With the accelerating preparations for war in Central Asia and a threat to attack "terrorism" globally, or specifically in the Muslim world, the atmosphere of hostility and tension has allowed for public silence towards harsh security measures that violate human rights, and threaten civil rights and democracy. 

The U.S. Justice Department is making extraordinary use of its power to wiretap, arrest and detain individuals, taking the unusual step of jailing hundreds of people on minor traffic and immigration violations and arresting more than a dozen "material witnesses" without charging them with any crimes, and without due process. Muslims in both the U.S., and most other Western countries, have suffered harassment and discriminative tight security measures in their daily lives.

Advocates of human rights and civil liberties should coordinate across cultures and faiths, defending democracy and basic civil liberties. Together, they should strengthen the voice of reason, and settlement of conflicts according to justice. 

With Islam being a religion based on fair and just treatment of humanity, always seeking to safeguard justice, Muslims should be at the forefront of this battle.

They can convince government that exceptional measures in investigations and random arrests are just another face of giving force priority over justice.

Muslims should foster civil efforts to stop war and respect civil liberties domestically and internationally by joining organizations and charities that are not confined to Islamic organizations and movements.

America prides itself on its protection of individual liberties. Muslims must ensure that protection covers Muslims' civil liberties as well, and that scapegoating, bias and discrimination under the umbrella of "national security" directly violates the founding principles of America.

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