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CNN Sunday Morning

FBI Recruiting Agents at Islamic Centers

Aired June 02, 2002 - 07:42   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the FBI wants to hire another 900 agents by this September. So they've gone on a recruiting, ones that will take them college campuses, job fairs, and mosques.

CNN'S Brian Palmer explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN PALMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Anas Aberdrabour, a Syrian American, has come to his mosque to pray and to look for a job.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This brochure (UNINTELLIGIBLE) from border patrol to immigration inspector.

PALMER: He's making the rounds of law enforcement agencies, local, state and federal, that are recruiting at his Patterson, New Jersey mosque. Among the agencies, the New Jersey state police, the Secret Service, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the FBI.

(on camera): Why are you here?

MELINDA ANDERSON, FBI REPORTER: To recruit for the special agent position, and also other job opportunities in the FBI.

ANTHONY COLEGRY, SECRET SERVICE: The career fair was for everybody. Obviously, we're grateful to get the Islamic people here, too.

PALMER (on camera): The Islamic Center for Pasaic County is one of the largest mosques in the area with thousands of members. Before September 11, mosque leaders say they had a good working relationship with the FBI. The day after the September 11 attacks, FBI agents were here, seeking information.

(voice-over): The FBI has detained thousands of Muslim non- citizens on immigration violations since September 11. Civil rights groups have sued to force the Justice Department to release information about them. Sohail Mohammed represents 18 of these men. He is also a sponsor of the job fair. He says Muslims should be represented in federal law enforcement agencies, but they shouldn't be afraid to ask tough questions.

SOHAIL MOHAMMED, JOB FAIR SPONSOR: Why don't have fair representation of American Muslims in your forces? We ought to be asking why your agencies are suspicious of Muslim activities? Why is our places of worship the focus of your attention, when you know the hijackers were not worshiping at religious centers, but they were hanging out at bars?

PALMER: Under new law enforcement guidelines announced by the Attorney General, FBI agents would be able to come into this mosque and monitor activity, file reports. You could be called on to that as an agent. How would you feel?

ANAS ABERDRABOUR, JOB FAIR ATTENDEE: I don't have a problem. We have nothing to hide.

PALMER: Others were less enthusiastic about the job fair. Attorney Michael Ratner also represents Muslim detainees.

MICHAEL RATNER, CENTER FOR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS: First, there has be an investigation of the FBI in which they determine why they didn't get the perpetrators of September 11. What the results of that will be, I don't know, but it's certainly going to be hiring more Arabic speaking and Muslim agents. But then, what should they do? They shouldn't be going after legitimate dissent in this country. They should be going after people who have at least some evidence of criminality.

PALMER: But even skeptics allow that the job fair may be an important step in improving communication between federal law enforcement and Muslim Americans.

Brian Palmer, CNN, Patterson, New Jersey.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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