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The eventual formation of the 9/11 Commission didn’t just come from the Jersey Girls, although they were loud voices for its creation. In reality there were several voices in several sectors that were calling for an independent investigation. Here is a timeline:TIMELINE: ROAD TO THE COMMISSION AND BEYONDDecember 21st 2001– 9/11 INVESTIGATION BILL PROPOSEDThe Senate proposes a bill to begin an independent investigation into the events of 9/11. At the time only a congressional hearing into 9/11 was being conducted. This bill calls for a full independent investigation. The White House ignores this bill for over a month.January 24th, 2002– CHENEY THREATENS SENATOR DASCHLEVice President Dick Cheney calls Democratic Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and urges him not to launch a 9/11 inquiry. When the call is made, Howard Fineman of Newsweek is in Daschle’s office and he hears the end of the conversation, providing important independent confirmation of Daschle’s account. Author Philip Shenon will later describe Cheney’s tone as “polite but threatening,” and Cheney reportedly tells Daschle that an investigation into 9/11 would be a “very dangerous and time-consuming diversion for those of us who are on the front lines of our response today.” Cheney also says that if the Democrats push for an investigation, the White House will portray them as undermining the war on terror.Daschle Says Bush And Cheney Urged No 911 Inquiry(And Newsweek 2/4/02 – pages 29 and 30).January 27th, 2002 – BUSH REQUESTS LIMITS ON 9/11 CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGSNot only is the president denying an independent investigation, he begins trying to limit which members of congress can view evidence. Bush asked Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle that only the House and Senate intelligence committees look into the potential breakdowns among federal agencies that could have allowed the terrorist attacks to occur, rather than a broader inquiry that some lawmakers have proposed.On week earlier Dick Cheney made the same request of Daschle. Daschle told reporters “The vice president expressed the concern that a review of what happened on September 11 would take resources and personnel away from the effort in the war on terrorism,"Bush asks Daschle to limit Sept. 11 probesMay 22nd, 2002 – SENATORS TOM DASCHEL AND PATRICK LEAHY CALL FOR INVESTIGATION IN 9/11Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle on Tuesday added his voice to a rising chorus of lawmakers calling for an independent commission to probe what went wrong before September 11 -- an idea the White House opposes."I think the time has come for us to do what they did after the invasion of Pearl Harbor, do what they did with the assassination of President Kennedy, and come to an agreement on how we might formulate a commission and move to ensure that we get all the facts," the South Dakota Democrat said.Daschle joins call for independent 9/11 probeMay 23rd, 2002 – BUSH SAYS “NO INVESTIGATION NEEDED INTO 9/11”President George W. Bush – while in Europe - goes on record opposing an independent investigation of 9/11.Bush Opposes 9/11 Query PanelThis sends many victim’s families and survivors into an outrage. How could the President not want to investigate 9/11? He is starting wars over this event without an investigation. This move also peaks the interest of the American public. Why would the President not want a full investigation into the worst crime in our history?June 11th 2002 – FIRST REPONDERS, SURVIVORS AND VICTIMS FAMILIES LOBBY CONGRESS TO INVESTIGATEAfter waiting 9 months representatives from victim’s families along with some first responders and survivors go to Washington to lobby for an independent investigation into the 9/11 attacks - including the widows of several firefighters who became known as “The Jersey Girls”. They are rebuked and denied by congress. After the meeting with congress they hold a rally attended by hundreds of people outside the halls of congress.TRACES OF TERROR: SURVIVORS; Trade Center Widows Lobby for Independent InquiryWe are now 9 months after the 9/11 attacks and 8 months after our invasion of Afghanistan - and currently in the grasp of debate towards invading Iraq. Still no investigation has begun into the most tragic crime in American history. There are no conspiracy theories at this time beyond a conspiracy to not investigate.June 22nd, 2002 – KELLEY, MAN IN CHARGE OF FBI DURING 9/11 SENATE HEARINGS HAS CREDIBILITY ATTACKEDInternal FBI documents show that Thomas Kelley, the man in charge of matters relating to the FBI in the 9/11 Congressional Inquiry, blocked an inquiry into the FBI’s role in Waco. An internal FBI memo from December 2000 states that Kelley “continued to thwart and obstruct” the Waco investigation to the point that a special counsel was forced to send a team to search FBI headquarters for documents Kelley refused to turn over. Kelly is shown to be a cover-up guy. This is not the man that should be in charge of such an important inquiry within the FBI.[Washington Post, 6/22/2002]September 20th, 2002– BUSH GRANTS MORE EXECUTIVE POWER TO EXECUTIVE BRANCHBush releases a 31 page report called “The Bush Doctrine” that is essentially a precursor to the Patriot act claiming executive power to declare preemptive war, arrest without warrant, and declaring war on terrorism. All without investigating the 9/11 attacks.http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bio...Later that day, September 20th, 2002 – BUSH CHANGES MIND ON 9/11 INVESTIGATION – BUT IT SHOULD FOCUS ON POLICY NOT EVENTSPresident Bush changes course and agrees that an independent investigation into 9/11 should happen. However, he stresses that the investigation should not look into the intelligence failures or events of the crime and should instead focus on border security, visa issues, and the role of congress in overseeing intelligence issues.Bush has taken the position that this is not viewed as a criminal investigation but more of a policy recommendation. The original intention of an independent investigation was a criminal investigation into the facts of the crime.October 10th, 2002– BUSH CHANGES MIND – WANTS NO 9/11 INVESTIGATIONPresident Bush changes course again and retracts his September statement about an independent investigation without full control over it. Hours after, top House Republican leaders say they wont bring the legislation to the full House for a vote unless the 9/11 commission proposal was changed allowing Bush full control over the committee selections. There are worries that if the White House can delay the legislation for a few more days until Congress adjourns, it could stop the creation of a commission for months, if not permanently.White House Blocks Deal by Congress on 9/11 PanelCongress would eventually agree to the president’s terms.October 17th, 2002– CIA CLAIMS HAD NO PRIOR WARNING FOR 9/11The CIA director George Tenant claims that nobody read the CIA memo that accused hijacker Nawaf Alrazami was in the US in the summer of 2001. However the CIA office of the inspector general claims several agents read the memo. The CIA is now disputing each other over what they know prior to 9/11.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W...Conspiracy Theory: CIA 9/11 Cover-up? FBI Told Senior Official Had Prior Knowledgehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C...On various dates in late 2002– BUSH,CHENEY AND RICE ALL LIE ABOUT NEVER IMAGINING PLANES BEING USED AS WEAPONSGeorge Bush, Dick Cheney And Condaliza Rice all state publicly that “they could never have imagined someone attacking America using planes”. (Bush and Rice in separate press conferences and Cheney on Meet the Press). It is later revealed that the government practiced planes being used as weapons in 1998 - including a mock attack on the Pentagon. It was also learned that the military was running war games on September 10th and 11th 2001 simulating commercial planes being hijacked – some even simulating a plane crash strike on the Pentagon. Cheney was revealed to be managing these war games from NORAD.Global GuardianNovember 15th, 2002– 9/11 COMMISSION IS CREATED ON SHOESTRING BUDGET AND STRICT TIME LIMITCongress approves the creation of what would become known as the 9/11 Commission (The National Commission on Terrorists Attacks in the United States). The bill allows for President Bush to set the standards of the commission as well as select the Chairman. Bush sets a strict time limit of 18 months to complete the investigation and only allots 3 million dollars for the investigation. Several congressman wonder why the funding is so small (for example they awarded 50 million to investigate Whitewater for Clinton). Senate majority leader Tom Daschle would call the budget “a joke”.Congress OKs 9/11 special commissionNovember 27th, 2002– BUSH APPOINTS HENRY KISSINGER AS CHAIR FOR 9/11 COMMISSIONThe New York Times muses that it’s tempting to believe the appointment of Kissinger is an attempt by the White House to avoid an investigation they adamantly opposed in the first place”.The Kissinger CommissionBush appoints Henry Kissinger Chairmen of the 9/11 Commission. This selection is met with outrage. Kissinger has a very controversial past. For instance, “Documents recently released by the CIA, strengthen previously-held suspicions that Kissinger was actively involved in the establishment of Operation Condor, a covert plan involving six Latin American countries including Chile, to assassinate thousands of political opponents.” He is also famous for an “obsession with secrecy.”Editorial: Kissinger and credibilityDecember 13th, 2002– KISSINGER RESIGNS RATHER THAN REVEAL BIN LAUDIN FAMILY CONNECTIONKissinger resigns from 9/11 Commission due to requests to prove his objectivity and disclose his business clients. Kissinger had also been pressured to reveal his client list at a meeting with a group of victims’ relatives, in particular the “Jersey Girls.” One of the “Girls,” Lorie Van Auken, had asked Kissinger whether he had “any clients named bin Laden?” Kissinger, who was pouring coffee at that moment, refused to answer, but spilled the coffee and fell off the sofa on which he was sitting. He soon resigns from the commission. [Shenon, 2008, pp. 12-13]Not Vetted - In a surprising break from usual procedures regarding high-profile presidential appointments, White House lawyers never vetted Kissinger for conflicts of interest. [Newsweek, 12/15/2002]The Washington Post says that after the resignations of Kissinger and Mitchell, the commission “has lost time” and “is in disarray, which is no small trick given that it has yet to meet.” [Washington Post, 12/14/2002]Kissinger is replaced by Thomas Kean. It’s now 15 months after 9/11 and still no meeting to begin investigating has happened.December 16th, 2002– MUCH OF THE BUSH APPOINTED 9/11 COMMISSION HAS CONFLICTS OF INTERESTIt is reported that most members of the 9/11 Commission have conflicts of interest and cannot be considered impartial or independent. Listed below:-Fred Fielding also works for a law firm lobbying for Spirit Airlines and United Airlines.He was also George W. Bush’s personal attorney.[Associated Press, 2/14/2003; CBS News, 3/5/2003]-Slade Gorton has close ties to Boeing, which built all the planes destroyed on 9/11, and his law firm represents several major airlines, including Delta Air Lines. [Associated Press, 12/12/2002; CBS News, 3/5/2003]-John Lehman, former secretary of the Navy, has large investments in Ball Corp., which has many US military contracts.[Associated Press, 3/27/2003]-James Thompson, former Illinois governor, is the head of a law firm that lobbies for American Airlines and has previously represented United Airlines.[Associated Press, 1/31/2003; CBS News, 3/5/2003]-Richard Ben-Veniste represents Boeing and United Airlines. [CBS News, 3/5/2003] He also has other curious connections, according to a 2001 book on CIA ties to drug running written by Daniel Hopsicker, which has an entire chapter called “Who is Richard Ben-Veniste?” Lawyer Ben-Veniste, Hopsicker says, “has made a career of defending political crooks, specializing in cases that involve drugs and politics.” He has been referred to in print as a “Mob lawyer,” and was a long-time lawyer for Barry Seal, one of the most famous drug runners in US history who was also alleged to have had CIA connections. [Hopsicker, 2001, pp. 325-30]-Max Cleland, former US senator, has received $300,000 from the airline industry. [CBS News, 3/5/2003]-Jamie Gorelick is a director of United Technologies, one of the Pentagon’s biggest defense contractors and a supplier of engines to airline manufacturers. [Associated Press, 3/27/2003]-Lee Hamilton sits on many advisory boards, including those to the CIA, the president’s Homeland Security Advisory Council, and the US Army. He is also the notorious Iran-Contra Tower Commission Chairman. [Associated Press, 3/27/2003]-Tim Roemer represents Boeing and Lockheed Martin. [CBS News, 3/5/2003]The 9/11 Commission is comprised of suspect crew of dubious lawyers, politicians, Bush insiders, and corporate figures with no experience in the fields they are investigating. No scientists, physicists, criminal investigators or field experts are included on the commission.January 26th, 2003– ZELIKOW IS APPOINTED E.D. OF 9/11 COMMISSION – MASSIVE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST NOTEDPhilip Zelikow is hired as the 9/11 Commission’s Executive Director. Several members of congress note a conflict of interest. Zelikow co-authored a book with National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and also served on a special White House intelligence advisory board. Zelikow appoints Michael Hurley—a 20-year CIA officer still actively employed—to lead the Commission’s investigation of counterterrorism policy in the CIA prior to 9/11.Counter terrorism czar Richard Clark announces “The fix is in”.