement agencies, American Muslims have been a key, positive, stabilizing force since 9/11 in keeping our nation safe and secure from acts of violence and foreign threats … CIOM believes misdirected policies of our law enforcement agencies will lead the American Muslim community to be fearful, distrust its government and be less-cooperative and productive in helping agencies like the FBI in its important counter-terrorism efforts. As a member organization, CIOM is appreciative of initiatives such as the Bridges forum, organized by the Department of Homeland Security, but current FBI policies will make such efforts less fruitful,” Begg said.

Civil rights advocates have raised serious concerns in recent years that the FBI has been involved in “fishing expeditions” of entire congregations and organizations simply because of their religious/political views, with no justification or proof of any criminal activity. ACLU – Michigan in 2004 raised similar concerns about the FBI targeting religious institutions in Michigan.

“Law enforcement’s time and resources should be spent on keeping us safe, not spying on people based on their religious and political beliefs,” said ACLU-Michigan Executive Director Kary Moss.