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MPAC testifies to Los Angeles City Council Committee
regarding resolution on the Patriot Act
On January 6th, 2004, the Los Angeles City Council's Arts, Parks, Health and Aging Committee voted in favor of a resolution condemning the unconstitutional provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act. With the unanimous vote of 3-0 in favor of the resolution, Council members Martin Ludlow, Alex Padilla, and Tom LaBonge unflinchingly reaffirmed their commitment to civil liberties and eloquently articulated their concerns with the USAPA.
Muslim Public Affairs Ccouncil's Hate Crimes Prevention Coordinator, Sireen Sawaf, testified before the committee, stating that the Patriot Act’s broad-brush approach has failed to enhance national security, resulting in ineffective policy that casts suspicion on communities, primarily the communities of American Muslims, South Asian Americans, and Arab Americans.
Sawaf illustrated the deteriorating affect the Patriot Act has on community-police partnership by highlighting trends and specific cases where distrust and fear of being detained and/or deported deterred victims of hate crimes from reporting crimes to local law enforcement. She, along with other members of the Civil Liberties Defense Coalition (CLDC), urged the Council members to take a bold stand and make civil liberties a hallmark of their term in office.
Additional compelling and comprehensive testimonies were provided by other members of the CLDC, including Roy Stone with the Librarian's Guild, Greg Simons with Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), Cecilia Schlesinger with the League of Women Voters - Los Angeles, Phil Shigekuni with Methodists for Social Action, Rita Walters with the Library Commission, Susan Lerner with Progressive Jewish Alliance, Mohamed El Beih with Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee, a representative with Amnesty International, a Japanese American community member who reflected on post WWII Japanese internment, representatives with Neighbors for Peace & Justice, Marie Rumsey with Perry's office, and a representative with Garcetti's office.
As part of the Civil Liberties Defense Coalition, MPAC has been working hard in conjunction with the CLDC to pass this resolution through the L.A. City Council. As the second largest city in the country, this resolution would send a strong message to Congress that extensive administrative powers that make a mockery of the constitution will not go unopposed or unchallenged.
The resolution has been referred to the Rules Committee with a recommendation of passage. This committee will either hear full testimony or report the resolution to the full Council, thereby bringing it to a vote.
MPAC news bulletin – January 6, 2004
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