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 In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

 CAIR Action Alert
 Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
 Alert #206
 1050 17th St., N.W., Suite 490
 Washington, D.C., 20036
 Tel: 202-659-CAIR (2247)
 Fax: 202-659-2254
 E-Mail: [log in to unmask]
 URL: http://www.cair-net.org

 CONGRESSMEN CALL FOR END TO USE OF SECRET EVIDENCE AGAINST MUSLIMS
 Muslims asked to defend civil rights by supporting new legislation,
 contacting officials

 (WASHINGTON, D.C., 5/19/99) - CAIR today offered its support for the Secret
 Evidence Repeal Act of 1999. Reps. Tom Campbell (R-CA) and David Bonior (D-
 MI) introduced the legislation this morning at a Capitol Hill news
 conference. The act would prevent the use of secret evidence in Immigration
 and Naturalization Service (INS) deportation hearings.

 Many American Muslims and civil libertarians believe secret evidence is
 unconstitutional and that it is used disproportionately against members of
 the Muslim and Arab-American communities. (The act's sponsors say more than
 20 of the 25 individuals held based on secret evidence are Muslims and/or
 Arabs.)

 A news release issued by Rep. Bonior's office states:

 "...Under the 1996 Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996,
 the INS is allowed to arrest, detain and deport non-citizens on the basis
 of 'secret evidence' - evidence whose source and substance is not revealed
 to the potential deportees or their counsel.

 "The use of 'secret evidence' in deportation proceedings has raised serious
 questions about due process. There are currently about 25 individuals being
 held in the United States without trial, without charges pending against
 them, and without the opportunity to provide bail..."

 "The Muslim community has been fighting the use of secret evidence since it
 was first introduced. It is a legal short-cut that does not lead to
 justice. An unconstitutional measure that is today used against Muslims and
 Arabs could one day be used against anyone in our society. Now is the time
 to call for the elimination of secret evidence," said CAIR Executive
 Director Nihad Awad, who attended today's news conference.

 Awad added that the American legal system was founded on the defendant's
 right to examine evidence provided by the government. "To deny a person the
 right to know what he or she is charged with clearly violates the
 Constitution, as does using the law to target only selected religious or
 ethnic groups," said Awad.

 IMMEDIATE ACTIONS REQUESTED: (This is a very important issue. Please take
 the time to write, call and organize to eliminate the use of secret
 evidence. Any person in our community might be the target of secret
 evidence.)

 1) Contact your national elected representatives to offer your support for
 the legislation. Make a call or send a personal letter by fax or mail if at
 all possible. Use the Internet as a last resort. Send copies to CAIR.

 Call the Congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121 (have your ZIP code
 ready) to determine who represents you in Congress. Representatives may be
 contacted through the Internet at: http://www.house.gov/writerep/

 Additional information may be obtained at:
 http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.html,
 http://www.senate.gov/contacting/index.cfm

 (Senators are addressed: "The Honorable _______," United States Senate,
 Washington D.C.  20510, "Dear Senator ________." Representatives are
 addressed: "The Honorable ________," United States House of
 Representatives, Washington, D.C.  20515, "Dear Representative
 __________.")

 Progress of the legislation through Congress may be tracked at
 http://thomas.loc.gov/. (A bill number has not yet been issued.) Updates
 will also be available from the sponsors: (202) 225-3130 (Bonior), (202)
 225-2631 (Campbell)

 2) Send a delegation of Muslim leaders to meet with elected officials or
 key staff.

 3) Contact President Clinton to ask that he support the Secret Evidence
 Repeal Act of 1999: TEL: 202-456-1111  FAX: 202-456-2461
 E-MAIL: [log in to unmask], copy to [log in to unmask]).
 Address your comments to: President William J. Clinton, The White House,
 Washington, DC, "Dear Mr. President:"

 4) Write letters to the editor or editorials expressing the American Muslim
 viewpoint on this issue. (Talk about specific cases in which secret
 evidence has been used. Call CAIR for more information.)

 5) Contact local religious and political coalitions dealing with civil
 liberties and ask for their support.

 6) Discuss the use of secret evidence and the need to support the Secret
 Evidence Repeal Act of 1999 in khutbas and at other community activities.
  >>