Muslims Rounded up in Calif.

[Tedob1]

Hundreds of Muslim Immigrants Rounded Up in Calif.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...dc_3&printer=1

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hundreds of Iranian and other Middle East citizens were in southern California jails on Wednesday after coming forward to comply with a new rule to register with immigration authorities only to wind up handcuffed and behind bars.

Shocked and frustrated Islamic and immigrant groups estimate that more than 500 people have been arrested in Los Angeles, neighboring Orange County and San Diego in the past three days under a new nationwide anti-terrorism program. Some unconfirmed reports put the figure as high as 1,000.

The arrests sparked a demonstration by hundreds of Iranians outside a Los Angeles immigration office. The protesters carried banners saying "What's next? Concentration camps?" and "What happened to liberty and justice?."

A spokesman for the Immigration and Naturalization Service said no numbers of people arrested would be made public. A Justice Department (news - web sites) spokesman could not be reached for comment.

"I think it is shocking what is happening. It is reminiscent of what happened in the past with the internment of Japanese Americans. We are getting a lot of telephone calls from people. We are hearing that people went down wanting to cooperate and then they were detained," said Ramona Ripston, the ACLU's executive director.

JAILS OVERFLOWING

One activist said local jails were so overcrowded that the immigrants could be sent to Arizona, where they could face weeks or months in prisons awaiting hearings before immigration judges or deportation.

"It is a shock. You don't expect this to happen. It is really putting fright and apprehension in the community. People who come from these countries -- this is what they expect from their government. Not from America,..."

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Its really not what i expected from america either!

[bluebeard96]

Interesting... and very scary! I have to say that I don't agree with what they are doing. Granted, I am a conservative republican and I live in San Diego. I pass street corners with all the migrant workers standing there trying to get work, I see people making mad dashes across the freeway at the border to try to get into the country. I see (per the law) illegal aliens using medical resources that our taxes pay for. I could EASILY sit here and say "Close the border" or "Throw them out." Now, granted, there are times that I resent them getting medical attention while tax paying citizens wait hours in emergeny waiting rooms, but all in all, I can't approve what is now happening.

Why do I see all the negatives but not jump to a conclusion to exile illegal aliens? Because I can't imagine being in their shoes. I've picked up mexican workers before, and guess what... they have a work ethic unlike anything I've seen (way better than my work ethic, for sure!). I can't in good conscience sit up on the hill I'm on and say that noone else belongs here. Hell, I've had a good life and don't really think I've done much to deserve what I have. Am I rich? No, I'm overdrawn actually - but I don't have it bad. People have come to expect too much. They take too much for granted. I think we need to put ourselves in check every once in a while.

I'm not sure why I responded to this post, really. I guess it's just that I've always been taught to not let a few rotten apples spoil the whole bunch. Now granted, if we do go to war and aim for the "rotten apples," there are bound to be some good ones damaged. I can accept that. I can't accept the people that say "bomb the whole f'in middle east." I think that people that decide to lock up entire ethnicities/regions need to do some reevaluation of what they have in their life and how they got it. Most of these people are in this country (legally or not), to try and make a living and support their families. How can we as a country bash the ways of other nations, and then in our next breath we lock up those foreigners that listen so us talk about how good our country is and try to come here? It just doesn't compute in my head!

Ok, tired and ranting... that's my $.02, and no, I can't afford to give you more... I need the cash!

[phaza7]

I very much don't agree with what their doing. It's no shock to me America has always outcasted different ethinic groups. 1st is was the Irish, Iltaians, Asians, and now its who ever they decide who's next.

[bimmer]

i belive that this behave would generate hate, nothing else, how they justify this act !! there's no convencing answers for sure,
they targeted MUSLIMS not illigal citizens.

for me as a muslim, but i don't live in states, although i'm not antiamerica, but that act for sure would touch me deep inside and generate an anger.

americans come and go in my country with any harms then why we don't be treated as well !!
i wonder, whats bush aming to ?

[black_death]

News of the mass arrests came first in southern California, which is home to more than 600,000 Iranian exiles and their families.

I don't know why the government insists on doing this but what it only brings is more hate more anger and more drama.
I have not heard about any Persians being connected to the 9.11 thing, I believe bush has really f@cked up during this period first the 9.11 then Afghanistan war and now he is targeting Iraq what is next...?
What happened to bin laden? They did not even find him, no trace of the man behind the 9.11 attacks.
I remember my father once told me that you can never cure somebody after he has died
This is just what bush is trying to do, come on the whole thing is over the terrorists have attacked us and you could not do a sh!t about it!
They have arrested more than 500 people, are they really terrorists?
Is this another war?
Who’s our enemy?
i think the gov is a little bit overreacting..

[Mahakaal]

What else is new Tedob......I've been living under this bullshit this Sep 11th. Yes I am a muslim. Yes this will make me a few enemies on AO. You know who you are. This isnt new....I had to quit my job after Sep 11th coz of the discrimination.

Amerika has a history of treating it's minorities with disdain and disrespect....

And if I stop posting...it's probably because Ashcroft and his brownshirts hauled me away...

First they came for the Jews

And I did not speak out –

Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the communists

And I did not speak out –

Because I was not a communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists

And I did not speak out –

Because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for me –

And there was no-one left

To speak out for me.

[bofhandpfy]

Flame away, but ...

The German GOVT came under fire for comparing the actions of G.B et al, to those of a Mr A. Hitler esq.

I disagreed with their (the German govt's) points

but on second thoughts ...

now don't get me wrong, i'm not calling ANY americans Nazis, but IMHO there are disturbing parallels.

to see what i mean try reading the above doc, but use the words "Jews, and Homosexuals" where it reads "Iranian and other Middle East citizens" and the like.

oh well, bye bye greenies <<shrug>>

[rcgreen]

What are you going to do, wait until they blow up a hospital
or school in your home town? Or poison a reservoir and kill
hundreds of thousands of innocent people?

They are here for one reason, and one reason only.
To discover our vulnerabilities and use them against us.
The bastards are lucky to be alive.

If I went to Iran or Saudi Arabia and publicly protested their gov't
policies....
****.

[Mahakaal]

Originally posted here by rcgreen
What are you going to do, wait until they blow up a hospital
or school in your home town? Or poison a reservoir and kill
hundreds of thousands of innocent people?

They are here for one reason, and one reason only.
To discover our vulnerabilities and use them against us.
The bastards are lucky to be alive.

If I went to Iran or Saudi Arabia and publicly protested their gov't
policies....
****.

Are you referring to people like me? Good tax-paying, law-abiding Citizens?

[the_JinX]

I hope you are joking rcgreen,

It's this kind of **** that realy ticks me off about G.W. Bush and all that post 9-11 ****.
So terrorists attackt you.. Get over it.. What gonna play the ball back and become the world's biggest terrorist yourself?

The united states army, FBI, CIA and NSA with G.W. Bush at it's head is the worlds biggest terrorist orginisation, if you ask me..
And worse yet, they have weapons of mass destruction..

I think the UN should send some people to check out the USA and see if they have Chemical weapons, and even NUKES !!