A leading American Muslim scholar urged the Bush administration to review its security policies which are unfairly targeting Muslim Americans, as a British Muslim student had to pay extra for security checks when applying for a US visa because his name was Mohammed. "I really hope that the American government and the current administration -- that occasionally took a hard line in dealing with the dignity of the Muslim community -- would review its policies and would have a more friendly approach to the Muslim community," Imam Hassan al-Qazwini told Reuters in an interview.
The Shiite scholar of the Islamic Center of America, located in Dearborn, said the policies that result in unfair treatment include domestic wiretapping, civil rights, immigration and the Patriot Act.
The bill, which was rushed through Congress after the 9/11 attacks, is harshly criticized by rights groups and minorities in the US as threatening civil liberties. |