As Congress prepares for a final vote on overhauling the government’s ability to monitor suspected terrorists, a coalition of religious groups urged lawmakers not to pass any laws that would infringe on civil liberties.
Attorney General John Ashcroft is pushing Congress to speed passage of a sweeping anti-terrorism bill that would, among other things, give the government greater surveillance capabilities stiffen punishment for terrorism and possibly allow the deportation of suspected terrorists under scaled-back rules.
Civil libertarians warn that the bill would give the government too much power and infringe on privacy and the freedom of movement. Conservatives, meanwhile, say the changes are necessary to prevent further terrorist acts.
A coalition of 10 religious groups, mostly mainline Protestant and led by the Interfaith Alliance, asked for only those reforms that are “absolutely critical to national security,”
“As religious communities, we understand the importance of living without fear,” the letter to Congress said. “Preserving civil rights and liberties are a critical component of making this possible: for American citizens, for immigrants; for people appearing to be Arab or Muslim, for everyone.”
After the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, Congress approved the use of “secret evidence” against immigrants suspected of terrorism. As a presidential candidate, George W. Bust opposed the use of secret evidence, and Muslim groups sensed great momentum to repeal the law before the Sept. 11 attacks; now some worry that the provision will stay intact, along with new, more serious curbs on legal protection.
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