The FBI office met with community leaders at The Arab American News office on Wednesday, August 6.

DEARBORN – On Wednesday, the FBI met with
community leaders at The Arab American News office in Dearborn to respond to
concerns raised by a report that alleged an aircraft was being used to surveil
the local Arab and Muslim community.

The Detroit News originally reported that
an airplane linked to an FBI surveillance program that tracks alleged
terrorists, spies and criminals, had flown over the metro Detroit area several
times, including two flights over Dearborn last weekend.

The article, originally titled “FBI spy
plane zeroes in on Dearborn area,” was immediately picked up by other media
outlets and sparked concerns in the local Arab American community.

It marked the latest in a string of
reports involving federal agencies spying on the Dearborn community. Last year,
a major news story also broke that stated Dearborn had more people per capita
than any other city in the country on an alleged ‘terrorist watchlist.’ 

During the meeting, FBI Special Agent in
Charge Paul Abbate assured local leaders that the agency was not using the surveillance
to target racial or religious communities.

The FBI routinely uses aviation assets
nationwide to aid in criminal investigations targeting specific
individuals.  The planes are allegedly
equipped with high-tech cameras and technology that allows the FBI to also track
cell phones.

The 2010 single engine Cessna Skylane,
the aircraft that was flown over the metro Detroit area, is strictly regulated
and governed by the DOJ, and is in full compliance with the Attorney General’s
guidelines.

According to The Detroit News report,
flight data showed that the plane made several mile wide loops above Dearborn
on Saturday and Sunday, as well as neighboring cities of Allen Park,
Melvindale, Dearborn Heights and Taylor. 

At 5:51 p.m. Saturday, the plane first
appeared on radar flying over a neighborhood of $300,000 homes in Harrison
Township, north of Metro Parkway in Macomb County.

The plane zigzagged over the community
and neighboring Clinton Township before flying south and cutting west across
Hamtramck and Detroit.

By 7:32 p.m., the plane made its way to
Dearborn.

During its duration over the city, the
aircraft flew about one mile above the ground. It covered areas that included
several landmarks; Greenfield Village, Ford Motor Co.’s Dearborn Development
Center, Edsel Ford High School and the American Muslim Center on West Outer
Drive.

While The Detroit News angled the story
to insist that the FBI was spying on Arab and Muslim residents, the majority of
the aircraft’s duration in Dearborn occurred over the city’s west-end, where
there are far less Arab American residents.

The aircraft surveillance doesn’t appear
to be limited to just metro Detroit. Outside of the area, records show that the
FBI had flown over 100 flights in 11 states over the last 30 days. 

The Detroit News used the website
flightradar24.com. to monitor the aircraft’s duration.

Many residents raised concerns over
whether the surveillance was related to possible terrorist threats.

The Arab American News contacted the FBI
Detroit office, which stated that it was not aware of any credible threats in
Metro Detroit, and the Bureau was not targeting any specific community when it
flew the surveillance drone over the weekend.

“Contrary to the suggestion of some
recent media reporting, the FBI does not employ aviation assets to conduct mass
surveillance nor to target specific communities,” FBI
Director of the Detroit Field Office Paul M. Abbate said. “Neither does
the FBI monitor lawfully protected First Amendment activity. Further, the FBI Detroit Field Office is not aware of any
specific or credible threats within the local Detroit Metropolitan area.”

The FBI also reiterated a
press release from June that stated the aircrafts used for their surveillance
program are not equipped, designed or used for bulk collection. They also are
not equipped with technology that mimics cell towers nor are they able to
intercept communications from cellphones and wireless devices.

Local civil rights group quickly issued
statements on Wednesday raising concerns that surveillance in government
agencies had continued to target Muslim communities.

“Given conclusive evidence that the
FBI has been involved in religious mapping of Muslims in Dearborn, we are
concerned the usage of the spy plane signals an increase in invasive
surveillance of the Muslim community,” said CAIR-MI Executive Director
Dawud Walid. “When privacy rights of minorities come under threat under
the vague umbrella of national security, such signals a clear threat to the
civil liberties of all in society.”

On Wednesday evening, The Arab American
News Publisher Osama Siblani organized the meeting between the FBI and local
leaders. Those in attendance included American-Arab Anti-Discrimination
Committee of Michigan (ADC-MI) Director Fatina Abdrabboh, Arab American Civil
Rights League (ACRL) Director Nabih Ayad and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell.

The civil rights leaders told reporters
that they were assured by Abbate that no illegal conduct of surveillance was
occurring in the community, applauding him for quickly addressing the concerns
raised in the article.

“The community is not being surveilled,”
said Siblani. “There is no mass surveillance of any nature.  We support what ever the FBI is doing to
protect our country and nation, as long as they are doing it under the
constitution and under the law and they are targeting criminals.”

Ayad said that the misleading reports
that often target Arab and Muslim communities has built a level of mistrust
between residents and federal agents. He applauded the FBI Detroit office for
acting promptly in addressing the issue.

“Due to the FBI Director Paul Abbate and
his excellent relationship with this community, a trust has been built like no
other probably anywhere in this country,” Ayad said. “It’s unbelievable the
relationship we’ve built, to a level where he assured us this afternoon that
there is no mass surveillance going on.”

Ayad noted that the ACRL had called for
the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney for
the Eastern District of Michigan Barbra McQuade to conduct an investigation
into the inquiry.

Abdrabboh said that the organization will
also ask for a further investigation, but said she was pleased with how the FBI
has handled the concerns so far.

“Any representation of racial profiling
or mass surveillance, as a mere allegation or accusation, raises the concern of
Arab Americans and Muslim Americans, who are often unfairly scrutinized for
dominant political reasons,” Abdrabboh said. “We view this as an opportunity to
continue this dialogue and we appreciate the regard [Paul Abbate] has shown for
the Muslim and Arab community and we will continue to monitor this situation.”

Dingell told reporters that the media’s
constant focus on Dearborn has been damaging to the community.

“These are Americans, they live here
because they love this country,” Dingell said. “Do you remember what this
country did during World War II with the Japenese? Everyone here just wants
everyone to know that they are Americans who love this country and we don’t
ever talk enough about that.”

Abdrabboh further echoed in on those sentiments,
stating that the community constantly has to deal with a dark cloud often cast by
irresponsible reporting in the media.

“You can’t un-ring a bell,” Abdrabboh
said. “So while the assurance of the Special Agent in Charge was regarded by
many of us, the reality is we remain with the perception and impact of that
article and that carries over into widespread discrimination and problems that
Arab Americans face in this country.”

Siblani also stated that he called for a
meeting with The Detroit News publisher and editor Jonathon Wolman to discuss
incorporating more sensitivity in their reporting towards the Muslim and Arab
community.