As Trump’s policies stoke fears, Denver’s Muslim community worries about eroding trust in law enforcement – The Denver Post

A late-night e-mail from a Denver mosques leaders to a federal homeland security agent about a visitor who appeared to be radicalized was the result ofyears of work to establish trust between law enforcement and Colorados Muslim community.

Now, some worrythe relationship that has been forged through community meetings, worship services and meals could be eroded by President Donald Trumps actions toward Muslim countries and his vows to fight radical Islamic terrorists.

Nadeen Ibrahim, a 22-year-old activist in Denvers Muslim community, said she appreciatesthe intentional, sustained efforts that federal authorities have made to establish the relationship. But she is concerned about the future.

Muslims fearTrumpsnomination of Jeff Sessions, a conservative Alabama senator, to be U.S. attorney general, Ibrahim said.

A recent travel restriction on refugees and others coming to the United States from seven Muslim-majority nations furtherraised their concerns. And reports from Reuters and other news agencies that the U.S. governments Countering Violent Extremism program might be changed so that its sole focus is Islamic extremism has upped the alarm even more, Ibrahim said.

Its going to be a little more challenging now with the rhetoric that Trump has been promoting, Ibrahim said. Theyre specifically setting a target on the Muslim community.

Acting U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer declined to discuss the connection that led mosque leaders to report odd behavior exhibited by Joshua Cummings, the man whois charged with first-degree murder in the Tuesday night shooting death of Scott Von Lanken, an RTD security officer and charismatic Christian preacher. Cummings was an avowed Muslim who expressed radical thoughts during two visits to a Denver mosque and in social media postings.

During a Jan. 11interview with The Denver Posts editorial board, Troyer said he had faith that the partnerships would stay intact no matter who is approvedas U.S. attorney general.

The U.S. attorneys office in Colorado is staffed by career prosecutors, and the person who leads the office is granted prosecutorial discretion in deciding which cases to take to court and how to run the office, Troyer said.

For example, if the White House ordered its U.S. attorneys to prosecute all undocumented immigrants with a focus on deportation, then they would be forced to drop more cases involving drugs, fraud, weapons trafficking and other serious criminal violations, he said.

The serious effort to get to know people in the community started in 2011 under the directionof former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.

I was skeptical when this all started, Troyer said. People were going to see this as soft. It was outside our core mission.

But his attitude changed.

Troyer is frequently seen at community meetings and worship services. The Colorado Muslim Society has posted pictures on its Facebook page of Troyer and his senior staff ata December service.

And since Trumps election, Troyers office has doubled efforts to be visible and talk to people who are afraid, including Muslims, Mexican immigrants and the LGBTQ community.

They have held meetings across the state because they have seen fear on the rise. In 2016, the officereceived 50 complaints about hate crimes and civil rights violations compared with 12 in 2015.

And since the election, federal authorities in Denver have conductedthree interventions with people becomingradicalized, Troyer said.

When communities are angry and fearful, they dont engage, Troyer said. Right now especially, the fear and anger is so deep. He hopes listening allows people to breathe and communicate.

The Denver Police Department also has made efforts to reach out to the community. During a Friday meeting of the citys Immigration and Refugee Commission, members specifically praised Commander Paul Pazen for his outreach in northwest Denver.

Jamie Torres, director of the Immigrant and Refugee Commission, said Denver police intend to maintain those relationships no matter what happens on the federal level.

What we said yesterday stands today, and it hasnt been compromised because of these events that are happening, Torres said.

The interaction can be delicate, though. For example, Denver police want to increase patrols around the citys mosques afteran attack Monday on a Canadian mosque. At the same time, police dont want to give the impression that theyre conducting surveillance, Torres said.

The fear of informants, moles and surveillance inside mosques is real, said Qusair Mohamedbhai, a Denver civil rights attorney who serves as general counsel to the oldestmosque in the state. It happened across the country after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, he said.

Mohamedbhai said the relationship between federal authorities and Islamic leaders has paid off twice in Denver.

The first time camewhen the Aurora father of two teenage girls of Somali-descent trusted the FBI to intercept his daughters as they traveled to Syria. The girls were brought home and never charged with a crime.

That was a good result, Mohamedbhai said.

The second came in December when mosque leaders sent the e-mail saying a man who had attended an open house and a lunch appeared pretty advanced in his path to radicalization.

Authorities acted on the tip, although they were unable to prevent Cummings alleged fatal attack on a security guard.

But theres a chance that good will could evaporate, especially among Muslims who are not U.S. citizens, Mohamedbhai said. Those who hold green cards, visas or refugee status may be driven underground by Trumps actions.

Its just not good policy, he said. It doesnt work. A lot of good work is going to be lost.

Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American Islamic Relations, said reporting shouldgo both ways. He wishes someone would have reported the white man accused of opening fire in a Canadian mosque last week and killing six worshipers.

But he hopes Muslims in American keep doing their part.

We hope that kind of reporting would continue, Hooper said. But it makes it more difficult when youre under siege by the very government you need to report to.

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As Trump's policies stoke fears, Denver's Muslim community worries about eroding trust in law enforcement - The Denver Post