(Shenon, 2008, pp. 63-65)Is Fix in at 9/11 Commission?It is learned after the 9/11 Report is published that Zelikow authored “The Bush Doctrine”. Better known as "The Patriot Act". He wrote this before joining the commission.Zelikow is also known for co-authoring an article for the Council on Foreign Relations in 1998 which outlines scenarios very similar to the 9/11 attacks!Text of report:Catastrophic Terrorism: Tackling the New DangerThe report also contains how America should react including the creation of what would be the Department of Homeland Security. In clear speak, Zelikow had already written our response to 9/11 years before 9/11.March 14th 2003 – AFTER 18 MONTHS 9/11 COMMISSION FINALLY MEETSThe 9/11 Commission finally meets eighteen months after 9/11attacks. Two days after the Iraq invasion. They hold their first inquiry on March 31st.March 26th, 2003 – BUSH REFUSES MORE FUNDINGPresident Bush turns down the 9/11 Commissions request for addition funding.Time magazine reports that the 9/11 Commission has requested an additional $11 million to add to the $3 million for the commission, and the Bush administration has turned down the request. A Republican member of the commission says the decision will make it “look like they have something to hide.” Another commissioner notes that the recent commission on the Columbia shuttle crash will have a $50 million budget.Stephen Push, a leader of the 9/11 victims’ families, says the decision “suggests to me that they see this as a convenient way for allowing the commission to fail. They’ve never wanted the commission and I feel the White House has always been looking for a way to kill it without having their finger on the murder weapon.”Undercutting the 9/11 Inquiryhttp://www.time.com/time/natiort...In the final weeks of the Commission Bush would finally and oddly award the commission an extra 9 million - even though they were beginning the report writing stage by then.March 27th, 2003 – NO CLEARENCE FOR 9/11 COMMISSIONERSCommission members are still denied security clearance to 9/11 documents from the Senate hearings. Commissioner Lee Hamilton says, “It’s kind of astounding that someone like Senator Gorton can’t get immediate clearance. It’s a matter we are concerned about.” The commission is said to be at a “standstill” because of the security clearance issue, and cannot even read the classified findings of the previous 9/11 Congressional Inquiry.[Seattle Times, 3/12/2003]March 31st 2003 - COMMISSION DECLARES “WONT ASSIGN BLAME”The 9/11 Commission meets the public and draws harsh criticism from the victim’s families. The New York Times suggests that the 9/11 Commission would never have been formed if it were not for the pressure of the 9/11 victims’ relatives. Some of the relatives strongly disagree with statements from commissioners that they should not place blame. For instance, Stephen Push states: “I think this Commission should point fingers.… Some of those people [who failed us] are still in responsible positions in government. Perhaps they shouldn’t be.”A NATION AT WAR: 9/11 INQUIRY; Beyond Numbers, 9/11 Panel Hears Families' AnguishIn NY, 9/11 panel has first public hearingApril 2003 – ZELIKOW CENSORS INVESTIGATIONZelikow blocks key Saudi people and documents that have been subpoenaed.9/11 Commission Executive Director Philip Zelikow prevents two investigators, Mike Jacobson and Dana Leseman, from viewing a key document they need for their work. Jacobson and Leseman are working on the ‘Saudi Connection’ section of the commission’s investigation, researching leads that there may have been a link between two of the 9/11 hijackers, Khalid Almihdhar and Nawaf Alhazmi, and elements of the government of Saudi Arabia.(Washington Post – 3/27/2003)April 2003 - ZILIKOW FIRES “SAUDI CONNECTION” 9/11 COMMISSIONER9/11 Commission Executive Director Philip Zelikow fires one of the commission’s investigators, Dana Leseman, with whom he has had a number of conflicts. Leseman and a colleague were researching a possible link between two of the 9/11 hijackers, Khalid Almihdhar and Nawaf Alhazmi, and elements of the government of Saudi Arabia.911 Commission Report! Zelikow And The 28 Redacted PagesApril 24, 2003 – ZELIKOW CUTS OFF COMMISSIONERS ACCESS TO CONGRESSIONAL INQUIRY FILESExecutive Director Philip Zelikow strikes a deal with the Justice Department to cut the 9/11 Commission’s access to files compiled by the 9/11 Congressional Inquiry (see July 24, 2003) until the White House is able to review them. However, he keeps the agreement secret from the commissioners and, when Commissioner Tim Roemer, who had actually sat on the Congressional Inquiry and already seen the material, goes to Capitol Hill to read the files on April 24, he is turned away. Roemer is furious and asks: “Why is our executive director making secret deals with the Justice Department and the White House? He is supposed to be working for us.”The Washington Post: National, World & D.C. Area News and HeadlinesFebruary 23rd, 2004– 9/11 COMMISSION REQUESTS 60 DAY EXTENSION DUE TO TIME LOST TO COMPLETE REPORTThe commission's vice chairman, Lee H. Hamilton, a former Democratic House member from Indiana, said the panel was ''mindful of the politics'' of an extension, ''but if we do not have the extra time, we would not have as many hearings as we would like.''The White House and Republican Congressional leaders have said they see no need to extend the congressionally mandated deadline, now set for May 27, and a spokesman for Speaker J. Dennis Hastert said Tuesday that Mr. Hastert would oppose any legislation to grant the extension.9/11 Commission Says It Needs More Time to Complete ReportFebruary 25th, 2004– HOUSE SPEAKER HASTERT DENIES COMMISSION TIME EXTENSION – THEN CHANGES MIND 3 DAYS LATERHouse Speaker Dennis Hastert told President Bush on Wednesday he would not bring up any legislation to authorize the 60-day extension proposed by the commission. Hastert aide John Feehery said the speaker, a Republican from Illinois, had two reasons."One, if there are recommendations that need action, we need them sooner than later," Feehery said. "Two, he does not want this to be delayed any further and become a political football in the middle of the campaign. What we wanted to do is get the commission report out as quickly as possible so if there are problems, we can solve those problems," Hastert later told reporters at the Capitol. Hastert would later agree (on February 27th, 2004) to the extension after pressure from the victim’s families.Hastert to block 9/11 commission extensionHastert agrees to extension for 9/11 panelApril 8th, 2004 –RICE TESTIFIES BUSH ORDERED AFGHANISTAN INVASION ONE WEEK BEFORE THE 9/11 ATTACKSCondoleezza Rice testifies before the commission that Bush ordered invasion of Afghanistan on September 4th, 2001 - a week before the 9/11 attacks. Claims elimination of terrorism was the goal.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k...April 9th 2004 – MINETA TESTIFIES CHENEY KNEW ABOUT PENTAGON PLANETransportation secretary Norman Mineta testifies before the commission that Vice President Dick Cheney and NORAD were tracking the plane that was heading for the Pentagon for at least the last 50 miles. Cheney denies this and later states the plane Mineta was referring to was flight 93 that crashed in Pennsylvania.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b...April 29th 2004 – BUSH AND CHENEY AGREE TO TESTIFYAfter declining on several occasions Bush and Cheney finally agree to testify to the 9/11 Commission. They agree only if the testimony is in private, conducted in the White House, contains no recorded record of any kind and is NOT given under oath. He also insists they only testify before the Chairperson but changed his mind after meeting with lawyers. He does however insist Cheney and himself testify together.Afterwards Bush would call the testimony “A good talk. I enjoyed it.” The president said he felt the testimony “helped them understand how I think and how I run the White House.” Asked about critics who claim he and the vice president wanted to testify together in order to present the same story, the president responded, “Look, if we had something to hide we wouldn't have met with them in the first place. It was important for them to see our body language, how we work together,” he added.9/11 commissionfinishes Bush, Cheney sessionJuly 22nd, 2004 – COMMISSION ISSUES FINAL REPORT FOR PUBLICATIONNational Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United StatesWith the release of the 9/11 Commission report scientists and investigators are outraged at the lack of science, evidence and testimony included. There were no studies and little verified content. Instead the report reads like an action novel. Some of the many questions include:-Report mistakenly claims that the core of each of the Twin Towers consisted of weak hollow steel shafts when they were in fact standard building columns.-Offered no explanation as to how World Trade Center 1 and 2 collapsed, the event where most of the fatalities occurred.-Timeline of hijackers was wrong.-None of the 503 testimonies from first responders in New York were considered or included.-Of the 19 alleged suicide hijackers, it omits the fact that at least six of them have credibly been reported to be still alive.-Fails to mention the fact that Building 7 of the World Trade Center collapsed – or why it collapsed.-It inexplicably omitted 115 pieces of key evidence.-It is wrong about Dick Cheney’s actions and whereabouts on 9/11.This would eventually prompt a second investigation by The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) into how towers 1 & 2 collapsed. The NIST report was also met with outrage as they state they did not do any models or simulations of the collapses and did not investigate for explosives. Fire was listed as the cause.EPILOGUENovember 16th, 2004 – President Bush nominates National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice for Secretary of State.This would be the first of many “promotions”. Not only was nobody in the government or military held accountable for incompetence on 9/11 – nearly everyone in charge of American Security on 9/11 was promoted.In 2009 - In a just-released book called Ground Truth, John Farmer, senior counsel to the 9/11 Commission and now dean of Rutgers Law School, declares that at an early stage in its investigation, “the Commission discovered that what had occurred that morning (on 9/11) — that is, what government and military officials had told Congress, the Commission, the media, and the public about who knew what when — was almost entirely, and inexplicably, untrue....At some level of the government, at some point in time ... there was a decision not to tell the truth about what happened.”A New 9/11 Investigation in New York City? The Voters Will Decide--If the Lawyers Let ThemIn 2011 - Commissioner Lee Hamilton states the 9/11 Commission was a failed investigation. Hamilton would claim that he believe at least 1000 members of government were actively working to cover up the facts.September 11th, 2011 The survivors groups were not allowed to attend the ten year memorial service event due to “lack of space”. The 9/11 first responders were also not invited – no reason given. The group of first responders who interviewed are officially on record stating the 9/11 Commission Report is false. Many of them went on to form the organization “Firefighters for 9/11 Truth”.Fire Fighters For 9-11 Truth " FF 911 TruthIn 2012 A comic book version of the 9/11 Commission Report is created and promoted to schools throughout the country to educate children on the history and “facts about the 9/11 attacks”.http://www.communicatingwithcomi...

