FBI agents across the United States have reportedly started a campaign to visit mosques and question Muslims who might have information relating to a possible terrorist attack before the November 2 presidential elections.
The new investigation-the latest in a series of campaigns since the attacks of September 11, 2001, has according to a report in the Dawn, prompted sharp protests from American Civil Liberties Union and several Muslim organizations.
The protesters have reportedly accused the Bush Administration of sowing "fear in the Muslim community" through this questioning.
Some of them are now insisting that lawyers be present when such questioning takes place.
American Muslim Voice director for Northern California, Khalid Saeed, was quoted as saying that the American Muslims and Arabs felt intimidated by the new campaign which was the fifth incidence of an explicit FBI dragnet against these communities.
"The FBI plans to deliberately tail people based on their religion or ethnic origin during a month that is both religiously and politically crucial," claimed Dalia Hashad, an advocate with the American Civil Liberty Union.
"Instead of bolstering security, the FBI's new drive is going to stop Muslims and Arabs from attending mosques during the month of Ramadan, and participating in the upcoming election," she warned.
{{/usCountry}}"Instead of bolstering security, the FBI's new drive is going to stop Muslims and Arabs from attending mosques during the month of Ramadan, and participating in the upcoming election," she warned.
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