A prominent American Islamic civil rights and advocacy group Saturday expressed concern at linking the national alert to the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca.
While raising the national threat alert, U.S. authorities warned against possible terrorist attacks during the Hajj pilgrimage.
The executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said Hajj is a once-in-a-lifetime journey of spiritual purification and repentance, not an excuse for killing innocent people.
Nihad Awad said Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. The other pillars include a declaration of faith, daily prayers, offering regular charity, and fasting during the month of Ramadan.
"The unnecessary linkage of Hajj to terrorism merely serves to promote the growing perception in the Muslim world that the war on terrorism is in reality an attack on Islam. That perception hurts America's national interest and could generate increased suspicion of and discrimination against ordinary Muslims. Hajj has nothing to do with terrorism. To imply otherwise is an insult to the American Muslim community. Attorney General Ashcroft needs to clarify his position on this important issue," he said.
On Friday the government raised its terror threat level to orange -- high risk, the second highest level -- after warning of a growing possibility of an al Qaida attack against the United States coinciding with Muslim holy days in mid-February.
The government said "recent intelligence" suggested al Qaida is targeting "apartment buildings, hotels, and other soft or lightly secured targets" in the United States. Attorney General John Ashcroft said the government had received intelligence information, corroborated by multiple sources, that Osama bin Laden's organization seeks to attack Americans at home or abroad during the time of the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
Changing the terror alert color up one level from yellow, or elevated risk, triggered tighter security at borders, airports and hotels. Officials also urged greater vigilance by all Americans.
The decision to raise the national terror alert was authorized by President George W. Bush after a meeting with the Homeland Security Council at the White House and was announced Friday by Ashcroft, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and FBI Director Robert Mueller at a joint news conference.
Awad said that American Muslims support efforts to protect the United States from terrorist attacks, but reject any suggestion that Islam and terrorism are inextricably linked.
He said this is not the first time the administration has linked Islamic religious observances to terrorism. In the past, similar government alerts were issued during the month-long Ramadan fast.