The question falsely assumes that police are always at fault, even police have the right to due process. And, believe it or not, there are officers serving prison sentences for committing crimes while on duty, because they were found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt; just as any other person would.With regard to Trayvon Martin:Zimmerman and Racial ProfilingD. L. RobbCitizenship in a democratic republic brings with it the obligation to monitor, and express concerns with regard to, the actions of government representatives. However, we must be cognizant of the potential for tyranny of an uninformed populace, and the potential for demagoguery. As Eagleman[i] (2011) began his book on human cognition: “Man is equally incapable of seeing the nothingness from which he emerges and the infinity in which he is engulfed.—Blaise Pascal, Pensées.” And, he also stated, “Just because you believesomething to be true, just because you knowit’s true, that doesn’t mean it istrue” (p. 53).Multiple issues were raised following the unfortunate death of Trayvon Martin at the hands of George Zimmerman.Was racism involved?Was there political pressure to seek prosecution?Was the confrontation asymmetrical—man against boy?Is there evidence supporting self-defense on the part of Zimmerman?Did the “Stand Your Ground” law precipitate this incident?Was Zimmerman a rogue, self-appointed vigilante?Why does Racial Profiling exist?This essay does not attempt to answer all questions. However, it is an attempt to counsel for consideration of what can be determined and how it can contribute to an understanding of a verdict of not guilty; which is not an unequivocal judgment of innocence, but an acknowledgment that there is reasonable doubt as to guilt. What is needed is a dispassionate and objective view.Moreover, statistics (as unreliable as they sometimes are) indicate that racial profiling is not the primary threat to young Black men, that position is held by young Black men. The challenge is what can we do about that?Was racism involved?Zimmerman’s maternal grandmother, who helped raise him,was the son of an Afro-Peruvian great-grandfather. In 2004, Zimmerman entered into an insurance office partnership with an African-American (Francescani, 2012).In September 2011, Zimmerman sent an email message to the Sanford Police Chief (the same one later indicating a lack of probable cause in this case) expressing outrage over the police handling of an assault on a Black man by a relative of a White police lieutenant. This had been preceded by a public statement critical of this same incident at a public meeting in January 2011 (CNN, 2012).During his call to police prior to the contact with Martin, Zimmerman used the term “assholes," and indicated that they always eluded arrest, apparently referring to perpetrators of burglaries and robberies within his community, some of whom were identified as Black (Francescani, 2012).The testimony of a person that spoke to Martin prior to the confrontation with Zimmerman indicated that Martin stated the he was being followed by a “creepy-ass cracker” (abcnews, 2013).Was there political pressure to seek prosecution?The Sanford police chief stated that there was insufficient evidence to arrest Zimmerman (and subsequently stepped-down under pressure). And, the State’s Attorney initially assigned to the case declined to file charges against Zimmerman (Legum, 2012).The governor of Florida then appointed a special prosecutor, who chose to by-pass the Grand Jury process (Vamburkar, 2012). The special prosecutor has admitted submitting a defective affidavit that apparently omitted exculpatory information (Huckabee, 2013), failed to release photographs of Zimmerman’s injuries until after charges were filed, failed to provide exculpatory information to defense attorneys as required by law (Opinion, News, Analysis, Video and Polls, 2013), submitted a request for inclusion of lesser charges at mid-trial when faced with an apparent acquittal (Huckabee), and fired the employee who reported this failure to disclose required information to the defense attorneys (Opinion, News, Analysis, Video and Polls). Alan Dershowitz, a noted civil liberties attorney, a defender of civil rights, and the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, has called for the special prosecutor to be disbarred for the above acts. The special prosecutor also made a post-acquittal statement indicating guilt on the part of Zimmerman (Huckabee).After announcement of the state verdict, the U.S. Attorney General apparently implied that Zimmerman was guilty of something by describing the incident as a “tragic, unnecessary shooting” (Hallowell, 2013). Arguably, this statement could taint the pursuit of federal prosecution, not to mention amount to defamation of an acquitted individual. According to the American Bar Association (2012), Model Rules of Professional Conduct, Special Responsibilities of a Prosecutor:“Except for statements that are necessary to inform the public of the nature and extent of the prosecutor’s action and that serve a legitimate law enforcement purpose, refrain from making extrajudicial comments that have a substantial likelihood of heightening public condemnation of the accused.”(Rule 3.8 (f))Judge Jeanine Pirro stated the following:Almost every legal expert on both sides of the aisle agreed, in contrast to special prosecutor Corey, that the evidence presented by prosecutors was insufficient to convict. Which begs the question of whether the charges against George Zimmerman were proper or a capitulation to public pressure by the governor and that appointed state's attorney who continues to say that the public had a right to watch this trial as though it’s theater, as though criminal justice and evidence is about theater for the public’s interest. (realpolitics, 2013, n.p.)Scott (a 42-year-old Black male) confronted three young men reportedly engaged in vehicle burglary in a neighbor’s driveway in New York. Sixteen-year-old Cervini (a White person) reportedly charged Scott, who shot twice and killed him, even though Cervini made no physical contact with Scott. Scott was acquitted in 2009 (Hedeen, 2009). This is in spite of the facts that New York does not have a stand-your-ground law, and it is a general principle of law that the amount of force cannot be unreasonable (Gardner & Anderson, 2000). Presumably, most are unaware of this incident, as opposed to the Zimmerman/Martin incident.The NAACP has indicated that justice has not prevailed in this case (Novogrod, Winter, Connor, & McClam, 2013). And, there have been calls for changes in law to prevent recurrence of this incident (Trotta & Cotterell, 2013). Since the Magna Carta in 1215, our system of law has demanded credibility from witnesses. Subsequently, evaluation of physical and circumstantial evidence has enhanced our ability to judge guilt; and, our senses have been found to be frequently in error, for psychological and neurological reasons (Eagleman, 2011).In this case, according to the jury, there are insufficient credible witnesses, physical, and circumstantial evidence to overcome the beyond a reasonable doubt criteria. Changing the law to get past these purported deficiencies would violate the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of due process of law prior to deprivation “of life, liberty, or property” (Amendment V, 1992).Was the confrontation asymmetrical—man against boy?The reasonableness of self-defense can be dependent upon the relative disparity of the participants, in addition to the determination of who initiated the assault (Gardner & Anderson, 2000). At the time of the incident, according to police reports, Martin was six feet tall and weighed 160 pounds, and Zimmerman was five feet nine inches tall and weighed 170 pounds (Tampa Bay Fl News | Connect to 10 News in Tampa, Sarasota, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Florida | WTSP.com, 2012; Rogers, 2012).Photographs of Martin as a younger child were widely distributed, and may have shaped public perceptions (Allen, 2013).In 2005, Zimmerman’s insurance business failed, he was arrested for resisting arrest and battery on a plain-clothes alcohol control agent, and he avoided conviction by participating in a pre-trial diversion program. Also, Zimmerman’s first engagement ended with issuance of mutual restraining orders; although he remains married to another woman (Francescani, 2012).Evidence of Martin's drug use, school suspension, eviction from his mother’s home, possession of a firearm, and past fighting were judged not admissible in the trial (Schneider, 2013).Is there evidence supporting self-defense on the part of Zimmerman?A physician’s report disclosed that Zimmerman had a fractured nose, two black eyes, two lacerations on the back of his head, and a back injury on the day after the fatal shooting. Dr. Vincent Di Maio[ii], a forensic pathologist, testified that in his expert opinion, the wounds suffered by Zimmerman were consistent with the statements of Zimmerman (Alvarez, 2013a).Di Maio also testified that the gunshot wound suffered by Martin was consistent with the statement of Zimmerman. The examination of the clothing worn by Martin and the body of Martin indicate that Martin’s clothing was pulled away from the body, as would be expected if Martin had been straddling Zimmerman and leaning forward; and, the estimated distance of the gun muzzle from the clothing was consistent with Zimmerman’s account.Zimmerman ignored the advice of a police dispatcher to not follow Martin; although, Zimmerman claimed to have been returning to his vehicle when confronted by Martin, with prosecutors being unable to indicate otherwise (Alvarez, 2013b). It is not a criminal violation to follow another person, less any menacing remarks or behavior. And, “all people … may use deadly force, if necessary, to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to themselves or others” (Gardner & Anderson, 2000). And, the distinction between a six foot tall child weighing 160 pounds, and an adult who is five feet nine inches tall and weighs 170 pounds is irrelevant in a rapidly unfolding confrontation.Did the “Stand Your Ground” law precipitate this incident?Included in the judge’s instructions to the jury was the advisement as to the parameters of the stand your ground law. However, Zimmerman’s defense team did not raise this issue. The self-defense claim was based on the inability of Zimmerman to retreat or otherwise prevent his own death or serious bodily injury (Zimmerman was reportedly on his back under Martin); and, although Zimmerman was injured, the Florida law does not require an individual to actually suffer injuries in order to claim self-defense, merely that it this reasonably likely (Alvarez, 2013b).Was Zimmerman was a rogue, self-appointed vigilante?Francescani (2012) provided a detailed description of the evolution of Zimmerman from passive resident to neighborhood watch captain, from being repeatedly menaced by a pit bull in the Fall of 2009; to June 2011, when multiple robberies within the community led the homeowners association to ask him to create a neighborhood watch. A Black neighbor indicated that demonstrators should recognize that, at the time of the incident, numerous crimes in that community had been committed by young Black males.Francescani is a Reuters journalist who provided a lengthy and fairly detailed review of Zimmerman’s background, and it is recommended reading (George Zimmerman: Prelude to a shooting).Why does Racial Profiling exist?Despite the fact that it has been established that there are more intra-racial biological differences than there are differences between races (Banton, 1998), there are cultural differences. Access to health care and education (as it pertains to diet and exercise) are apparent contributors to this situation. In recent decades, health differences between Blacks and Whites have decreased; however, gaps still exist.Hypertension, diabetes, and stroke are much higher in the U.S. Black population, and these ailments are acquired at a younger age (WebMD, 2011). Black men are 35% more likely to die of cancer than Whites, and the disparity for Black women is 18% (WebMD, 2007). In the U.S., Blacks, at about 14% of the population, account for 44% of the new HIV infections, with Black females having rate of infection 15 times higher than White females (WebMD, 2012). According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Blacks have a significantly shorter life expectancy; which is attributed to increased cancer, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and murder (as cited in DeNoon, 2007).When factors contributing to the likelihood to be arrested for crimes are considered, racism must be included; however, there is statistical support for the argument that Blacks are more likely to engage in criminal behavior. Crime statistics are a relevant consideration in the arena of bias and reality, with about one in three Black males being convicted felons, as opposed to about one in 17 White males (statistics cited below). And, several variables are taken into consideration during the decision-making process regarding prosecution and sentencing; these include prior convictions, employment history, and education level. These considerations contribute to the determination of whether or not the individual will be a contributing member of society, or will return to criminal behavior if not prosecuted and incarcerated.Education plays a major role in employability, and employment can counteract pursuit of criminal activities. The national average for completion of high school by White students is about 75%, and the average for Black students is about 50% (Swanson, 2004). It seems possible that a lack of education, lack of cultural appreciation for education, and a lack of parental expectations perpetuate the problem of black crime; even though racial profiling is a prominent argument for this situation. Empirical research indicates a link between low socio-economic status, poor education, and anti-social behavior (Baron-Cohen, 2011). Lack of employment apparently stems from poor education, which may result in criminal behavior being needed to supply income.In addition to the contribution of familial socio-economic status to deviance, crime can be inter-generational. Studies of repeat offenders indicate that 37% have fathers with criminal records, while 8.4% have non-deviant fathers; and, and research indicates that juvenile delinquents