Illinois: Police call off anti-terror training after terror-linked Muslim group complains
creeping
via Local police training on terrorism canceled amid concerns from Muslim group – Chicago Tribune.
Police training officials have called off a
local anti-terrorism class for officers after protests from a Muslim
civil liberties group called the course’s instructor “notorious(ly)
anti-Muslim.”
Officers from various local departments
had been scheduled to attend instructor Sam Kharoba’s class, “Islamic
Awareness as a Counter-Terrorist Strategy,” Monday at Lombard Village
Hall. But late last week the Chicago chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations called for the training’s cancellation.
The course was scratched Friday after the
head of the state’s police training agency asked the local training
agency, North East Multi-Regional Training, not to use the instructor
until the state evaluates his curriculum. According to the local
organization’s director, Phil Brankin, the executive director of the
Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board, Kevin McClain,
said the trainer would not be used statewide until the inquiry
concludes. McClain could not be reached.
The Muslim civil liberties group said in a
news release that Kharoba’s training materials are “riddled with
inaccuracies, sweeping generalizations and stereotypes.” The group cited
Kharoba’s training materials, arguing that he portrays Islam as
inherently violent.
Kharoba could not be reached for comment.
The instructor has attracted controversy in the past. Last year, CAIR
and other Muslim groups asked Florida law enforcement officials to stop
hiring him to teach.
On the North East Multi-Regional Training
group’s website, Kharoba is described as a Jordanian-born
“nationally-recognized presenter … noted for his knowledge in Arabic
name construction, symbols and colors” who has conducted training for
more than 13,000 law enforcement officials. The course, according to the
site, aims to provide “insight into the mindset of Islamic militants”
and teach ways to “differentiate between moderate and radical persons.”
Brankin said he had examined Kharoba’s
work and believed his conclusions were based on credible research, even
if CAIR finds his message offensive. Brankin added that he recently
invited CAIR to develop and offer its own training through his agency.
“I’m confident that (the state agency’s) review will find nothing wrong with the curriculum or the instructor,” he said.
1 comment:
It's in-fact a good step to give training to the forces like police against the terrorism. The government can ensure the safety of the citizen by taking this kind of steps.
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