ADC Welcomes Introduction of End Racial Profiling Act

ADC Welcomes Introduction of End Racial Profiling Act

Washington, DC | www.adc.org | July 16, 2010 - The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) welcomes the introduction of H.R. 5748, End Racial Profiling Act of 2010 (ERPA). House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) and Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) introduced the bill on July 15, the bill currently has nearly 60 co-sponsors. ADC supports the introduction and passage of ERPA and thanks Chairman Conyers and Congressman Nadler for introducing the legislation. ADC, along with its coalition partners, has been working towards such legislation for the past decade.

The legislation will result in eliminating profiling based on race, religion, ethnicity, and national origin. As the Nation's largest Arab American civil rights organization ADC has been addressing issues pertaining to racial profiling for over 30 years. ADC believes that profiling based on race, religion, ethnicity, or national origin is ineffective. It diverts resources from the proper means of ensuring safety and national security and undermines the relationship between community members and law enforcement agencies. Prior ADC publications have outlined the profound negative impact of racial profiling on the Arab American community. These publications can be read by clicking here.

In the official statement from the House Judiciary Committee, it was outlined that the proposed legislation will do the following:
• Establish a prohibition on racial profiling, enforceable by declaratory or injunctive relief.
• Mandate training on racial profiling issues and the collection of data on both routine and spontaneous investigatory activities, as a condition of receiving Federal law enforcement funding.
• Authorize the Justice Department to provide grants for the development and implementation of best policing practices, such as early warning systems, technology integration, and other management protocols that discourage profiling.
• Require the Attorney General to provide periodic reports to assess the nature of any ongoing discriminatory profiling practices.
In his speech during the introduction of the bill the Honorable Chairman Conyers said, "Decades ago, this country made clear through the passage of sweeping civil rights legislation that race should not affect the treatment of individual Americans under the law. When law-abiding citizens are treated differently by those who enforce the law simply because of their race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin, they are denied the basic respect and equal treatment that is the right of every American. With the cooperation of the administration, we have the opportunity to develop a comprehensive approach to eliminating the practice of racial profiling. I hope that we do not miss this historic opportunity to heal the rift caused by racial profiling and restore much of the community's confidence in law enforcement." The full text of the speech can be found here.

ADC will continue to work with its coalition partners to ensure that the proposed ERPA legislation is voted for favorably by Congressional Members. ADC will continue to send updates tracking the legislation.

If you or someone you know is a victim of racial profiling or discrimination please contact the ADC Legal Department at 202-244-2990, or via e-mail to legal@adc.org. The services of the ADC Legal Department are offered on a pro bono basis.


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Contact: legal@adc.org
202-244-2990

NOTE TO EDITORS: The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), which is non-profit, non-sectarian and non-partisan, is the largest Arab-American civil rights organization in the United States. It was founded in 1980 by former Senator James Abourezk to protect the civil rights of people of Arab descent in the United States and to promote the cultural heritage of the Arabs. ADC has 38 chapters nationwide, including chapters in every major city in the country, and members in all 50 states.

The ADC Research Institute (ADC-RI), which was founded in 1981, is a Section 501(c)(3) educational organization that sponsors a wide range of programs on behalf of Arab Americans and of importance to all Americans. ADC-RI programs include research studies, seminars, conferences and publications that document and analyze the discrimination faced by Arab Americans in the workplace, schools, media, and governmental agencies and institutions. ADC-RI also celebrates the rich cultural heritage of the Arabs.

US Attorney vows to protect American Arabs as indecision continues on critical anti-Arab hate crime

US Attorney vows to protect American Arabs as indecision continues on critical anti-Arab hate crime

By Ray Hanania

U.S. Attorney Eric Holder told the opening meeting of the 30^th Annual American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee in Washington D.C. Friday that “the prosecution of hate crimes is a top priority” of the Obama administration.

Yet for nearly one year, the Justice Department has not acted to intervene in one of the most heinous hate crimes against a Palestinian American tourist, Husien Shehada, shot and killed last year on South Beach by a Miami police officer with a history of problems.

Police had responded on June 14, 2009 to a 911 call from a caller who said he saw a suspect carrying an AK 47 under his shirt. But when Miami officer Adam Tavss confronted Shehada, no weapon was produced and he had his hands raised in the air and was being compliant. Tavss shot Shehada three times in chest, after, according to his attorney, Shehada had pleaded with the officer several times.

Tavss was suspended but was returned to duty days later after he was “cleared” by an internal probe. Hours after returning to duty, Tavss was involved in another shooting in which a suspected was reported to have hijacked a taxi cab at gunpoint.  Tavss is suspected as the possible shooter but police have never identified which officer fired the bullet that killed the African American cab driver.

Tavss has had a history of brutality complaints that were dismissed by police but he was eventually fired when police discovered he was running a marijuana grow in a home.

The Shehada’s filed a civil suit against the Miami Police and Officer Tavss. The police have refused to release their records on the case, and the attorney for the Shehada family, John Contini, a criminal lawyer based in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida,  said he was hopeful that Holder’s office would intervene.

That request was repeated by Contini on Friday after Holder delivered his remarks and then departed the ADC luncheon at the Marriott Wardman Hotel at the start of the weekend convention. But Contini, who was honored by ADC at the luncheon, handed over his materials to one of Holder’s deputies who was seated next to him.

Holder made no mention of the case but Contini offered details of what he called a “frightening event.”

Contini accused Miami officials of a cover-up and called on the U.S. Attorney to intervene.

“When this case was first brought to me I have to admit that I reacted with the same kind of racism and bigotry than many Americans react with when they hear an Arab or Muslim name like Husien,” Contini confessed. “I am ashamed of that but after looking at the case I am more ashamed of what was done to Husien Shehada, who was on vacation in South Beach with his brother, and what the City of Miami is doing today.”

With American Arabs angered by the recent Israeli assault on a flotilla of ships carrying food and aid to the 1.5 million besieged residents of the Gaza Strip, and with President Obama consumed by the international uproar and call for an investigation in to Israel’s assault which resulted in the killing of 9 activists including one America, Holder focused instead on the fight against profiling and hate crimes.

“The Justice Department’s commitment to civil rights has not been stronger,” Holder insisted.  “Racial profiling is wrong. It can leave a lasting scar on communities and individuals. And it is quite simply, bad policing whatever city, whatever state.”

Holder revealed that he had been the victim of racial profiling when he was in college, calling it a humiliating experience.

Holder said that heart wrenching stories of misguided racial profiling continue. “The Justice Department will not stand idly by as the discrimination by the few unfairly tarnishes the outstanding work being done by so many. Nor will we stand idly by as isolated law enforcement departments engage in discriminatory practices of any kind. Our nation is better than that.”

Contini said he was moved by Holder’s speech but he said that like American Arabs, he is also waiting to see the administration put their muscle behind their promises.

“We haven’t seen anything yet but I am hopeful,” Contini said.

“The era of us versus them that some have experienced must end. Together we can make sure that era does end. … Regardless of our faith and regardless of our background, we are all Americans,” Holder said.

(Ray Hanania is an award winning columnist and Chicago radio talk show host. He can be reached at www.RadioChicagoland.com.)