eventually tend to parent deviant children. Moreover, divorce and separation rates are higher in Black homes, and these rates are significantly associated with murder rates (Siegel, 2006).Police must rely on the community as their eyes and ears in areas inaccessible to police in order to address criminal predation. The world of black music provides examples of the Black community’s failure to provide witness information that could reduce crime. Jam Master Jay, Biggie Smalls, and Tupak Shakur were murdered by unidentified perpetrators, and in all of these cases witnesses have been uncooperative. Likewise, rapper Busta Rhymes refused to cooperate after witnessing the murder of his bodyguard, as did 50 other witnesses (Hampson, 2006). Hampson also reported on the nation-wide “Stop Snitching” movement in the Black community. This billboard graced the Houston Montrose area in 2013:Based on then current incarceration rates, about 32% of Black males will be imprisoned during their lifetime, along with 5.9% of White males (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2007). In 2005, one victim and one offender homicides were mostly intra-racial, about 93% for Black victims (with 49% of all homicide victims being Black) and 85% for white victims (Harrell, 2007). Black offenders accounted for more than 50% of the offenders arrested for murder and non-negligent manslaughter (U.S. Department of Justice, 2009). The 2000 census indicated that 77.1% of the U.S. population was White (Census, 2001a), and 12.9% was Black (Census, 2001b). And, Blacks on federal pretrial release had a significantly higher history of failures to appear for court hearings and engaging in escape behavior than Whites (Fennessy & Huss, 2013).Hickey (2006) reported on an extensive study that indicated that out of the 249 serial killers studied, 72% were White, 23% were Black, 3% were Hispanic, 1% were Asian, and 1% were “other.” Since more than 20% of the serial killers have been Black, there is an over-representation of Black serial killers. Hickey reported that, between 1995 and 2004, about 44% of identified serial killers were Black. Walsh (2005) reported serial killing ratios similar to those of Hickey, and commented on the mythological nature of the popular conception that serial killing is a White phenomenon. Hickey also reported that serial killing has been generally intra-racial; however, serial killers do kill people of other races.Safarik, Jarvis, and Nussbaum (2006) studied elderly female sexual homicide and their research population of offenders was found to be 44% White and 42% Black. Safarik et. al determined that, in their elderly female sexual homicide research, "Blacks offend interracially 77% of the time … and Whites only 4%" (p. 113).In attempting to maintain an empathetic frame of mind when interacting with minorities, one must acknowledge that being defensive due to past experience of discrimination has been empirically supported. Research on prejudice (in this case with Jewish males) has indicated that those who have been the subject of prejudice, or perceive that they have been subjected to prejudice, were reportedly more aggressive, sadder, more anxious, and more egotistical than those not perceiving such prejudice (Dion & Earn, 1981). In other words, once a person has been discriminated against, it is more likely that the person will be hypersensitive to perceived discrimination, possibly seeing it where it does not exist. And, more importantly, their perceptions of prejudice interfere with their accepting the culture of the majority group, and encourage differentiation in speech, fashion, and resistance to the adoption of majority group goals.Moreover, our brains are hardwired to be xenophobic (fearful and hateful toward strangers/foreigners or anything that is strange/foreign), according to Eagleman (2011). Therefore, people of different races, ethnicities, cultures, and religions are viewed with suspicion instinctively; and this suspicion can only be overcome by intentionally altering these subconscious reactions, facilitating conformity with societal expectations for acceptance of diversity.While this current discussion concerns self-defense in general, the greater implication concerns the criminal justice system. The problem with racial profiling is that it subjects innocent people to unwarranted suspicion and accusations. No matter what percentage of an identifiable group of people can be considered criminal, there is an additional, and apparently larger, percentage who cannot be considered criminal. And it is a violation of the civil rights of all of these people to make an assumption that is not based on evidence, as opposed to statistical or biased assumptions.It is a display of prejudice (pre-judgment of a person or act without facts of the particular situation) to make a statement such as that of President Obama with regard to the arrest of a Black professor (“Cambridge police acted stupidly,” as cited in Baichwal, 2010, para. 5); for, as the President later admitted, he was not in possession of all of the facts. And, it is a display of prejudice for police to confront minorities based only on the fact that they are minorities. An exacerbating factor to be overcome by police is the instantaneous nature of the decision-making process in the public safety arena.“The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution is interpreted by the Supreme Court that sets the legal standard for Use of Force in the United States. … The early application of a reasonable amount of force will result in less force having to be used; less injury to suspects, less injury to officers. … Officers have to use force that’s objectively reasonable based on the totality of the facts and circumstances confronting the officer at the time of the seizure. … Holding the officer to the least intrusive or minimal amount of force is a subjective standard. … Imposing such a requirement would inevitably induce hesitation by officers, and thus deter police from protecting the public and themselves. It would also entangle the courts in endless second guessing ofpolice decisions made under stress and subject them to exigencies of the moment. … The court went on to say that officers … do not have to avail themselves of the least intrusive means of responding to an exigent situation; only a reasonable one.” (Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, n.d.)Decades ago, the Supreme Court ruled that:The wholesale harassment by certain elements of the police community, of which minority groups, particularly Negroes, frequently complain, [n11] will not be [p15] stopped by the exclusion of any evidence from any criminal trial. Yet a rigid and unthinking application of the exclusionary rule, in futile protest against practices which it can never be used effectively to control, may exact a high toll in human injury and frustration of efforts to prevent crime. No judicial opinion can comprehend the protean variety of the street encounter, and we can only judge the facts of the case before us. Nothing we say today is to be taken as indicating approval of police conduct outside the legitimate investigative sphere. (Terry v. Ohio, 1968, para. 19)Presumably, the expectations of police officers as to the increased probability of Black people being engaged in illegal activities (as supported by available statistics) affects how they deal with Black people, hence the “driving while Black” scenario and the existence of racial profiling. Unfortunately, this fuels the negative responses of the Black community, perpetuating a negative spiral contributing to the arrest and incarceration statistics.This state of affairs cannot be cured by emotional calls for “justice” in this specific case. Subversion of due process by popular demand to conform with faulty perceptions is equivalent to vigilantism, nothing more.What must be done is to focus attention on altering the roots of the problem, the underlying precipitators of criminality, like low socio-economic status and low educational achievement, and ensuring equitable treatment and negating bias [color-blindly providing due process (equality under law, based on individual circumstances, not perceived equality of outcome)].This can be done in law enforcement by review processes that evaluate enforcement actions by requiring that officers specifically articulate the circumstances used to determine that an appropriate level of suspicion was reached, such that a reasonably prudent person drawing on relevant experience would agree, according to the U.S. Supreme Court (Terry v. Ohio, 1968), would reach the same conclusion. This is the current standard, and while it can be questioned by the public, it is not public opinion that determines the outcome.As Dr. King indicated, people must be judged on individual character, not skin color; and that includes those defending themselves.Daniel L. Robb, Ph.D.Special Agent, Retired, U.S. Department of Homeland SecurityPrivate Investigator and Personal Protection Officer (Texas License No. 15531)Certified by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, Peace Officer (inactive)Representative for Project ALERT (America’s Law Enforcement Retiree Team), a program of the National Center for Missing & Exploited ChildrenBoard Member & Past President, The Auxiliary to Texas Children’s HospitalConsultant: Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, and the Innocence Project of TexasFormer Adjunct Professor, American Public University SystemReferences:ABC News. (2013). Trayvon Martin's friend: 'Creepy-Ass Cracker' comment not racist. Retrieved from: Video: Trayvon Martin's Friend: 'Creepy-Ass Cracker' Comment Not RacistAlcindor, Y. (2013, July 10). Pathologist supports Zimmerman's description of attack. USA Today. Retrieved from: Pathologist supports Zimmerman's description of attackAllen, J. (2013, June 4). Trayvon Martin: How pictures have told his story. Trayvon Martin: How pictures have told his storyAlvarez, L. (2013a, July 9). Martin Was Shot as He Leaned Over Zimmerman, Court Is Told. The New York Times.Retrieved from: Martin Was Shot as He Leaned Over Zimmerman, Court Is ToldAlvarez, L. (2013b, July 12). Zimmerman Case Goes to Jury, With Defense Urging It to Remove Emotion. Retrieved from: Zimmerman Case Goes to Jury, With Defense Urging It to Remove EmotionAmerican Bar Association. (2012).Model rules of professional conduct. Retrieved from: Model Rules of Professional Conduct: Table of ContentsBaichwal, R. (2010, July 22). Obama comments on arrest of Harvard prof. Retrieved from: Obama comments on arrest of Harvard profBanton, M. (1998). Racial Theories (2nd ed.). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.Baron-Cohen, S. (2011). The science of evil: On empathy and the origins of cruelty. New York: Basic Books.Bureau of Justice Statistics. (2007). Criminal Offenders Statistics. Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Retrieved from: Page on usdoj.govCNN. (2012, May 24). Tape showed Zimmerman's anger over black man's beating. Retrieved from: Tape showed Zimmerman's anger over black man's beating - CNN.comDeNoon, D. J. (2007, February 1). Black cancer death rate higher: Late diagnosis, less access to treatment cuts cancer survival for Blacks, report says. Retrieved from: U.S. Blacks Still Lag Whites in Life Expectancy: StudyDion, K. L., & Earn, B. M. (1981). The phenomenology of being a target of prejudice. In E. Aronson (Ed.), Readings about the social animal (3rd ed.) (pp. 281-292). San Francisco: W. H. Freeman. [Reprinted from The journal of personality and social psychology 32(5), 1975]Eagleman, D. M. (2011). Incognito: The secret lives of the brain, New York: Random House.Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. (n.d.). Use of force. Retrieved from: Page on fletc.govof forceFennessy, M., & Huss, M.T. (2013, January). Predicting success in a large sample of federal pretrial offenders: The influence of ethnicity. Criminal Justice and Behavior, vol. 40 no. 1, 40-56.Francescani, C. (2012, April 25). George Zimmerman: Prelude to a shooting. Retrieved from: George Zimmerman: Prelude to a shootingGardner, T. J., & Anderson, T. M. (2000).Criminal law: Principles and cases (7th Ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.Hallowell, B. (2013, July 15). Eric Holder speaks out on Zimmerman case: Trayvon’s killing an ‘unnecessary shooting’ and calls for ‘difficult’ national dialogue. Retrieved from: Eric Holder Speaks Out on Zimmerman Case: Trayvon’s Killing an ‘Unnecessary Shooting’ and Calls for ‘Difficult’ National DialogueHampson, R. (2006, March 29). Anti-Snitch Campaign Riles Police, Prosecutors. USA TODAY. Retrieved from: Page on amren.comHarrell, E. (2007, August). Special report: Black victims of violent crime. U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics. Retrieved from: Page on usdoj.govHickey, E. W. (2006). Serial murderers and their victims. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.Hedeen, M. (2009, December, 18). Jury Finds Roderick Scott Not Guilty. Retrieved from: TWC News - Rochester - Finger Lakes, BataviaHuckabee, M. (2013, July 14). Dershowitz: Zimmerman Special Prosecutor Angela Corey should be disbarred. Retrieved from: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2013/07/14/alan_dershowitz_zimmerman_special_prosecutor_angela_corey_should_be_disbarred.htmlLegum, J. (2012, March 28). Sanford police recommended charging Zimmerman with Martin’s death, but police chief claimed ‘no probable cause.’ Retrieved from: Sanford Police Recommended Charging Zimmerman With Martin’s Death, But Police Chief Claimed ‘No Probable Cause’Novogrod, J., Winter, T, Connor, T., & McClam, E. (2013, July 13). Jury finds George Zimmerman not guilty. Retrieved from: Jury finds George Zimmerman not guiltyOpinion, News, Analysis, Video and Polls. (2013, July 14). Judge Jeanine Pirro rips Zimmerman Special Prosecutor Angela Corey. Retrieved from: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2013/07/14/judge_jeanine_pirro_rips_zimmerman_special_prosecutor_angela_corey.htmlReinberg, S. (2013). U.S. Blacks still lag Whites in life expectancy: Heart disease, cancer and murder main contributors to four-year disparity, experts say. HealthDay. Retrieved from: U.S. Blacks Still Lag Whites in Life Expectancy: StudyRogers, K. (2012, March 28). George Zimmerman weighs 170#; Trayvon Martin 160#. Retrieved from: Page on examiner.comSafarik, M. E., Jarvis, J. P., & Nussbaum, K. E. (2006). Sexual homicide of elderly females: Linking offender characteristics to victim and crime scene attributes, in R. D. Keppel (Ed.). Offender profiling (2nd ed.) (pp. 107-125). Mason, OH: Thompson. (Reprinted from Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Vol. 17, No. 5, 2002. Sage Publications, Inc.)Schneider, M. (2013, May 23). New Trayvon Martin case evidence: Defense team releases photos, texts that teen had on his phone. Retrieved from: New Trayvon Martin Evidence Features Incriminating Photos, Texts From TeenSiegel, L. J. (2006). Criminology (9th Ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson.Swanson, C. B. (2004). Who graduates? Who doesn’t? A statistical portrait of public high school graduation, class of 2001. Urban Institute. Retrieved from: Who Graduates? Who Doesn't?Terry v. Ohio. 392 U.S. 1. 67. (1968) Retrieved from: Terry v. OhioTrotta, D., & Cotterell, B. (2013, July 17). Zimmerman juror: Self-defense laws should be changed after Trayvon Martin killing. Retrieved from: Zimmerman Juror: Change The Law So This Doesn't Happen AgainU. S. Census Bureau. (2001a, August). The White Population: 2000. Census 2000 Brief. Retrieved from: Page on census.govU.S. Census Bureau. (2001b, August). The Black Population: 2000. Census 2000 Brief. Retrieved from: Page on census.govU.S. Constitution. (1992). Amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America.U.S. Department of Education. (2005, February 23). President's New High School Initiative, Other Proposed Programs Tackle Issues Important to Hispanics [Press Release]. Retrieved from: U.S. Department of EducationU.S. Department of Justice. (2009, September). 2008 Crime in the United States: Table 43: Arrests by race, 2008. Retrieved from: Page on fbi.govU.S. Department of Labor. (2008, February 1). Employment status of the civilian population by race, sex, and age. Retrieved from Table A-2. Employment status of the civilian population by race, sex, and ageVamburkar, M. (2012, April 9). State Attorney decides against using Grand Jury in Trayvon Martin case. Retrieved from: State Attorney Decides Against Using Grand Jury In Trayvon Martin CaseWalsh, A. (2005), African Americans and serial killings in the media: The myth and the reality. Homicide Studies, 9(4), 271-291. Retrieved from: Page on apus.eduWebMD. (2011). High blood pressure in African-Americans. Retrieved from: High Blood Pressure in African-AmericansWebMD. (2012). HIV and AIDS in African-Americans. Retrieved from: HIV and AIDS in African-AmericansTampa Bay Fl News | Connect to 10 News in Tampa, Sarasota, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Florida | WTSP.com (2012, Mar 29). Trayvon Martin pictures shape our perception on the case. Retrieved from:Trayvon Martin pictures shape our perception on the case | wtsp.comTampa Bay Fl News | Connect to 10 News in Tampa, Sarasota, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Florida | WTSP.com. (2012, March 29). Trayvon Martin pictures shape our perception on the case. Retrieved from:http://www.wtsp.com/news/article/247690/8/Trayvon-Martin-pictures-shape-our-perception-on-the-casefile:///C:/Users/D/Documents/Racism/ZimmermanAndRacialProfiling.docx#_ednref1[i] Dr. David Eagleman directs the Laboratory for Perception and Action and the Initiative on Neuroscience and Law, Baylor College of Medicine.[ii] Dr. Vincent Di Maio, is a forensic pathologist with more than 40 years of experience (editor-in-chief of the Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, Professor--Department of Pathology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and fellow of the National Association of Medical Examiners and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences), and author of Forensic Pathology and Gunshot Wounds: Practical Aspects of Firearms, Ballistics, and Forensic Techniques, among other works.(Images not supported by Quora)Dan Robb's answer to Where are the boundaries between racial, age, and gender profiling, prejudice, and prudence?What was the scientific experiment that revealed liberal racism and conservative color-blindness?http://www.quora.com/What-do-police-officers-think-about-how-the-police-department-in-Ferguson-MO-is-handling-the-aftermath-of-the-Brown-shooting/answer/Dan-Robb-2Dan Robb's answer to Why should I comply when a police officer says, "Get on the ground! Do it now!"?

Saudi Arabia is a politically and religiously Moslem country that is governed by their own laws.Skip to Main ContentU.S. Department of StateDIPLOMACY IN ACTIONMoreFlickrYouTubeInstagramGoogle+TumblrDipNote BlogRSSSubscribeSECRETARY OF STATEBiographyRemarksTravelABOUTAdvisory GroupsAgency Financial ReportsAmerican Foreign Service AssociationBiographiesBudgetBureaus and OfficesDepartment of State by State MapDeputy Secretary of StateEEO/No FEAR ActInspector General HotlineOpen Government InitiativeOrganization ChartPartner With StatePlans, Performance, BudgetsQDDRRules and Info CollectionU.S. Embassies and Other PostsVision and Mission StatementsWHAT WE DOArms Control and International SecurityCivilian Security, Democracy, and Human RightsEconomic Growth, Energy, and the EnvironmentManagementPolitical AffairsPublic Diplomacy and Public AffairsPOLICY ISSUESAnti-CorruptionClimate & EnvironmentCombatting Drugs & CrimeCounterterrorism & Countering Violent ExtremismCyber IssuesDefeating ISISDemocracy & Human RightsEconomic Affairs & Trade PolicyEnergyFood SecurityHealth DiplomacyNonproliferationOceans & ArcticRefugeesTrafficking in PersonsWomen's IssuesCOUNTRIES & REGIONSA-Z List of Countries and Other AreasAfrica (Sub-Sahara)East Asia and the PacificEurope and EurasiaNear East (northern Africa, Middle East)South and Central AsiaWestern Hemisphere (Latin America, the Caribbean, Canada)UN & Other International OrganizationsPRESSDepartment Press BriefingsPress ReleasesPublic ScheduleOffice of Press RelationsInternational Media EngagementRSS News FeedsEmail SubscriptionsForeign Press CenterSearchHomeUnder Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human RightsBureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and LaborReleasesInternational Religious Freedom2013 Report on International Religious FreedomNear East and North AfricaSaudi ArabiaShareBUREAU OF DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND LABOR2013 Report on International Religious FreedomReportJuly 28, 2014This is the basic text view. SWITCH NOW to the new, more interactive format.EXECUTIVE SUMMARYFreedom of religion is neither recognized nor protected under the law and the government severely restricted it in practice. According to the 1992 Basic Law, Sunni Islam is the official religion and the country’s constitution is the Quran and the Sunna (traditions and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad). The legal system is based on the government’s application of the Hanbali School of Sunni Islamic jurisprudence. The public practice of any religion other than Islam is prohibited, and there is no separation between state and religion. Shia and other Muslims who did not adhere to the government’s interpretation of Islam faced political, economic, legal, social, and religious discrimination, including limited employment and educational opportunities, underrepresentation in official institutions, restrictions on religious practice, and restrictions on places of worship and community centers. The government detained individuals on charges of insulting Islam, encouraging or facilitiating conversion from Islam, “witchcraft and sorcery,” and for engaging in private non-Muslim religious services. The Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (CPVPV) continued to harass and abuse individuals for religious reasons at a similar rate as the previous year. The CPVPV continued to receive periodic online criticism, both in traditional and social media. There were also reports some citizens had resisted CPVPV officer harassment. Government revision of school textbooks to remove objectionable content continued, but was delayed repeatedly by bureaucratic obstacles. Some intolerant content remained, even in revised textbooks, including justification for the social exclusion and killing of Islamic minorities and “apostates;” claims that Jews, Christians, and Islamic minorities do not properly adhere to monotheism; and intolerant allusions to Shia and Sufi Muslims and other religious groups.There were reports of societal abuses and discrimination based on religious affiliation, belief, or practice. Religious vigilantes sometimes harassed and assaulted citizens and foreigners.Senior U.S. government officials raised religious freedom issues at the highest levels of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowment, Call, and Guidance (MOIA); Ministry of Interior (MOI); Ministry of Justice (MOJ); Human Rights Commission (HRC); Ministry of Education (MOE); and Ministry of Culture and Information (MOCI) during the year. U.S. government officials continued to meet with members of religious minorities, including Shia Muslims, and with non-Muslim foreign residents to discuss religious freedom concerns. Since 2004, Saudi Arabia has been a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act for having engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom. In connection with the Secretary of State’s redesignation of Saudi Arabia as a CPC in August 2011, the Secretary issued a waiver of sanctions “to further the purposes of the act.”SECTION I. RELIGIOUS DEMOGRAPHYThe U.S. government estimates the total population at 27 million (July 2013 estimate). Approximately 85 to 90 percent of citizens are Sunni Muslims who predominantly adhere to the Hanbali School of Islamic jurisprudence. Very small but growing numbers of Muslims, particularly in and around Jeddah, exhibit some diversity of Islamic thought and practice. Shia constitute 10 to 15 percent of the citizen population. Approximately 80 percent of Shia in the country are “Twelvers” (followers of Muhammad ibn Hasan al-Mahdi, whom they recognize as the Twelfth Imam) and are primarily located in the Eastern Province. Nakhawala, or “Medina Shia,” are also Twelvers and reside in small numbers in the western Hejaz region. Estimates place their numbers at approximately 1,000. Twelver Shia adhere to the Jafari school of jurisprudence. Most of the remaining Shia population are Sulaimaniya Ismailis, also known as “Seveners” (those who branched off from the Twelvers to follow Isma’il ibn Jafar as the Seventh Imam). Seveners number approximately 700,000 and reside primarily in Najran Province, where they represent the majority of the province’s more than one million inhabitants. Pockets of Zaydis, another offshoot of Shia Islam, number approximately 20,000 and exist primarily in the provinces of Jizan and Najran along the border with Yemen.Foreign embassies indicate the foreign population in the country, including many undocumented migrants, may exceed 10 million. Comprehensive statistics for the religious denominations of foreigners are not available, but groups include Muslims from the various branches and schools of Islam, Christians (including Eastern Orthodox, Protestants, and Roman Catholics), Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, and others.SECTION II. STATUS OF GOVERNMENT RESPECT FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOMLegal/Policy FrameworkThe Basic Law and other laws and policies restrict religious freedom. According to the Basic Law, Islam is the official religion, and the country’s constitution is the Quran and the Sunna (the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad). There is no legal recognition or protection of religious freedom, but the government generally allows the private practice of other religions.The Basic Law establishes the country as a sovereign Arab Islamic state. Neither the government nor most members of society accept the concept of separation of state and religion.The government considers its legitimacy to rest in part on its custodianship of the two Holy Mosques in Mecca and Medina and its promotion of Islam. The government’s official interpretation of Islam is based on the Hanbali school of Sunni jurisprudence and is influenced by the writings and teachings of 18th-century Sunni religious scholar Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, who advocated a return to what he