A lesson to learn

Narrating how Muslims reacted to it,he said,“Muslims in the US were very upset and responded in many ways. They protested against the New York Police Department (NYPD). They engaged the NYPD and spoke to the commissioner that this practice needs to stop. What I am proud of is that the Muslims in the US didn’t just complain,they took action,” he said.

Unlike in India,Rehman pointed out,they did not hit the roads. “When they wanted to protest,there were organised protests. They got government permits and held peaceful protests with speeches. The Muslim community in the US is very peaceful and did not respond with riots. When Salman Rushdie wrote The Satanic Verses,you saw Muslims hit the streets,I haven’t seen that,” he said.

Rubbishing the misconception that all Muslims were looked upon as terrorists,he said,“It is not very true. There are many Muslims in the US who are treated with respect and many who have been approached by non-Muslim counterparts after 9/11,saying,‘I don’t think you are a problem.’”

But he was quick to add that people with Muslim-sounding names,people who might appear a certain way,had been subject to extra scrutiny at customs while returning from overseas.

He said it was a big problem and various Muslim organisations had taken steps to approach authorities to find a solution. He said there was apparently a list of names which sets the alarm bells ringing at the US customs. “There is apparently a ‘no fly list’. And even some Muslim political leaders have been affected because of it. I have not seen the list. A civil rights organisation has filed a lawsuit seeking disclosure of the list,” he said.

Like in India,he said the level of awareness among minorities in the US is very low. “In the US,the Muslim Americans are only now becoming aware of their legal rights. Prior to 9/11,the community was not seriously challenged. So individuals were not forced to think of their civil rights. After 9/11,several organisations would go out to masjids to teach people about their civil rights,” he said.

Asked about job opportunities for lawyers in the US,he said: “They are finding it hard to get a job there. There are far more lawyers than jobs available,so the chances of foreign lawyers finding a job in the US is more challenging today than it was 10 years ago because American companies would first hire lawyers from the US and then turn to lawyers from overseas.”