COURT-KNAPPING In America, more than 1,200 people have so far been held in connection with the attacks on September 11th - most because of the colour of their skin. The majority of those arrested have nothing to do with terrorism, but have been jailed for minor visa violations that normally would be ignored. Take Ali Al-Maqtari, a Yemeni immigrant who spent eight weeks in jail. Al-Maqtari told the Senate Judiciary Committee about being interrogated for 12 hours, lied to by the FBI, accused of beating his wife, then locked up unable to contact his wife or solicitors. All because his wife wore a head scarf to a recruiting centre when she enlisted in the Army, spoke in a foreign language (French), and because soldiers found box cutters and New York City postcards in their car. Or what about Samir Khalaf, a Palestinian who worked at a gas station in Connecticut. He went to the hospital with chest pains on Sept. 12. People thought he was acting suspicious. They called the police, who called the FBI. After his emergency operation, the Feds took him - against doctors' advice - to jail. There he remained, charged with failure to get a work permit. However, he was in the country legally and was quickly cleared of terrorism suspicion and an immigration judge ruled at the beginning of October that he could go home. But then the Immigration and Naturalization Service wouldn't let him go until November. Michael Boyle, solicitor for Al-Maqtari, told the US Senate meeting discussing the Department of Justice actions that these aren't isolated incidents, but are "part of a pattern of excessive detention and disrespect for the rights of non-citizens." The war on terrorism has become a war on people - if you're the wrong colour, have the wrong views, or are merely in the wrong place at the wrong time, then you better watch out because you could potentially be the next terrorist. * Coalition Against the Terrorism Act c/o Haldane Society, Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL Tel: 0845 458 2966 http://go.to/ta2000 * Read full story of America's detainees on www.alternet.org