DEARBORN — The Arab Student Union and Muslim Students’ Association held an event on Thursday, January 28 at the University of Michigan-Dearborn entitled “Know Your Rights,” with an emphasis on clearing up important questions about law enforcement and civil rights.

Detroit FBI Special Agent in Charge Andrew Arena, L, local attorney Nabih Ayad and CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid.

Audience members were asked to submit questions to the three-person panel of speakers, which was comprised of local attorney Nabih Ayad and FBI Special Agent in Charge Andrew Arena, co-chairs of the group Advocates and Leaders for Police and Community Trust (ALPACT), as well as Council on American-Islamic Relations-Michigan (CAIR-MI) head Dawud Walid.
Arena spoke first, stating that his main goal is to protect the U.S. Constitution and the country’s security.

“When I started here 22 years ago, I took the oath to defend the constitution of the United States, it’s not just words, it’s something very sacred to us and that’s how we operate every day.”

Arena addressed the controversial practice of using informants in mosques, stating that they are still used and that it’s a practice used in other areas of law enforcement.

“Every law enforcement agency uses sources, from gang cases to public corruption cases,” Arena said.

“We don’t target religions or buildings under the law of the land; you have to have a reason to send people into a location.

“If an imam is preaching the true Muslim religion we are not supposed to be there and if that does happen, someone is losing their job or going to jail,” adding that the same rule would apply to other religions as well.

Arena also was asked numerous questions about Imam Luqman Ameen Abdallah of Detroit, who was killed in a raid in October at a warehouse on Miller Road in Dearborn, during which he was shot 21 times, including in the back and the groin.

He said he stood by his decision to authorize the raid and that he would ultimately be judged on the facts of the case.

Ayad, who has handled a number of high profile cases involving Arabs and Muslims in the area, spoke next. His talk focused on basic rights for people in the audience to remember.

He said that police can pat citizens down for drugs or firearms if they believe there’s a problem, but they cannot search a vehicle unless they are given permission to do so.

The right to remain silent was also emphasized but Ayad said citizens must show their license, registration and proof of insurance.

Ayad also said that police can’t enter a home without a warrant or consent unless there’s a felony being committed or if they hear a crime going on inside the house.

He also made a proclamation about the state of civil rights among the Arab and Muslim communities.

“It’s no secret that after 9/11 this community has been under attack,” he said. “Freedom of religion is being attacked in the name of the war on terror. It makes us all more vulnerable in many ways.”

Ayad cited the trend of women being asked to remove their hijabs in courtrooms as well as being denied employment opportunities because of hijab as examples of what he said was unconstitutional treatment.

Ayad also said that airplane travelers have the right to refuse a full-body scan in favor of a pat-down, which is important to some considering questions have been raised about the safety of such tests, and that women are allowed to take off their hijabs for inspection of their hair in a separate room if asked to do so.

Walid, a local imam, spoke last and addressed important questions regarding Islam, laws and rights.

He stressed that his advice was for informational purposes only as he is not a lawyer.

“Your civil liberties are not a privilege, they are a right and an obligation the State has to you. It is also a reciprocal relationship, as there are rights you owe to the society.”

He said that Muslims are called by the Qur’an to follow the laws of the society but also added that each person has the opportunity to lobby for change within the system.

He cited an example of how South African leader Nelson Mandela was formerly considered a terrorist but later received a Presidential Freedom Award as to how things can change.

Walid added that everyone should be an “informant” in regards to possible wrongdoing but also cautioned against the practice of provoking someone into saying something that could could land them in trouble. He said that whoever instigates someone into wrongdoing is as wrong as the person who committed the act in the first place according to the Prophet Mohammed.

Rounding out the speaking portion, Walid said that citizens wondering about the safety of a charity to donate to should contact the U.S. Treasury Department while also documenting the process.

The question and answer session followed, and along with the shooting of Imam Abdallah, the much-maligned Patriot Act was a popular topic.

Arena was asked if the act gives the FBI legal authority to spy on a citizen.

“That an easy one, no,” Arena said.

Ayad said that citizens should be careful about the Web sites they visit and the t-shirts they wear while also mentioning that the troublesome parts of the act include the ability for the government to check out medical records and books taken out from libraries without a warrant.

“Freedom has definitely been under attack and people have sued over the Patriot Act,” he said.

Walid added that the ability to close down bank accounts can have disastrous effects on charities as well.

Walid also took issue with the way charitable donations are handled in regards to Muslim institutions.

“They give us a list of safe charities, but I’m not in favor of that,” he said. “If the charity is legally operating we should assume it’s legal; that’s a dangerous path to go down.”