Rebuilding bridges of trust between the American-Arab and Muslim communities and the Kalamazoo community at large is the goal of the newly established Kalamazoo chapter of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.  According to chapter president Ali Labib, since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks American-Arabs and Muslims have concerns about immigration, racial profiling and stereotyping as well as the need to maintain pride in their own cultural heritage.

The local, nonpartisan, nonsectarian group posts a Web site which provides information about news, events and organizational activities and acts as a communication and education tool to share with others "who we are and what we stand for," said the 45-year-old Labib (pronounced la-BEEB).

"We are a very transparent organization and post our news and events," he said.

Throughout the nation, Arabs -- and people perceived to be Arabs -- have had their homes or businesses vandalized. Some have been harassed to their faces or through e-mails and phone calls. A small minority have even faced death.

"We have been very fortunate (in Kalamazoo)," said Labib, "that there have only been a very few cases (of discrimination). Muslim women with scarves have had comments made to them, for example."

Labib cited misunderstanding and insensitivity as the major reason for discrimination.

Before Sept. 11, Arabs and Muslims were among the least-targeted of ethnic and religious groups, according to The Associated Press.

Last month, the FBI reported that incidents targeting Arabs and Muslims and their businesses and institutions rose from 28 in 2000 to 481 in 2001.

Recently, concerns about special registration of all foreign nationals in the United States, a provision of the newly passed Patriot Act, resulted in mass arrests -- and subsequent lawsuits -- of Arab and Muslim nonimmigrants such as those that took place in Los Angeles in mid-December.

Through its Department of Legal Services, ADC has offered counseling in cases of discrimination and defamation and sought to address a range of political and legislative issues.

Founded in 1980 by former U.S. Sen. James Abourezk of South Dakota (1973-79), a Lebanese-Christian, the ADC has countered the defamation and negative stereotyping of Arab Americans in the media and education. It has contributed to U.S. Middle East policy and coordinated its efforts against discrimination with other civil-rights and human-rights organizations.

The Kalamazoo ADC has a special alliance with the Kalamazoo Islamic Center because the majority of its membership is Muslim.

Labib, a Libyan-born Muslim, pointed out that not all Arabs are Muslims. Many are Christians and come from countries such as Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt and Palestine.

Last month, the Kalamazoo ADC held an open forum on immigration at Western Michigan University with Margaret M. Chiara, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, as well as representatives from the ADC, FBI and ACLU.

At noon Wednesday, the Kalamazoo ADC will host the Immigration and Naturalization Service for an open discussion about the new special registration procedures for nonimmigrants. The discussion will be held in the Martin Luther King Room (room 204) at the WMU Bernhard Center.

Michigan has the largest American-Arab community outside of the Middle East, said Labib. Dearborn alone is home to half a million Arabs.

Other ADC chapters in Michigan include Detroit, Flint and Ann Arbor. The Midwest regional chapter is in Dearborn.

Membership in the Kalamazoo ADC is $75 for individuals, $100 for families, $500 for corporate memberships and $25 for students or low-income individuals.

For more information, contact the Kalamazoo chapter online at www.adckazoo.com; by writing to P.O. Box 553, Portage, MI 49081-0553; by calling 372-4196; or by e-mailing info@adckazoo.com.