considered to be the practices of the early Muslim era and urged Muslims to adhere to the strictest interpretation of Islam. Outside the country this variant of Islamic practice is often referred to as “Wahhabism,” a term the Saudis generally do not use.The Islamic judicial system is based on laws derived from the Quran and the Sunna, and on legal opinions and fatwas (rulings) of the Council of Senior Religious Scholars (ulema). Established in 1971, the council is an advisory body of 20 persons that reports to the king. The Basic Law recognizes the council, supported by the board of research and religious rulings, as the supreme authority on religious matters. It is headed by the grand mufti and is composed of Sunni religious scholars and jurists. Government universities provide training on all four Sunni schools of jurisprudence, but focus on the Hanbali school; consequently, most Islamic law judges follow its system of interpretation. Three members of the council belong to non-Hanbali schools, representing the Maliki, Hanafi, and Shafi’i schools. There are no Shia members. Scholars are chosen at the king’s discretion and serve renewable four-year terms, with most members serving for life. Islamic law is not based on precedent and rulings can diverge widely. In theory, rulings can be appealed to the appellate and supreme courts, but these higher courts must agree to hear the case.The government permits Shia judges in the Eastern Province to use the Jafari school of Islamic jurisprudence to adjudicate cases in family law, inheritance, and endowment management. There are seven Shia judges, all appointed by the government and located in the Eastern Province cities of Qatif and al-Ahsa, where the majority of Shia live. Some Shia citizens state the judges are chosen with no input by Shia clerics or leaders, and often have only minimal qualifications. Jurisdictionally these courts are only allowed to rule on cases in the Qatif and al-Ahsa areas; Shia from other regions (including those living in other parts of the Eastern Province, Najran Province, and the western Hejaz region) have no access to local, regional, or national Shia courts. The powers of Shia courts are limited because any litigant who disagrees with a ruling can seek a new decision from a court of general jurisdiction with Sunni judges. Rulings of courts of general jurisdiction can void Shia court rulings, although the government discourages such rulings. Government departments can choose not to implement judgments rendered by Shia judges.The calculation of accidental death or injury compensation is discriminatory. In the event a court renders a judgment in favor of a plaintiff who is a Jewish or Christian male, the plaintiff is only entitled to receive 50 percent of the compensation a Muslim male would receive; all other non-Muslims are only entitled to receive one-sixteenth the amount a male Muslim would receive. Judges may discount the testimony of non-practicing Muslims or individuals who do not adhere to the official interpretation of Islam, and they may disregard the testimony of a non-Muslim in favor of the testimony of a Muslim. In adherence to the government’s interpretation of the Quran, courts place the value of a woman’s testimony in capital punishment cases as one-half that of a man’s.The Majlis al-Shura (the Consultative Council) is responsible for advising the king and can debate and propose legislation for approval by the Council of Ministers. The king appoints the Consultative Council’s president and 150 members. There are only six Shia members. In January the king appointed 30 women to the previously entirely male council, two of whom are Shia. The Consultative Council’s members are appointed to four-year terms and are limited in the number of terms they may serve.Mosques are the only public places of worship, and the construction of churches, synagogues, or other non-Muslim places of worship is not allowed. The MOIA is financially and administratively responsible for Sunni mosques, which according to MOIA officials, number around 60,000, including 15,000 Friday mosques (larger mosques that host Friday prayers and include a sermon). The MOIA retains approximately 60,000 Sunni imams and 15,000 Sunni Friday khateebs (sermon leaders) to staff these mosques. Imams are not considered government employees and typically hold additional employment. Imams require MOIA approval to deliver sermons, for which they receive monthly “incentives” of approximately 2,000 riyals ($533). The two mosques in Mecca and Medina do not come under MOIA jurisdiction, but rather are the responsibility of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Shrines, which reports directly to the king. The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Shrines’ head holds a rank equivalent to a government minister. Thousands of government-supported mosques are prominently located in both large and small cities. Thousands more exist in private homes, at rest stops along highways, in malls, and a variety of other locations throughout the country.The MOIA determines the qualifications of Sunni clerics and is responsible for investigating complaints against them, particularly clerics who make intolerant statements or promote intolerance, violence, or hatred. The MOIA operates a program to monitor all government-paid clerics. Provincial committees of senior religious scholars supervise full-time MOIA employees who monitor all mosques and clerics through scheduled and unscheduled visits and accept public complaints. Based on their reports, the committees summon clerics accused of preaching “extremist ideologies.” If the provincial committees are not able to dissuade these clerics from their approach, the clerics are referred to a central committee or dismissed. The MOIA has removed at least 3,550 imams from duty since the program began in 2003. Additionally, government officials report more than 20,000 imams have been retrained since 2003 to espouse tolerance in their preaching. Under a 2010 decree issued by King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz to curb extremist and “absurd” fatwas, only members of the Council of Senior Religious Scholars and those whom the king permits may issue public fatwas.The government’s stated policy is to permit private worship within personal residences for all, including non-Muslims, and to address violations of this policy by government officials as they occur; however, the CPVPV sometimes does not respect this policy. Individuals who experience infringements on their ability to worship privately may address their grievances to the MOI, the government’s official Human Rights Commission (HRC), the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR), a quasi-autonomous nongovernmental organization (NGO), and when appropriate, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.The CPVPV, a semiautonomous government agency, at times referred to as the “religious police” in international media, has authority to monitor social behavior and enforce morality consistent with the government’s interpretation of Islam and in coordination with law enforcement authorities. The 1980 law that formally defines the CPVPV’s mission describes it as “guiding and advising people to observe the religious duties prescribed by Islamic Sharia, and to prevent committing [acts] proscribed and prohibited [by sharia], or adopting bad habits and traditions or taboo [sic] heresies.” The purview of the CPVPV includes public socializing and private contact between unrelated men and women (gender mixing); practicing or displaying emblems of non-Muslim faiths or failing to respect Islam; displaying or selling media contrary to Islam, including pornography; producing, distributing, or consuming alcohol; venerating places or celebrating events inconsistent with approved Islamic practices; practicing “sorcery” or “magic” for profit; and committing or facilitating lewdness, including adultery, homosexuality, and gambling. Full-time CPVPV field officers are known as mutawwa’een; they do not wear uniforms, but are required to wear identification badges and can only legally act in their official capacity when accompanied by a regular policeman. CPVPV members reportedly may no longer interrogate subjects or determine charges against them, although they retain authority to arrest those they deem to violate religious edicts or moral customs. According to the CPVPV’s 2011 statistics, the agency has 4,389 staff members located throughout the country. Additionally there are more than 1,600 administrative support personnel. The CPVPV reports to the king through the Council of Ministers, and the MOI oversees its operations on the king’s behalf.The Council of Ministers established the 24-member HRC in 2005 to address human rights abuses and promote human rights within the country. The board includes at least two Shia members. The HRC regularly follows up on citizen complaints, including complaints of favoritism or unfair court decisions, but does not specifically address issues of religious freedom and tolerance.No law requires all citizens to be Muslim, but non-Muslims and many foreign and Saudi Muslims whose beliefs are deemed not to conform with the government’s interpretation of Islam must practice their religion in private and are vulnerable to discrimination, harassment, detention, and, for noncitizens, deportation. Children born to Muslim fathers are deemed Muslim by law, and conversion from Islam to another religion is considered apostasy, which can be punishable by death. Blasphemy against Sunni Islam also can be punished with death, but the more common penalty is a long prison sentence, lengthy detention without trial, or protective custody. There have been no confirmed reports of executions for either apostasy or blasphemy since 1992.The law discriminates against adherents of religious groups deemed “polytheistic” and to a lesser extent against Christians and Jews, who are mentioned in the Quran as “People of the Book.” The government officially does not permit non-Muslim clergy to enter the country to conduct religious services, although some do so under other auspices and are generally able to hold private services. These entry restrictions make it difficult for non-Muslims to maintain regular contact with clergy. This is particularly problematic for Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians, whose religious traditions require that they receive sacraments from a priest on a regular basis. Many non-Muslims continue to gather, however, for private worship.The government requires noncitizen legal residents to carry an identity card containing a religious designation for “Muslim” or “non-Muslim.” Older residency cards bear more specific religious designations such as “Christian.”The naturalization law requires applicants attest to their religious affiliation and requires applicants to obtain a certificate endorsed by a Muslim religious authority. Non-Muslims must convert to Islam before they are eligible to naturalize.The government severely limits freedom of religious assembly, including by not allowing non-Muslims to worship publicly and hindering the establishment and maintenance of non-Sunni places of worship.All new mosques require the permission of the MOIA, the local municipality, and the provincial government, which is functionally part of the MOI. The MOIA supervises and finances the construction and maintenance of most Sunni mosques, including the hiring of clerical workers, while the other approximately 30 percent of Sunni mosques are at private residences or were built and endowed by private persons. Individuals responsible for the supervision of a mosque are selected from the local community.The government does not finance construction or maintenance of Shia mosques, and the process for obtaining a required government license for a Shia mosque is unclear. Shia manage their own mosques, however, under the supervision of Shia scholars.Discussion of sensitive religious issues such as sectarian differences is rare, and criticism of Islam, including expression deemed offensive to Muslims, is forbidden on the grounds of preserving social stability. The government prohibits the public propagation of Islamic teachings that differ from the official interpretation of Islam and restricts public religious training of non-Sunni groups and clergy.The government allows religious materials for personal use; customs officials and the CPVPV do not have the authority to confiscate personal religious materials. The government’s stated policy for its diplomatic and consular missions abroad is to inform foreign workers applying for visas they have the right to worship privately and possess personal religious materials. The government also provides the name of the offices where grievances can be filed.Regardless of a student’s personal religious traditions, public school students at all levels receive mandatory religious instruction based on the government’s interpretation of Islam. Private religious schools not based on the official interpretation of Islam are not permitted. Students in private international schools are not required to study IslamGovernment PracticesThere were reports of imprisonment and detention. Unlike in previous years, there were no reports of killings by authorities on account of religious beliefs or practices. The government generally enforced legal and policy