This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/2276

The Magical Muslim Brotherhood Tour : FBI and US Embassy court the ' Egyptian American Group' both home and abroad

August 21, 2006

Nasser Abdelaziz Saber watched the aftermath of last summer's London subway bombings on TV at his home in Bloomfield and vowed that the same senseless bloodshed wouldn't happen here. Saber, who runs a construction company and owns 20 Dunkin' Donuts outlets, paid particular attention to the grieving parents of the suicide bombers.

So Saber called the FBI, where he spoke with Leslie Wiser Jr., the agent in charge of the Newark office. "We need to build bridges," Saber told him.

Together they planned, among other events, a meet-and-greet Saturday, bringing together a dozen FBI agents and about 40 Arab-American youngsters at the Giants' practice facility -- "the bubble" -- for give-and-take about mutual concerns, informal chats about Internet safety and crime-scene investigations, a guided tour of an FBI helicopter and a little tossing around of the old pigskin.

Most people like us when they get to meet us," Wiser said, smiling. Then, more seriously, he added, "These are good folks who are invested in America. If we don't have people like this helping us, we won't win the war on terror."

Press Release

11 Centre Place Newark, New Jersey 07102

May 16, 2006

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and The Egyptian American Group Sponsor a one-day youth event at Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands May 20, 2006 Newark, NJ-- May 16, 2006 –The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in conjunction with the Egyptian American Group (EAG) will sponsor a one-day youth leadership event at Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands on May 20, 2006 at 9:00 A.M. as part of the EAG's 6th Annual Egyptian American Group Day. Displays and interactive demonstrations will be presented for those in attendance. Among them: The FBI Evidence Response Team (ERT) will have a display of their equipment and methods. The FBI Hazardous Material Team (HAZMAT) will provide a demonstration of their operational capabilities. Other interactive FBI presentations are planned as well. The FBI is the investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Justice. The mission of the FBI is to protect and defend the U.S. against terrorist and foreign intelligence threats, to uphold the Constitution, enforce the criminal laws of the U.S., and to provide leadership and criminal justice services to federal, state, municipal, and international agencies and partners. The FBI also seeks to reach out to all members of the community in an effort to enhance the understanding of the FBI's role in protecting the United States and to provide a method of communication between the FBI and the public at large. In this effort, the Newark FBI Field Office, under the leadership of Special Agent in Charge Leslie G. Wiser, Jr. has initiated what is hoped to be the first of many such events allowing an opportunity for members of the New Jersey community to meet FBI Agents and staff in a positive, learning environment for all in attendance. According to Ms. Suzanne Loutfy, a representative of EAG: "One of the primary goals of the EAG is to build bridges of communication between the Arabic Community and Law Enforcement, in order to expand the horizons of both groups when it comes to understanding the differences between the various cultures that make up these United States. The EAG seeks to work together to reach a common goal of securing a safe and peaceful life for every American regardless of race, color, or religion." For more information concerning the Egyptian American Group or to attend this event, please contact Suzanne Loutfy at (732) 261-8173. For more information concerning the FBI, please contact Special Agent Stephen Siegel at (973) 792-3020. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MIM:Nothing like some suicide bombings to galvanise the Muslim community to meet with the FBI to make sure that they won't entertain any thoughts that they might harbor the same murderous intents as their co religionists on the other side of the pond. After the killings of a Coptic Christian Family The Egyptian American Group spokeswoman Suzanne Loutfy whose phone number is given on the FBI press release ,made it clear that Islam can have nothing to do with terrorism: http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/004743.php Suzanne Loutfy, a Muslim leader of the Egyptian-American Group, asked people not to blame Islam if the killers are found to be Muslim. "People are so willing to condemn an entire religion," she said. "That's what the big problem is. People commit crimes; religions don't. I hope we can be intelligent enough to separate those two." ---------------------

Chargé Jones welcomes the Egyptian-American Group to the Embassy

Chargé d'affaires Stuart Jones met today with over 75 high school students from the Egyptian-American Group at the U.S. Embassy. The students will visit Egypt August 5 - 21, meeting with government officials and youth to encourage peaceful dialogue and mutual understanding between Americans and Egyptians. The Egyptian-American Group is a non-profit organization based in New Jersey and serves youth in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

The group's president, Mr. Nasser Saber, greeted Chargé Jones, who then spoke to the students about the importance of their visit to Egypt. "We depend on people like you to help explain America to Egyptians," the Chargé told the group.

Mr. Nasser also addressed the group: "You are all 'American Ambassadors.' You will help us present a positive image of Americans, especially in our country's fight against terrorism. You also help us find common ground between Egyptian and American youth."

Public Affairs Officer Haynes Mahoney discusses the group's importance to US-Egyptian relations.

After remarks, the Chargé and Embassy staff listened to the students' stories and discussed with them ways to best support their mission.

The group, which enjoys support from the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism, plans to meet this year with Prime Minister Nazif. The group will spend one week in Sharm El Sheikh. While in Sharm, they plan to participate in a peaceful demonstration and jointly raise American and Egyptian flags to condemn all terrorist acts and voice support for the Egyptian people.

