Call Congress to Stop FBI Surveillance, Protect Zakat
November 2009 > Congress is currently debating reauthorizing the USA PATRIOT Act. As you know, the PATRIOT Act has made it difficult for Muslims to give zakat and increased FBI surveillance of our communities and mosques.
Muslim Advocates needs your help to fix this bad law.
Troubling provisions of the PATRIOT Act permit-
* prosecutions of those who work with or give humanitarian aid to those in conflict areas: under the “material support” provision, the government can prosecute a charity or individual if they provide so much as a glass of water or medical assistance to someone in need in a conflict area.
* the government to obtain information about an individual’s phone calls, emails, finances, travels, the types of books read or websites visited, without evidence of criminal activity.
Congressmen Conyers, Nadler and Scott have introduced the USA PATRIOT Amendments Act of 2009 (H.R. 3845) to help fix this law by:
* Ensuring the government only obtains financial, telephone, internet and credit reports of suspected terrorists of spies
* Requiring the FBI to give notice of a search of one’s home within seven days
This is a good start. But this bill is not perfect. More must be done to fix the PATRIOT Act.
H.R. 3845 should be expanded to include a fix for:
* Protecting humanitarian assistance to those in need: We’re asking Congress to expand this exemption to allow other humanitarian aid such as food, water, and medical services.
* Ensuring that the FBI only obtains records and information of suspected terrorists and spies, not law-abiding Americans.
Please call your Member of Congress TODAY to co-sponsor H.R. 3845 and to include these important additional fixes. If you don’t know who your congressional representative is, please click here – https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
Talking Points – Muslim Advocates suggests you consider the following for your call:
- Hello, I’m calling to ask [YOUR REPRESENTATIVE'S NAME] to co-sponsor Chairman Conyer’s USA PATRIOT Amendments Act, HR 3845. This bill makes very important changes to the PATRIOT Act and helps protect innocent Americans from the governments overly intrusive powers.
- As a constituent of [YOUR REPRESENTATIVE], I am aware that he/she holds an influential vote in what an amended PATRIOT Act will look like, and I encourage [YOUR REPRESENTATIVE] to support all the provisions in HR 3845.
- Also, I would like to ask that he/she support an amendment to section 215 of the PATRIOT Act that will protect humanitarian aid, so that well-intentioned Americans who donate things like food and water to people in war-torn areas are not prosecuted.
- I ask that he/she also support an amendment to the Act to section 215 of the PATRIOT Act. An amendment is needed to ensure that the FBI’s resources are focused on suspected terrorists and spies, not innocent Americans.
- Thank you for considering my views. I will be keeping track of how [YOUR REPRESENTATIVE'S NAME] voted on the PATRIOT Act this year.
As a former staff member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I can tell you first hand how important it is for you to make your voice heard with your members of Congress. Please call today
. Urge your friends and colleagues to do the same by forwarding this message.
Thank you for helping us fight over-reaching surveillance and to protect charity.
Sincerely.
Farhana Khera
Executive Director, Muslim Advocates
