Washington, DC – Attorney General John Ashcroft met with SMART and representatives of other Arab and Muslim American civil rights organizations on Wed. June 23 to discuss continued collaboration with law enforcement and the Sikh American community. Mr. Ashcroft praised SMART for its law enforcement training efforts and stated that he would work to highlight these and other collaborative efforts in his public statements. “This meeting was an important opportunity to offer SMART’s assistance at the highest level of our government to ensure that the Sikh American and other communities are treated with respect when they interact with federal agencies,” said Preetmohan Singh, SMART’s National Director. “Through these efforts, government representatives at at all levels are gaining an understanding about the Sikh American community. While there are problems that persist, we always highlight the positive contributions our community has been making to this nation for over a century.” The meeting was facilitated by R. Alexander Acosta, the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, whose office has coordinated monthly federal interagency meetings to address Sikh, Arab, and Muslim American issues. At the meeting, SMART presented a summary of recent cases, including instances of employment discrimination, continuing hate crimes, and immigration guidelines regarding photos with turbans. Federal agencies represented at the meeting included Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS), the Department of Homeland Security Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Treasury Department, the Department of Justice Community Relations Service (CRS), and the FBI. Other organizations taking part in the meeting were the Arab American Institute (AAI), the American-Arab Anti Discrimination Committee (ADC), the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), and the Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights (Karamah).