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http://wcbs880.com/pages/37273.php?contentType=4&contentId=144183

Posted: Thursday, 18 May 2006 2:32PM N.J. Muslims, FBI Seek To Build Trust NEWARK (AP) -- In September, a group of Muslim men praying near the main air intake duct at Giants Stadium was detained by suspicious FBI agents. On Saturday, the federal agency and an Egyptian-American group plan to meet at the stadium in the latest FBI push to recruit Arab-Americans and repair relations strained in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. "It's an effort to build bridges with this community," said Les Wiser Jr., special agent in charge of the FBI's Newark bureau, who has made improving ties with New Jersey's Muslim community a priority. "We think it's important for them to get to know us. We're fighting perceptions we think are skewed against us." The FBI accepted an invitation from the Egyptian American Group, an interdenominational organization that was formed after Sept. 11 when hundreds of New Jersey Muslims, Arab-Americans and south Asians were taken into custody as part of the investigation. "We were afraid of them, and they were suspicious of us," Suzanne Loutfy, a member of Egyptian American group. "It was thought by many people that the FBI is the enemy. That's the perception we're fighting against." Part of the event is aimed at interesting young Arab-Americans in law enforcement careers, particularly with the FBI, which needs their help as investigators and translators. "We think the more they know about us, the more comfortable they will be," Wiser said. "We do need to get more diversity in the ranks." Loutfy's 18-year-old son will be at the event, along with six or seven of his friends, to hear what the FBI has to say. Kareem Loutfy, a senior at Carteret High School, says he's considering a career with the agency. "Because of my background, I can easily approach people" in Arab-American communities, he said. "They would feel much more comfortable dealing with me because of who I am, and that would be great for both sides. We need to build more trust with the people who are protecting us." Since the 2001 attacks, the FBI has made numerous efforts to reach out to Muslims and Arab-Americans in New Jersey. Several months after the attacks, it held a job fair in one of the most prominent mosques in Paterson. While no one there got a job with the FBI, several applicants landed local law enforcement jobs. The FBI also has invited Muslim community leaders to conduct cultural sensitivity training with agents and civilian employees. Other law enforcement agencies also are trying to better understand and connect with Muslims. On Thursday, Union County Prosecutor Theodore J. Romankow distributed copies of a new training video his office developed on how officers should interact with Muslims. The tapes will go to each police chief in the county, and nearly 2,000 officers will view them. "Where there is good communication, there is a better understanding between people no matter what religion and that was the goal here," Romankow said. The video deals with issues considered normal in Muslim culture, but which may be suspicious to authorities. For example, a Muslim woman who is home alone will be extremely reluctant on religious grounds to let male police officers into her home, said Ali Jaaber, an imam at an Elizabeth mosque. That is normal, and should not be viewed as suspicious behavior, or an indication that she has anything to hide, he said. The FBI in New Jersey has several Arabic-speaking employees, but could always use more, a spokesman said. Nationwide, the FBI has increased the number of its employees who speak Arabic by nearly 250 percent, although the agency would not say how many employees that represents. On Sept. 19, 2005, a small group of Muslims attending a New York Giants-New Orleans Saints game at Giants Stadium was questioned by the FBI after fans saw them bowing down on the ground to pray. The FBI denied their religion had anything to do with the questioning, noting that the men were in an area not normally frequented by football fans, next to the stadium's main air intake duct. The Muslims were released after about 30 minutes of questioning without being charged. That controversy led the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority to set aside a special room at the stadium for anyone wishing to pray. Kareem Loutfy said holding Saturday's fence-mending event with the FBI at Giants Stadium was appropriate, if somewhat ironic. "It's a very good statement, actually, that in light of everything that happened, we're both still willing to move forward," he said. Image: CBS

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http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2MDYmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTY5Mzc4NTImeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkz

Building bridges at Giants Stadium
Sunday, May 21, 2006

By BOB IVRY
STAFF WRITER

EAST RUTHERFORD -- Nasser Abdelaziz Saber watched the aftermath of last summer's London subway bombings on TV at his home in Bloomfield and vowed that the same senseless bloodshed wouldn't happen here.

Saber, who runs a construction company and owns 20 Dunkin' Donuts outlets, paid particular attention to the grieving parents of the suicide bombers. As president of the Jersey City-based Egyptian-American Group, a social organization consisting of 500 North Jersey families, he felt compelled to prevent a similar tragedy from washing up on these shores.

So Saber called the FBI, where he spoke with Leslie Wiser Jr., the agent in charge of the Newark office. "We need to build bridges," Saber told him.

Together they planned, among other events, a meet-and-greet Saturday, bringing together a dozen FBI agents and about 40 Arab-American youngsters at the Giants' practice facility -- "the bubble" -- for give-and-take about mutual concerns, informal chats about Internet safety and crime-scene investigations, a guided tour of an FBI helicopter and a little tossing around of the old pigskin.

It's a mutually beneficial relationship. Saber's group announces to the FBI that they are Muslims willing to help defend their country -- meanwhile teaching their children not to be frightened of the badge -- while the FBI makes friends in a community where friends aren't always abundant.

