CAIR Video: U.S. Muslims Condemn Al-Qaeda, Concerned About Profiling

Group Concerned About Ethnic, Religious Profiling By TARYN ASHER, myFOXDetroit.com, 12/28/09 http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news/... ROMULUS, Mich. (myFOXDetroit.com) - Local Muslims are condemning the failed attack and Al-Qaeda's confessed involvement in the terror scare on Christmas Day. However, that's not all they're upset about. A group is also concerned that Sunday's plane incident will lead to ethnic profiling. "Every time that a high profile situation like this happens... the community braces itself," said Dawud Walid. It's a terror plot felt around the world, but it hits close to home for Walid, who heads up the Council on American Islamic Relations in Michigan. He travels across the globe to Muslim countries to work on Islamic relations, but most of his work seems to be needed on American soil. "Our job is to get out more in society and educate people more who don't have regular contact with Muslims," Walid said. But once again, Walid's job just got a little tougher after the failed terror attack in the skies above Detroit. Walid is troubled by the ethnic and religious profiling that has followed. "People are innocent until proven guilty, and that no one should be judged based upon their ethnicity, their race as a potential threat," said Walid. Worried about the fallout, Walid and some Nigerian Muslim-American leaders are holding a news conference Tuesday, condemning Al-Qaeda's involvement. In fact, Al Jazeera television is coming to the CAIR office in Southfield to send a message to Al-Qaeda extremists in other countries that the American-Muslim community does not support them. "They are criminals. What they're doing is inhumane, and we want to let them know that the Muslims here in this area believe that what they are doing is totally un-Islamic. They are betraying their religion," Walid said.