The political stance addressed to and from the Arab and Muslim community varies greatly across the nation.

A poll taken July 22 to 24 by USA Today, CNN and Gallup stated 53 percent of 1,006 Americans are in favor of requiring Arabs to “undergo special, more intensive security checks before boarding airplanes in the USA.” The poll included a 5 percent margin of error.

It also stated 46 percent are in favor of “requiring Arabs, including those who are U.S. citizens, to carry a special ID.”

Daniel Kempton, associate professor of political science, said profiling just the Arab community is a “prudish policy.”

There is nothing immoral about greater scrutiny over countries with a bigger threat, but who’s going to decide where to draw the line, Kempton said.

Also, would the policy just be used for airport security or for trains and ships as well, he questioned.

Kempton said a better use of personal identification cards would be to store biometric information pertaining to one’s health in the case of overseas emergencies.

Lara Uselding, security administration spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Administration, said the ID card policy is not the concern of any TSA initiatives.

Airport security technology, however, has been updated in the past few years, she said.

The research of puffer machines have been popular, Uselding said.

Puffer machines consist of a trace portal people step into while several quick puffs of air are sprayed on them. The portal then analyzes the air for traces of explosives and presents an image on a screen of all items on the traveler’s body, including any weapons or explosives.

She said about 15 machines have been sold already, but 103 additional machines in the country’s largest airports should be deployed by the end of March 2006.

Aside from the TSA, Muslim groups such as the Muslim Public Affairs Council also aid in the protection of national security against terrorist threats.

In a press release Thursday, MPAC, along with the American Civil Liberties Union and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, filed numerous Freedom of Information Act requests from the FBI to symbolize MPAC’s commitment to effective counterterrorism.

“The Freedom of Information Act requests seek two kinds of information: the actual FBI file of groups and individuals targeted for speaking out or practicing their faith and information about whether the structure and policies of the Joint Terrorism Task Force are encouraging rampant and unwarranted spying,” the organization said.

MPAC also conducted a poll in September at the 42nd annual Islamic Society of North America Convention among 200 young Muslim-Americans who voiced their need for political participation.

“Ninety-nine percent believe national Muslim organizations should engage in dialogue with government and the general American public to get our rights,” and “Ninety-four percent said Muslims should be involved in the American political process even though they may disagree with the government’s foreign policy,” the poll concluded.

The Muslim Student Association of NIU is one group that doesn’t believe in a need for religion to mix with politics.

MSA member Mohammad Khalid said political opinions hold no ground in the real truth of Islam. The only credible source is the Quran, which at most times should be studied carefully with the help of a scholar, and preferably read in Arabic so there is no loss of translation.

MSA member Mohammed Ikramullah said the media has portrayed the Muslim culture in a negative light and given the wrong impression.

Many misconceptions about Islam have occurred because of a lack of education on the subject, he said.

He said many people are taken aback by the restrictions of Islam, such as those pertaining to alcohol and premarital sex, but don’t understand the inner peace that is given by following these guidelines.

To learn more about Islam or find a mosque near you, log onto www.islamicity.com. The DeKalb area mosque is located at 721 Normal Road, at phone number 756-9640 or www.isniu.org. To find out more about the MSA, visit www.sa.niu.edu/msa.