On “Islamophobia,” see here. On pandering to the Muslim community in Detroit and counting on Muslims there to aid in counterterror efforts, remember that Hamas-linked CAIR has more than once advised Muslims not to cooperate with law enforcement. In January 2011, its San Francisco chapter featured on its website a poster that read, “Build A Wall of Resistance / Don’t Talk to the FBI.” In November 2014, Hamas-linked CAIR-Florida’s “14th Annual Banquet Rooted in Faith” in Tampa distributed pamphlets entitled “What to do if the FBI comes for you” and featuring a graphic of a person holding a finger to his lips in the “shhh” signal. Another Hamas-linked CAIR pamphlet, entitled “Know Your Rights: Defending Rights, Defeating Intolerance” featured a graphic of the Statue of Liberty likewise making the “shhh” symbol. Cyrus McGoldrick, a former official of Hamas-linked CAIR’s New York chapter, even threatened informants, tweeting with brutal succinctness: “Snitches get stitches.” Zahra Billoo of Hamas-linked CAIR-San Francisco regularly tweets that Muslims have no obligation to talk to the FBI, and should contact Hamas-linked CAIR if the FBI asks to talk to them.

“FBI Director: Rise of Islamophobia is a ‘concerning issue,’” by Samer Hijazi, Arab American News, April 5, 2016:

DETROIT – During a visit to Detroit, FBI Director James Comey said that the rise of Islamophobia has been a concerning issue to the government agency.

“It worries me,” Comey said. “What we tell folks is that if you think something is going on, then tell us. It’s a huge part of our responsibility that we take very seriously–to make sure people aren’t picked on, bullied, harmed, scared or intimidated by virtue of the way they look, where they worship, or how they act.”…

His latest visit to the motor city was led by a busy itinerary that included meeting with community leaders on Tuesday morning. Among them were Osama Siblani, publisher of The Arab American News; Ali Jawed, founder of the LAHC; Chaldean leader Nabby Yono; Sueheila Amen and Dr. Hoda Amine….

Siblani raised concerns about local residents being wrongfully placed on terrorist watch lists and having little to no avenues in getting their names removed. Come [sic] said he would look into the issue with Homeland Security to find a resolution….

During a press conference at the FBI Detroit Field Office on Tuesday afternoon, leaders that included U.S. District Attorney Barbra McQuade, Detroit Police Chief James Craig, Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon and FBI Special Agent in Charge of Detroit Division David P. Gelios, were in attendance to signify a unified front between the FBI and local law enforcement.

Comey said he was astonished at the level of communication that has formed between the community and local law enforcement officials.

He added that the relationship is a model that needs to be implemented in other regions.

“Their overwhelming message to me actually surprised me,” Comey said of the local leaders he had met earlier in the day. “They said ‘we believe that this area is a model for cooperation across a variety of relationships that are troubled elsewhere in the country.’ One of my hopes is that I can steal whatever that magic potion is that we’ve spread on all these good folks and in law enforcement, and sprinkle it other places across the country.”

Comey said the FBI’s top objective is to combat counter-terrorism, specifically relating to ISIS attempting to recruit lone Americans.

The FBI said there are various methods in ISIS’ attempt to appeal to troubled individuals. The first involves swaying them to leave the country.

“They come at us through social media in an effort to recruit Americans,” Comey said. “To travel to their so called caliphate to live a life off glory and participate in the final battle between good and evil on god’s side…it resonates with troubled souls in the United States. It has over the last couple of years.”…

Comey said the FBI is constantly depending on local and state authorities to help them identify and servile suspected individuals.

“It requires us to conduct surveillance of someone, to understand where they are going,” Comey said. “With the help of our state, local and federal partners, we try to keep track of people who may be headed towards a violent destination.”

The FBI Blitz comes 24 hours after the Michigan Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) announced a lawsuit, challenging the FBI’s ‘terrorist watch list.’

CAIR-MI filed the suit on behalf of 18 American Muslims, including a four-year-old child, who were allegedly placed on the list without reason or notice.

Comey briefly addressed the lawsuit, stating that it wouldn’t make sense to inform suspected individuals who are being monitored.

“It’s hard to see how that would work operationally,” Comey said. “Even the biggest critics of our watch list would surely agree that there are some people out there who are really of concern to all of us. So how would it work if we would notify them that ‘we might know you are bad?’”

He added that there should be a system in place that would assist wrongfully suspected individuals in challenging their name being on the list.

“I think the best way for all of us is to find procedures that if someone believes they are being encountered in a way that doesn’t make sense, that they’d have the opportunity to raise that,” Comey said.

Comey said the FBI depends on community members—law enforcement officials, educators, and religious leaders, in helping them identify people who have been radicalized.

“We think our part is to build relationships so we are able to share information,” Comey said. “Having a good enough relationship so that people who don’t want to see violence–alert us when they see something that is concerning.”