1 Apr, 2008
UN Says States Must Refrain From Profiling In Combating Terrorism
The UN Human Rights Council in Geneva today passed a resolution calling on States to not resort to racial, ethnic or religious profiling while countering terrorism.
In this dispatch:
1. UN RIGHTS BODY SAYS STATES MUST REFRAIN FROM PROFILING IN COMBATING TERRORISM
2. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY BEGINS COLLECTING 10 FINGERPRINTS FROM INTERNATIONAL VISITORS AT JFK AIRPORT
3. ISLAM AND THE WEST: ANNUAL REPORT ON THE STATE OF DIALOGUE
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1. UN RIGHTS BODY SAYS STATES MUST REFRAIN FROM PROFILING IN COMBATING TERRORISM
New York, Mar 27 2008 — The UN <www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/> Human Rights Council in Geneva today passed a resolution calling on States to not resort to racial, ethnic or religious profiling while countering terrorism. Adopted without a vote, the text urges States to fully comply with their obligations regarding torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
It also “opposes any form of deprivation of liberty that amounts to placing a detained person outside of the protection of the law.” Additionally, the 47-member body adopted five other resolutions. It extended the mandates by three years of its Independent Experts on the effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States on the full enjoyment of all human rights; on human rights and solidarity; and on minority issues.
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2. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY BEGINS COLLECTING 10 FINGERPRINTS FROM INTERNATIONAL VISITORS AT JFK AIRPORT
WASHINGTON, D.C. March 26, 2008 – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today that it has begun collecting additional fingerprints from international visitors arriving at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). The change is part of the department’s upgrade from two- to 10-fingerprint collection to enhance security and facilitate legitimate travel by more accurately and efficiently establishing and verifying visitors’ identities.
“Biometrics have revolutionized our ability to prevent dangerous people from entering the United States since 2004. Our upgrade to 10-fingerprint collection builds on our success, enabling us to focus more attention on stopping potential security risks,” US-VISIT Director Robert Mocny said.
For more than four years, U.S. Department of State (DOS) consular officers and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers have been collecting biometrics — digital fingerprints and a photograph — from all non-U.S. citizens between the ages of 14 and 79, with some exceptions, when they apply for visas or arrive at U.S. ports of entry.
“Quite simply, this change gives our officers a more accurate idea of who is in front of them. For legitimate visitors, the process becomes more efficient and their identities are better protected from theft. For those who may pose a risk, we will have greater insight into who they are,” added Paul Morris, Executive Director of Admissibility and Passenger Programs, Office of Field Operations, CBP.
The department’s US-VISIT program currently checks a visitor’s fingerprints against DHS records of immigration violators and Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) records of wanted persons and known or suspected terrorists. Checking biometrics against the watch list helps officers make visa determinations and admissibility decisions. Collecting 10 fingerprints also improves fingerprint matching accuracy and the department’s ability to compare a visitor’s fingerprints against latent fingerprints collected by Department of Defense (DOD) and the FBI from known and unknown terrorists all over the world. Additionally, visitors’ fingerprints are checked against the FBI’s Criminal Master File.
On an average day at JFK, almost 14,400 international visitors complete US-VISIT biometric procedures. Visitors from Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France and Japan comprise the largest numbers of international visitors arriving at JFK.
JFK is the tenth international port of entry to begin collecting 10 fingerprints from international visitors. Washington Dulles began 10-fingerprint collection on November 29, 2007. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, Boston Logan, Chicago O’Hare, George Bush Houston, San Francisco International, Miami International, Orlando International and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport have also begun 10-fingerprint collection.
US-VISIT is evaluating 10-fingerprint collection at these airports. It will use the results to inform the deployment of the technology to the remaining air, sea and land border ports of entry that will transition to collecting 10 fingerprints by December 2008.
Since US-VISIT began in 2004, DHS has used biometric identifiers to prevent the use of fraudulent documents, protect visitors from identity theft, and stop thousands of criminals and immigration violators from entering the country. US-VISIT, in cooperation with CBP, is leading the transition to a 10-fingerprint collection standard. This upgrade is the result of an interagency partnership among DHS, FBI, DOD and DOS.
