New York Times In the Search for Suspects, Sensitivities About Profiling By SUSAN SACHS New
Jersey Attorney General John J. Farmer Jr. tried yesterday to
reassure Muslims, Arabs and others that he would not sanction or
condone racial profiling by the law enforcement agents who are
searching for suspects in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. But he also repeated a message that he has delivered in the last
week to people who fear they will be singled out for harassment in
the wake of the attacks because of their appearance or religious
dress. With at least 300 people of Middle Eastern background wanted
for questioning in the terror investigation, he said, people thought
to resemble specific suspects could end up being stopped by a law
enforcement officer and should try to be understanding. "It is inevitable that a number of people who are innocent are
going to be questioned," Mr. Farmer said in a telephone interview.
"It's important that any abusive conduct be reported and that we
have open channels of communication at a time like this." The attorney general has made similar comments in recent public
appearances and interviews before audiences of Sikh, Muslim and Arab
Americans who are worried that they may become victims of hate
crimes or discrimination. Mr. Farmer's effort to clarify his
comments yesterday demonstrated just how strong reactions are to the
profiling issue. He was reacting to criticism after an article yesterday in The
Star- Ledger of Newark, which said Mr. Farmer had all but conceded
that investigators in the trade center case might engage in racial
profiling. Muslim leaders and civil rights activists reacted with
predictable alarm. Imam Hamad Ahmad Chebli, the religious leader of the Islamic
Society of Central Jersey, said he understood the article to say
that Mr. Farmer supported the singling out of people of Middle
Eastern appearance for investigation. "This is about singling out the Middle Eastern person — whether
it is Arab or Muslim or Pakistani — from the global human being,"
Mr. Chebli said. "If we do so, then everyone in an airport or a
seaport or a train station or a subway will also consider that as
official criticism of our Mideastern faces and dress." The issue of racial profiling is especially charged in New
Jersey, where state politics have been dominated by arguments over
whether law enforcement officers randomly stopped and searched
people solely because of race. A report released by Mr. Farmer last
year concluded that racial profiling had become a routine part of
state police operations. Like other law enforcement officials, including those in the
Justice Department in Washington, Mr. Farmer has said that all
Americans should expect greater government surveillance of
individuals and groups as the price to be paid for greater security
in an age of terrorism. But he said racial profiling would not be
used. "It's not people being pulled over on the street or road at
random simply because of how they look," he said. "It's different
because investigators have specific information on specific people.
And with so many people wanted, a lot of people are going to match
the physical description of those folks." Mr. Chebli said he understood the need for the investigation but
pleaded for even-handedness. "If there are stops on the road or
interviews at the airport, then deal with this person, male or
female, in a gentle way," he said. "If that person is innocent and
you don't find anything in the record, then say: `Thank you sir,
thank you ma'am. We are doing this for your safety, not to harm your
religion.' After all, let us work for peace." Copyright © 2001. New York Times Company. All rights reserved. saved from url: http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/26/nyregion/26FARM.html
September 26, 2001
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