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For Immediate Release
December 1, 2003
AMV welcomes end of registration program
The American Muslim Voice today welcomed Bush administration's decision to end special registration program that primarily targeted men from 24 Muslim countries.
Ms. Samina Faheem Sundas, the AMV Executive Director, said we welcome the government’s decision to end the special registration program that will no doubt bring relief to thousands of people.
Her statement reads:
“This is a miracle I have been praying for. End of registration will relieve thousands of Muslims, Arabs and South Asians and their families. I welcome the end of the registration program which is the first step in the right direction. To complete the circle of justice we must do the following:
1. All special registration detainees must be released.
2. This program has destroyed people’s future and interrupted their education. We must help them re-establish by granting them visas to rectify our mistakes.
3. All those who have already been deported must be given visa to re-unite with their families.
Four Months ago with the support of Blue Triangle Network, Samina Faheem Sundas, Executive Director of American Muslim Voice began to raise awareness nationally that all registrants from 24 countries would be required to re-register annually.
Don Spark of the Refuse and Resist said: “Samina Faheem Sundas has been leading and inspiring a national mobilization known as “STOP SPECIAL RE-REGISTRATION” in the fight to stop the government persecution and religious profiling of Muslims and the racial profiling of related ethnicities.”
In June 2003, the AMV, along with several other civil rights groups, initiated an intensive campaign against the Special registration with a demonstration in San Francisco against the detention of 13,000 people who went for registration. The AMV officials also met with congressmen urging them to demand an end to the registration program that is discriminatory, unjust and unfair. A campaign to write letters to congressmen in this respect was also launched.
On Nov. 19th, 2003, the American Muslim Voice, the Blue Triangle Network and Pakistan American Alliance, with the support of 40 other civil rights groups held a rally and press conference to stop the special registration outside the US Citizenship and Immigration Services office in San Francisco.
Ben Allan of Blue Triangle Network affirms: “We intend to continue our work against the persecutions and demonization of Muslim, Arabs and South Asians”. Blue Triangle Network was founded post 9/11 to solely defend Muslims, Arabs and South Asians.
AMV thanks our co-sponsors for their support to help with “Stop the re-registration” campaign.
American Muslim Voice is a civil rights organization working with other communities and civil rights organizations and peace groups to preserve and protect civil liberties for ALL.
Phone: 650-387-1994 Email: amvoice@amuslimvoice.org
Website: www.amuslimvoice.org
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