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3. ISLAM AND THE WEST: ANNUAL REPORT ON THE STATE OF DIALOGUE
London, 25 March 2008 – Over 30 leaders of business, politics, religion, media and civil society gathered in a symposium organized by the World Economic Forum, in partnership with Georgetown University (USA), to mark the launch of the first Islam and the West: Annual Report on the State of Dialogue. This first of its kind report is a systematic and thorough overview of how Muslim and Western societies perceive and relate to each other at the political, social, economic and cultural levels.
The theme of the symposium was to debate and discuss the issues surrounding Muslim communities in Europe raising questions that were looked at in the Islam and the West: Annual Report on the State of Dialogue.
The Islam and the West: Annual Report on the State of Dialogue report finds that majorities in populations around the world believe that violent conflict between the West and the Muslim world can be avoided, but they also share a great deal of pessimism about the state of the relationship.
Among both Muslim majority and non-Muslim majority nations, the proportion who say they think the “other side” is committed to better relations rarely rises above a minority of 30%. Notwithstanding the prevalent sense of scepticism, majorities of residents in nations around the world say that better interaction between the Muslim and Western worlds is important.
An important finding of the report is the emergence of citizenship and integration as the second most powerful shaper of the state of dialogue after international politics. Growing Muslim minorities committed to active and full citizenship particularly in Europe are increasingly finding a voice in the public sphere.
Governments, committed to ideals of equality and recognition, but eager to maintain majority support and national cohesion, are seeking to engage Muslim groups in structured dialogue; with mixed results. Greater interaction with the Muslim world is actually seen as a threat by 60% of the citizens in many European countries but not in America or Israel.
The Symposium chairs made the following comments:
<> “The symposium has opened the dialogue … the spark is there. It is not just about Islam and the West … we are speaking about communities. The main themes we discussed in the symposium were tolerance and trust between Muslims and the West in Europe and the UK. The communities are complaining of not being heard. You should have as much faith in your interlocutors as you do in yourself.” — HRH Princess Lolowah al Faisal al Saud, Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum Community of West and Islam Dialogue; Princess of Saudi Royal Family; Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees and General Supervisor, Effat College, Saudi Arabia.
<> “We should be building on what we have done … there is real acknowledgment on both sides that we are all guilty of not building the bridges that we are capable of doing … and now we are actually listening to each other. The debate will not end. The world is in such a state and the divisions are so deep and dark. The issues of September 11th are still with us and what we have got here is a real community of trust and faith including members of the secular community. We should look towards the future with a ray of hope.” – Lord Carey of Clifton, Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum Community of West and Islam Dialogue; Archbishop of Canterbury (1991-2002), United Kingdom.
<> “We were able to identify some important categories that can change our conversation as we move forward. For example, the focus of the conversation on the term of ‘multiculturalism’ can play in terms of strengths and weaknesses, challenges and limitations. We need to recognize that there are specific challenges embedded in the questions presented which go much deeper. We look forward to addressing these issues in the upcoming meeting in Washington DC in early April.” – John J. DeGioia, President, Georgetown University, USA; Lead Author of Islam and the West: Annual Report on the State of Dialogue.
<> “The symposium brought together some of the most influential leaders and activists that represent very opposing views on the status and future of Muslim communities in Europe. The objective of the gathering was not to debate or attempt stakeholders of opposing views on this matter. We invited participants to work with inquisitive minds to construct an objective, accurate and current account of the positions of the most important stakeholders in Europe regarding Islam in Europe,” said Sherif El Diwany, Director, Head of Middle East.
The Symposium was attended by number of high level participants, among them Ed Husain, Author of The Islamist; Paramjit Dhanda, Minister for Cohesion, Faith and Race of the United Kingdom; Richard Chartres, Bishop, Diocese of London, United Kingdom; David Rosen, Chairman, The International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Relations, USA; Gunnar Stalsett, Executive Member, World Conference of Religions for Peace, Norway; Sigmund Sternberg, Co-Founder, Three Faiths Forum, United Kingdom.
Download the full report: http://www.weforum.org/pdf/C100/Islam_West.pdf
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