Though the vast majority of men and boys from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya and Sudan detained for finger printing and registration by the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (INS) of the United States government have been released, there is still a great deal of concern about the exercise itself and its adverse impact upon human rights and inter-community relations.

It should be pointed out that by 10 January 2003, citizens of 13 additional countries -- Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Eritrea, Lebanon, Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Qatar, Somalia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen -- will also be required to submit to registration and finger printing.

The exercise, according to the INS, is aimed at getting more information from those who "had violated immigration laws, overstayed their visas, or were wanted for crimes." In a larger sense, it is supposed to be part of the government's war on terrorism.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has challenged the entire exercise. "The INS," it says, "is wasting an incredible amount of government resources in rounding up these men and boys. It seems unlikely that a hardened terrorist is going to voluntarily register with the government. What is more likely is that law-abiding people who were planning to register will now be afraid to come in because of the arrests, and the INS will use that as an excuse to deport them." Indeed, the ACLU is convinced that the real motive behind the exercise is "not to get information but rather to selectively arrest, detain and deport Middle Eastern and Muslim men in the United States."

This is why for those detained and human rights groups in the States and elsewhere the registration and finger printing exercise tantamounts to a betrayal of the American tradition of welcoming to its shores immigrants and refugees of whatever ethnic and religious background. Now in the name of protecting the nation's security and fighting terrorists, the government has begun to resort to all sorts of draconian measures, including raids upon the homes of individuals of certain ethnic and religious affiliation, harassment at airports and immigration checkpoints and open discrimination against certain categories of people in their workplaces.

Underlying these gross human rights violations is the development of a negative, even hostile attitude towards Arabs and Muslims living in the States which has become more widespread than it was even a year ago in the immediate aftermath of September 11. If such an attitude gains ground it will do irreparable damage to mainstream American-Muslim relations. It may even threaten social stability. To be sure, disciminatory action against Muslim groups in the States will widen further the already wide chasm separating the US from the Muslim world.

It is not in the interest of both Americans and Muslims to allow this to happen. Americans of conscience should in much greater numbers join ordinary Muslim women and men and other people all over the world in opposing the US government's anti-human rights and anti-ethnic harmony policies.