CAIRO — To improve long-strained relations with the Muslim community, the Los Angeles Police has appointed its first-ever Muslim chaplain who will help educate officers on the minority deeply-stereotyped in post 9/11 America.
"Officers don't know about Islam or Muslim communities in Los Angeles," Lt. Mark Stainbrook, who oversees community outreach for the LA Police Department's counter-terrorism and criminal intelligence bureau, told the Los Angeles Times on Monday, June 29.
LAPD leaders believe Sheikh Qazi Asad, a Pakistani-born immigrant, would be a valuable source of information for officers curious about Muslims and their faith.
They see his chaplaincy as an opportunity to expose officers to a culture and a religion many may find unfamiliar, even foreign.
"He's going to be a person who can educate them to that," says Stainbrook.
Bearded Asad, 47, intends to wear traditional Pakistani clothing when appropriate; something he knows officers may be surprised to see in their station.
"It will take time for them to adjust," he told the LA Times.
"I have to earn my stripes."
A recent Pew Research Center and the Pew Forum poll showed that the majority of Americans know very little about the practices of Islam.
Eight years after the 9/11 attacks, many US Muslims face discrimination because of their attires or identities.
Bridge Builder
LAPD leaders hope Asad will also restore the force’s image in the aftermath of a much-criticized plan in 2007 to map the city's Muslim population, which Muslims equated to religious profiling.
The plan was scrapped after a week of protests.
There are 500,000 Muslims in Los Angeles, the second largest Muslim concentration in the US after New York City.
Muslim leaders are equally optimistic that Asad will enhance ties that have been strained at times.
"The position needs someone who has the basic knowledge and skills to bring people together," notes Hussam Ayloush, Southern California executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
"I think Mr. Asad has such abilities."
Asad already has a history of building bridges between the police and the local Muslim community.
"It doesn't surprise me that the LAPD would reach out to Qazi and give him a chance to continue his work," notes Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca.
Asad is currently head of the Muslim Interfaith Clergy Council of America, which is affiliated with the Sheriff's Department.
When he arrived to the US 23 years ago, Asad had no money and was speaking very little English.
He learned to speak his new country’s language by taking classes at a local college and watching the news on television.
After spending few years working in insurance, Asad began serving as a religious advisor to Muslims.
It was not until 9/11 that he got involved with his real passion, to foster understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims in his society.
Shortly after the attacks, Sheriff Baca asked Asad to join a news conference at which officials and community leaders demonstrated their solidarity with the minority, which bore the brunt of the attacks.
Soon after, he was asked to join the Sheriff’s Executive Clergy Council.
Asad brought about a dozen other American Muslims with him into the Council and pursued his aim of establishing trust between his community and the wider society.
"We need to establish very good communication…where both parties are talking to each other," he believes.
"This is just opening up the door."
Source : islamonline.net