"Most people like us when they get to meet us," Wiser said, smiling. Then, more seriously, he added, "These are good folks who are invested in America. If we don't have people like this helping us, we won't win the war on terror."

Members of the Egyptian-American Group said they felt the heat of heightened scrutiny after 9/11 even though, as member Nagy Motosh pointed out, "Nobody said anything about Timothy McVeigh's religion after Oklahoma City."

With that increased scrutiny came a greater responsibility to educate fellow Americans about their culture, said Suzanne Loutfy, a former Carteret school board president.

"That's why we took it upon ourselves to reach out," said Loutfy, the group's spokeswoman. "The response from law enforcement was positive."

The mood was upbeat Saturday. The children -- mostly high school-age, with some preteens -- were awed by the helicopter, which landed and took off for their amusement, and were responsive to the agents' presentations.

But some, like 15-year-old Younes Haddouche of Kearny, had come to discuss "what's going on in the world today."

Younes was 11 years old on Sept. 11, 2001. Overnight, the Muslim fifth-grader from Algeria became the subject of violence and ridicule at the hands of classmates.

In the school locker room one day, a student shouted, "Osama! It's a bomb! It's a bomb!" All his classmates hit the deck, leaving Younes the only one standing.

"I was beaten up and made fun of until I made a stand for myself," he said.

Younes recently started wearing a religious head covering, called a kufi, to school, to show his commitment to his religion. One classmate told him, "Get out of my country, you terrorist," but others politely asked him what the kufi signified. That gave Younes a chance to offer them a message -- the same message he wished to impart by his participation in Saturday's program.

"We're all Americans," he said. "We should all stick together."

E-mail: [email protected]

" New Homeland Security Chief veteran FBI agent beloved by Muslims"

July 12, 2006 http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newjersey/ny-bc-nj--homelandsecurity-0710jul10,0,3097493,print.story?coll=ny-region-apnewjersey

New Homeland Security Chief veteran FBI agent beloved by Muslims July 10, 2006, 2:34 PM EDT NEWARK, N.J. -- When a respected elder in Paterson's Muslim community was detained at an airport in Dubai for a reason authorities wouldn't tell him, he took out his cell phone and started dialing. But Mohamed Younes wasn't calling his embassy, his travel agent or his wife. Instead, he called John Paige, a good friend who was the supervisory special agent at the FBI's West Paterson office. Paige didn't know exactly why Younes had been flagged at the airport last December, but offered to get on the phone with officials in the United Arab Emirates and vouch for Younes' integrity. Younes was grateful, but declined the offer. "Who would believe I really had the FBI on the phone?" he asked. Anyone who knows Paige would believe it. The 26-year FBI veteran has worked tirelessly to build bridges to New Jersey's Muslim community. It is a closeness that will serve him well in his new job as deputy director of the state Office of Homeland Security. Paige will handle operations and intelligence matters for the department, reporting to Director Richard Canas. "My job will be to interact with the state and local police, FBI and intelligence agencies to make sure we're working together on intelligence matters," Paige said. "It also involves gathering intelligence information that directly affects New Jersey." Paige has either investigated or presided over teams of agents that investigated government corruption and crooked business deals in New Jersey, including the Crazy Eddie and Cendant cases. He also was involved in the Sept. 11 probe, the anthrax investigation and other cases. But it's his work with New Jersey's Muslim community that the Hasbrouck Heights resident is most proud of. Since 1999 _ two years before the terror attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon _ Paige has been meeting with Muslim community leaders, getting to know them, taking their calls and giving them his direct phone number. He's looked into instances where Muslim travelers felt they were being profiled, and has been rewarded for his efforts by being invited to Muslims' homes and mosques on important religious holidays. Several community leaders even attended his recent retirement party from the FBI. "I would call him a pioneer in terms of establishing relationships with the Muslim community," said Sohail Mohammed, a Clifton immigration lawyer and community leader. "This guy has a vision that most other people don't. He's someone we can call 24/7." Paige said the community _ estimated to be about 450,000 people _ needs to feel comfortable dealing with police and investigators. "A lot of new immigrants are terrified of law enforcement," Paige said. "But they're beginning to see that we're different than those in the countries they grew up in. I'm a firm believer that the only way we're going to keep our nation secure is by communities making observations and not being afraid to talk to law enforcement." Paige reported Monday for his first day at his new job at the state's Homeland Security center in Hamilton. At 55{, Paige was nearing the FBI's mandatory retirement age of 57, and decided to apply for the state job. His contacts and experience made him the most attractive candidate, Canas said. "His reputation precedes him, that and his background on important investigations," said Canas, who was impressed by Paige's warm relationship with the Muslim community. "It resonates both ways," he said. "He very much enjoys working with that community." Paige's former boss, New Jersey FBI chief Les Wiser, said Paige "will provide a great benefit to the citizens of New Jersey in his new role. He's served his country well for 26 years with the FBI. We will miss him and his contributions, and wish him well." Paige earned a master's degree in criminal justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, and a bachelor's degree in business administration from Pace University. He also worked for 6{ years as an agent with the Internal Revenue Service in Newark

This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/2276