The United States Senate Committee of the Judiciary
subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights held a hearing
this past week entitled 
“Protecting the Civil Rights of American Muslims. “ 

The hearing was called to discuss protecting the civil
rights of American Muslims, just weeks after another panel hotly debated the
threat posed by homegrown Islamists.

Muslims in the United States face ongoing discrimination and
violence in actions that threaten basic freedoms in the nation, the hearing was
told.

Democratic Assistant Senate Majority Leader and committee
chairman Dick Durbin, who called the hearing, said a “backlash” which
began after the attacks of September 11, 2001, continues against “innocent
Muslims, Arabs, south Asians and Sikhs.”

“American Muslims are entitled to the same
constitutional protections as other Americans,” Durbin said, adding that
this is an issue of “not just free exercise of religion but freedom of
speech.”

Thomas Perez, the assistant attorney general for civil
rights, told the Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing: “We continue to
see a steady stream of violence against Muslims… The good news is that with
each wave of intolerance, our nation has responded by passing news laws.”

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said the issue of Muslims and
terrorism still needs to be addressed.

“Freedom of speech means we can disagree,” Graham
said, while adding that “there are efforts to recruit radical Muslims that
must be dealt with.”

Graham added, “To the American Muslim community I stand
with you. But you’re going to have to help your country. I’m asking you to get
in this fight.”

On behalf of Arab Americans and American Muslims in this
country, we thank Senator Durbin for holding the hearing and we echo Senator
Graham’s plea for all of us to cooperate with law enforcement in the battle
against terrorism, whatever its source.