SAN FRANCISCO, May 20: American Muslims and Arabs are reluctant to join the FBI as they remain suspicious about its recruitment programme, said Ronnie Amen, Secretary of the Arab-American Law Enforcement Association.

The FBI is intensely recruiting Arab-Americans and Arabic speakers to help target surveillance on terrorist activities. It has held job fairs at mosques and Arab festivals.

Some Arab-Americans, Mr Amen said, regarded the FBI’s recent outreach efforts as “just an information-gathering process.”

Others cite a pattern of unfair surveillance and harassment of Muslims and Arab-Americans. Since the Sept 11, 2001 attacks, they said, the FBI’s enhanced monitoring powers under the USA Patriot Act had only inflamed fears.

In an effort to assist the FBI and other agencies, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Washington civil rights group, published a “Law Enforcement Official’s Guide to the Muslim Community” earlier this month to explain Islamic beliefs and practices.

The guide says Muslim community organizations encourage their members to join law enforcement, but many remain reluctant to do so. It notes that some Arab immigrants are from countries where police enforced repressive regimes, while others believe the agencies tolerate an anti-Muslim bias.

Agencies “can increase the chance of recruitment in the Muslim community by dispelling such fears and exhibiting utmost fairness at all times,” the guide says.