restrictions on religious freedom. Some activists held for extended periods without charge were released, but at least one who was arrested and charged in 2012 with apostasy and blasphemy, which carry potential death penalties, remained in detention. Individuals were detained and charged with “witchcraft” and “sorcery,” which carry potential death penalties. The government reportedly broke up private non-Muslim religious meetings held by foreign residents and deported foreigners for worshipping privately.Shia continued to face discrimination, and public Shia celebrations were restricted, even in some areas with large Shia populations. Shia also faced significant obstacles to building social and religious centers and were underrepresented in government and educational positions. A government school textbook reform project was delayed, and intolerant language remained in both edited and unedited textbooks. Ismailis reported improved conditions, but two Ahmadi men arrested in 2012 for refusing to renounce their faith remained in detention.Raef Badawi remained in prison at year’s end after being arrested in June 2012 on charges of apostasy, insulting Islam and Saudi religious leaders, and violating cyber crime laws by setting up the Free Saudi Liberals Web site in 2008. The website was intended as a platform for debating religious and political matters in Saudi Arabia. In January an appeals court remanded the charge of apostasy to a lower court. On July 29, the lower court sentenced Badawi to seven years imprisonment and 600 lashes, although the apostasy charge did not figure into the sentence. Badawi appealed the sentence. In early December an appeals court remanded the case to a criminal court. On December 25, the criminal court judge remanded the case further to a general court with the recommendation that Badawi be tried before the highest court on a renewed charge of apostasy.A court in Ta’if in March reportedly sentenced a man to death for practicing “witchcraft.” Police investigations and CPVPV reports alleged the man had participated in more than 40 abortions and a number of “witchcraft activities.”On May 11, a court sentenced a Lebanese man to six years in prison and 300 lashes for allegedly facilitating the conversion of a Saudi female to Christianity and helping her escape to Sweden. A Saudi man accused of being an accomplice received a sentence of two years in prison and 200 lashes. The men have been in detention since their arrest in July 2012.On February 6, an appeals court upheld a Qatif criminal court sentence of 8 lashes against a woman who in 2012 reportedly sent a text message containing a Shia cleric’s name and phone number to a man in Medina by mistake. The man complained to authorities that the woman was trying to convert him.Hamza Kashgari, a blogger and activist arrested in early 2012 for posting social media messages deemed blasphemous, was released from detention in October after 20 months imprisonment. Following public calls for severe punishment in 2012 in the wake of his messages, Kashgari had fled the country; he was detained in Malaysia at the request of the Saudi government and forcibly repatriated. After returning to Saudi Arabia, Kashgari publicly “repented” before a court.On June 5, novelist and political commentator Turki al-Hamad was reportedly released from detention. He was arrested in December 2012, allegedly for social media messages calling for a reformation of Islam and criticizing Islamists.Some non-Muslims in different parts of the country were reportedly detained, harassed, and ultimately deported for worshipping privately. In February the CPVPV reportedly arrested more than 50 Ethiopian Christians in a private residence in Dammam pursuant to allegations by government authorities of violating labor and passport laws. International media outlets reported three leaders of the group were charged with seeking to convert Muslims to Christianity. At least 43 of those arrested were deported; the others remained in detention at year’s end.On July 19, local police reportedly attempted to access an al-Khobar residential compound to raid a private Christian religious gathering attended primarily by Westerners. Although compound management denied the police entry, Eastern Province Governor Saud bin Naif was reportedly alerted to the situation by the police and requested the group discontinue its meetings.According to the CPVPV, the agency handled 314,122 infractions in 2012, of which it claimed 92 percent were settled informally when the perpetrators signed pledges to refrain from wrongful behavior. The CPVPV referred the other 8 percent to the police and or the legal system.In November CPVPV officers in Riyadh detained two individuals for offering free hugs on public streets on charges of “indulging in exotic practices and offending public order.” The two individuals were reportedly released after being forced to sign a pledge agreeing not to offer hugs again.In April CPVPV members harassed several Western diplomats at the annual Saudi Jenadriyah festival, complaining about a female diplomat’s uncovered hair and another female’s accompaniment by a man who was not her husband. In June CPVPV members harassed Western diplomats in a Jeddah restaurant, demanding a female diplomat accompany them to a police station for dining with a man who was not her husband. During the same week religious police conducted an unprecedented raid on a private upscale Jeddah beach.CPVPV leadership and law enforcement authorities made sporadic efforts to hold officers accountable for unlawful actions beyond the scope of their authority. Five CPVPV officers were found guilty of second degree murder following a September 23 car chase during which two men pursued by the officers died when their car careened off a bridge. In the wake of the incident, CPVPV head Abd al-Latif Al al-Sheikh reportedly barred the organization’s field officers from pursuing suspects. He also issued directives to investigate allegations that three CPVPV officers in Riyadh had assaulted a Saudi national for praying inside his shop instead of in a mosque.In April security personnel reportedly removed a CPVPV administrator from the Jenadriyah festival after he attempted to storm the stage to stop a children’s folk dance performance on the grounds it contained music. The incident drew support among the public for the CPVPV administrator and criticism of the security guards.Pressure on Shia clerics continued. Awamiyah-based Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr was arrested in July 2012 after a series of sermons in which he demanded greater rights for Shia and defended four men accused of celebrating the death of then-Crown Prince Naif, whom they viewed as promoting anti-Shia discrimination. On March 25 prosecutors in a court hearing charged him with “sowing discord” and “undermining national unity” and called for the death penalty . He remained incarcerated at the end of the year. Al-Nimr had been arrested twice before, in 2004 and 2006, although no charges had been filed An arrest warrant was issued for al-Nimr in 2009 after he called for Eastern Province secession if Shia did not receive equal rights. Large protests erupted in Awamiyah after the warrant was issued and al-Nimr was not arrested at that time.Al-Ahsa cleric Tawfiq al-Amer was arrested in March 2011 and convicted in December 2012 on charges of inciting unrest, calling for changes in the political system, and raising the Shia call to prayer, among other charges. He was sentenced to three years in prison followed by a five-year travel ban. In June his sentence was extended to four years by an appeals court that ruled he had also insulted the Prophet Muhammad.Some authorities indicated they consider Ahmadiyya Muslims to be Muslims, but their legal status remained unclear. Ahmadis were not allowed to perform pilgrimages. Mainly foreign workers from India and Pakistan, Ahmadis hid their faith to avoid arrest and deportation. In 2012, two brothers, Sultan Hamid and Saud Falih al-Enezi, were reportedly arrested on apostasy charges and imprisoned after refusing to recant their beliefs. Their families and community members were not allowed to contact them, and there was no information on their judicial status or process during the year.The government blocked access to some internet websites with religious content it considered offensive or sensitive, including the Shia news website Al-Rasid, which publishes Friday sermons and op-eds by prominent Shia clerics. Blocking the websites was consistent with a broader official policy of censoring objectionable content, including political discourse and illicit materials.More than 1,000 Eastern Province Shia were arrested over the last three years in connection with public protests demanding greater rights for Shia. At year’s end, approximately 200 remained in detention. The government continued to prohibit public non-Muslim religious activities across the country and further restricted non-Sunni activities in predominantly Sunni areas. Public commemorations of Ashura, a Shia religious holy day, and lesser Shia holidays were permitted in Qatif, an in the Eastern Province whose population is almost completely Shia. The same commemorations were required to be conducted in private, however, in al-Ahsa, an area in the Eastern Province with an almost equal proportion of Sunnis and Shia.Many of the reported government actions related to public non-Muslim religious activities and non-Sunni activities were difficult to corroborate because of witnesses’ or victims’ fears that disclosing such information might cause harm to themselves or to others. Information regarding government practices was generally incomplete because judicial proceedings usually were not publicized or were closed to the public, despite provisions in the criminal procedure law requiring court proceedings to be open. There were reports some trials were open to family members of the accused and to journalists. Many non-Muslims worshiped in secret because of continuing fear of harassment and intimidation by police or the CPVPV, as well as police detention or deportation. Online criticism of the CPVPV increased during the year, and individuals, particularly women, on several occasions reportedly challenged CPVPV personnel who harassed them in public.According to the media, police detained and imprisoned persons on charges of “sorcery”, “black magic”, and “ witchcraft.” Authorities reportedly charged more than 100 people with “sorcery” and “witchcraft,” and the CPVPV arrested 215 “magicians,” according to Abd al-Latif Al al-Sheikh, head of the CPVPV. The CPVPV continued a campaign against sorcery and established a field unit in 2012 to arrest “sorcerers and charlatans” and refer them to relevant authorities, describing sorcery as one of the “key causes of religious and social instability in the kingdom.”The government continued to combat “extremist” ideology by scrutinizing religious clerics and teachers closely and dismissing those found promoting views it deemed intolerant or extreme. The MOIA reportedly established criteria for recruiting mosque imams, including requirements that imams graduate from a Saudi religious university, pass an evaluative interview, espouse “moderate” religious views, and receive recommendations from three religious scholars. The MOIA also provided training courses and other programs for imams and monitored and posted counter-arguments on extremist online forums and websites.The government restricted the ability of religious leaders and activists to express views critical of the religious establishment. There were reports Sunni clerics, who received government stipends, occasionally used anti-Semitic, anti-Christian, and anti-Shia language in their sermons. Anti-Shia rhetoric in Sunni mosques in the Eastern Province reportedly increased during the year, and occasionally preachers in rural mosques reportedly ended Friday sermons with a prayer for the well-being of Muslims and the humiliation of polytheism and polytheists.The government generally limited public religious practice to activities conforming to the official interpretation of Islam. Practices diverging from the official interpretation, such as public celebrations of Maulid al-Nabi (the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad) and visits to the tombs of renowned Muslims, were forbidden. Enforcement was more relaxed in some communities than in others. For example, authorities allowed Shia in the Eastern Province city of Qatif greater freedom in their religious practices, while in other areas with large Shia populations, such as al-Ahsa and Dammam, authorities restricted Shia religious activities, including public marches and loudspeaker broadcasts of clerics’ lectures from Shia community centers (known as Husseiniyas). The government closed a number of Husseiniyas during Ashura.Shia mosques in mixed religious neighborhoods reportedly were required to recite the Sunni call to prayer, which is distinct from the Shia call. In some predominantly Shia areas of al-Ahsa, however, Shia mosques previously required to use the Sunni call to prayer began using the Shia call. Although Shia combine two of the five daily Sunni prayers, Shia businessmen often were forced to close their shops during all five prayer times in accordance with the country’s official Sunni practices.Some Shia faced obstacles constructing mosques and Husseiniyas. Shia mosques needed to receive government approval, but did not receive any government support for their construction or operations, which most Sunni mosques received. The government approved construction of some new Shia mosques in Qatif and al-Ahsa – often after lengthy delays due to the numerous steps required – but did not approve construction of Shia mosques in Dammam, home to many Shia. Constructing new Shia mosques in al-Ahsa was much more difficult than building a Sunni mosque. Shia mosques had to receive permission from all of the neighbors to start construction, and were not allowed to be built as closely together as Sunni mosques. Virtually all existing mosques were unable to obtain licenses and faced the threat of closure at any time. Shia in other parts of the country were not allowed to build Shia-specific mosques. Ismailis in Najran Province reportedly did not face similar obstacles to building and renovating mosques, however.The government would not approve any construction of Husseiniyas, even in Qatif, and no Husseinyas in Qatif or al-Ahsa were legally licensed to operate, although they had tacit permission to do so. The government monitored activities in the Husseiniyas and periodically shut down those that did not follow rules about avoiding political topics. During the month of Muharram, during which Ashura occurs, the government closed all Husseiniyas in Dammam, as well as several in al-Ahsa that were accused of breaking rules during Ashura commemorations the previous year.The government did not officially recognize several centers of Shia religious instruction located in the Eastern Province, provide financial support, recognize certificates of educational attainment for their graduates, or provide employment for their graduates, all benefits which the government provided to Sunni religious training institutions.There was significant public discussion, including in the media, questioning the official version of religious traditions and criticizing their enforcement. Discussion of sensitive religious issues such as sectarian differences remained limited, however, and criticism of Islam was forbidden. Individuals who publicly criticized the official interpretation of Islam risked harassment, intimidation, and detention; foreigners who did so risked deportation. Journalists and activists who wrote critically about the religious leadership or who questioned theological dogma risked detention, travel bans, and government shutdown of their publications.Widespread prejudice against Shia remained. Reports persisted that Shia faced discrimination in education, employment, the military, political representation, the judiciary, religious practice, and the media, although they were represented in these fields. Primary reasons cited for discrimination included historical Sunni-Shia animosity, suspicion of Iranian influence on Shia actions, and the view Shia were polytheists who commited apostasy in practicing some of their religious rites.The government continued to exclude Shia perspectives from the state’s extensive religious media and broadcast programming. Shia bookstores reportedly could not be licensed. In addition, terms like “rejectionists” that were considered insulting to Shia were commonly found in public discourse.In higher education the government discriminated against Shia in the selection process for students, professors, and administrators at public universities. For example, Shia constituted an estimated 5 percent of professors at a leading university in al-Ahsa, an area with a population at least 50 percent Shia.At the primary and secondary levels of education in al-Ahsa, there continued to be severe underrepresentation of Shia among school principals. There were no female Shia principals in the 200 schools for girls in al-Ahsa, and 20 male Shia principals in the 200 schools for boys in al-Ahsa.Shia faced significant employment discrimination in the public sector. A very small number of Shia occupied high-level positions in government-owned companies and government agencies. Many Shia reportedly believed openly identifying themselves as Shia would negatively affect career advancement.Qatif community leaders stated zoning laws and restrictions on use of land held by Aramco, the government-owned oil and natural gas company, and members of the royal family surrounding Qatif prevented investment and development in these areas and aimed to limit the density of the Shia population in any given area.Government entities discriminated against Shia in hiring. Although Shia constituted approximately 10 to 15 percent of the total citizen population and approximately one-third to one-half of the Eastern Province population, they were underrepresented in senior government positions. Shia were significantly underrepresented in national security-related positions, including the Ministry of Defense, the National Guard, and the MOI. Shia representation was higher in the ranks of traffic police, municipalities, and public schools in predominantly Shia areas. There were no Shia ministers, deputy ministers, governors, deputy governors, or ministry branch directors in the Eastern Province, and only three of the 59 government-appointed municipal council members were Shia. Shia held six of 11elected seats on Eastern Province municipal councils. An elected Shia headed the Qatif municipal council.Nakhawala Shia faced more discriminatory practices in comparison to the Twelvers in the Eastern Province. Discrimination in employment and education was based on the Nakhawala surname “al-Nakhly,” which roughly translates as “farmers” and identifies their minority status and group.The Sulaimaniya Ismaili community reported improving conditions in Najran Province, although community leaders asserted the government discriminated against them by prohibiting their religious books. Ismailis reportedly occupied government positions in Najran Province, including military and police positions.Revisions to textbooks for grades 10, 11, and 12, which were slated for review and reform, had not been undertaken by year’s end. The textbooks retained inflammatory and anti-Semitic material. For example, the textbooks stated apostates from Islam should be killed if they did not repent within three days of being warned, and described Islamic minorities and Christians as heretics. Some Quranic passages likening Jews and Christians to apes and swine continued to be included. The textbooks also stated treachery was a “permanent characteristic” of non-Muslims, especially Jews, propagated conspiracy theories that international organizations such as Masons support Zionism, and presented historical forgeries, such as the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, as fact.The Ministry of Education stated the textbooks for grades one through nine were reformed in 2012 to remove intolerant language. Textbooks for these grades continued to contain directives to kill “sorcerers” and socially exclude infidels as well as accusations that Jews, Christians, Shia, and Sufis did not properly adhere to monotheism.Textbooks at all levels contained positive statements as well, including rejection of terrorism, acknowledgement that some People of the Book (understood to be Jews and Christians) “are prone to goodness,” and support for religious tolerance.Some leading government and religious officials, including the king and crown prince, made public statements against extremism and advocated tolerance and moderation. In his annual Hajj message on October 18, King Abdullah urged Muslims to deal with others “with a forgiving humanity that does not reject others just because they believe in different religions.” In a joint statement on July 10 commemorating the start of Ramadan, King Abdullah and Crown Prince Salman emphasized the Quranic verse, “there is no compulsion in religion,” and stated, “we will not allow extremists to misuse religion in order to realize their vested interests.”Deputy Foreign Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Abdullah said in an international forum on education reform on November 19, “we should be cautious about spreading negative ideas about followers of other religions through curricula or history books. We should not accept such antagonistic practices.”SECTION III. STATUS OF SOCIETAL RESPECT FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOMThere were reports of societal abuses and discrimination based on religious affiliation, belief, or practice. In addition to the religious basis on which the government claims its authority and the significant role of the country’s religious leadership, there was intense societal pressure on the population to conform to cultural-religious norms. As a result, a majority of citizens supported a state based on Islamic law, although there were differing views as to how this should be realized in practice.Shia faced employment discrimination in the private sector. There was no formal policy concerning the hiring and promotion of Shia in the private sector, but anecdotal evidence suggested in some companies, including in the oil and petrochemical industries, a “glass ceiling” existed and Shia were passed over for promotion over less-qualified Sunni colleagues. Further, Shia reportedly were indirectly discriminated against in competition for positions at public universities through a requirement in interviews to answer religious questions designed to reveal their Shia beliefs.Contributors to internet forums frequently asserted the Nakhawala Shia descended from Persians or black Africans and were therefore untrustworthy and second-class citizens.Discrimination based on religion was a factor in the mistreatment of foreign workers by citizen employers and coworkers. Employers reportedly sometimes required their foreign domestic workers and drivers to convert to Islam to keep their jobs.Religious vigilantes and/or volunteers unaffiliated with the CPVPV also existed but often acted alone, sometimes harassing and assaulting citizens and foreigners.There continued to be unconfirmed reports that Sunni imams, who receive government stipends, used anti-Semitic, anti-Christian, and anti-Shia language in their sermons. During the year the MOIA issued periodic circulars to clerics and imams in mosques directing them to include messages on the principles of justice, equality, and tolerance and to encourage rejection of bigotry and all forms of racial discrimination in their sermons.Particularly at times of heightened political tensions with Israel, editorial cartoons featured stereotypical images of Jews along with Jewish symbols. Anti-Semitic comments by journalists, academics, and clerics occasionally appeared in the media.A Saudi imam reportedly visited the former Auschwitz death camp in Poland in May with a group of 14 Muslim leaders from across the globe. The delegation also met with Catholic and Jewish leaders as part of their Holocaust awareness and anti-genocide program.SECTION IV. U.S. GOVERNMENT POLICYEmbassy officials pressed the government to respect religious freedom and honor its public commitment to permit private religious worship by non-Muslims, eliminate discrimination against minorities, promote respect for non-Muslim religious belief, and combat violent extremism. Senior U.S. government officials, including the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, the Assistant Secretary and a Deputy Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor emphasized these concerns in meetings at the senior levels of the MOIA, MOJ, MOI, HRC, MOE, and MOCI. Embassy officials continued to meet with members of religious minorities, including Shia Muslims, and with non-Muslim foreign residents to discuss religious freedom concerns. Additionally, the embassy regularly included government officials in U.S. visitor programs to promote tolerance and interfaith dialogue.Since 2004, Saudi Arabia has been designated a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act for having engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom. In connection with the Secretary of State’s redesignation of Saudi Arabia as a CPC in August 2011, the Secretary issued a waiver of sanctions “to further the purposes of the act.”In This Section:Go BackQuick LinksPassportsVisasCareersDiversity VisaTravel AdvisoriesPer Diem RatesBUSINESSCommercial and Business Affairs OfficeKey Officers of Foreign Service PostsOffice of Global PartnershipsSmall and Disadvantaged Business UtilizationCAREERSCivil Service OfficerConsular Fellows ProgramForeign Service OfficerForeign Service SpecialistInternational OrganizationsStudent ProgramsUSAJobs: Working for AmericaEDUCATION & EXCHANGESDiplomatic HistoryDiscover DiplomacyExchange Visitor ProgramFulbright ProgramGlobal Youth IssuesOffice of Overseas SchoolsU.S. Diplomacy CenterYouth Exchange ProgramsTRAVELAuthentications and ApostillesEmergency ServicesForeign Per Diem RatesIntercountry AdoptionParental Child AbductionPassportsTravel InformationVisasArchiveContact UsFAQSearchShareSubject IndexAccessibility StatementCopyright InformationExternal Link PolicyFOIANo Fear ActPrivacy PolicyOffice of Inspector GeneralWhite HouseUSA.govU.S. EmbassiesThe Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.Note: documents in Portable Document Format (PDF) require Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 or higher to view, download Adobe Acrobat Reader.