Washington — Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director Robert S. Mueller met with leaders of Sikh, Arab and Muslim groups here last week to discuss several issues, including hate crimes.

The topics ranged from vigilante attacks and other hate crimes to the value of the assistance from the Sikh, Arab and Muslim communities in an effort to provide greater security for Americans.

Racial profiling in international terrorism investigations and the status of alien detainees who remain in federal custody also figured in the discussions, according to FBI sources.

Mueller said a “better understanding and a productive exchange of ideas” came from the meeting, as well as a commitment to a continuing dialogue on issues of concern to the affected groups in the United States.

“In the immediate aftermath of Sept. 11, the FBI, working closely with the Justice Department and state and local law enforcement, moved to prepare for an expected backlash against Arab, Muslim and Sikh Americans, as well as recent immigrants here,” Mueller said.

FBI director Mueller said a “better understanding and a productive exchange of ideas” came from the meeting, as well as a commitment to a continuing dialogue on issues of concern to the affected groups in the United States.

“We brought to bear the full strength of federal and state laws to prevent hate crimes and when they did occur, prosecuted quickly and aggressively.”

To date, the FBI has initiated 318 hate crime investigations involving Sikh, Arab and Muslim American victims, with eight persons being charged federally thus far.

Additionally, some 70 people have been charged with state and local crimes in connection with those investigations.

Mueller urged community leaders to continue to report any hate crime or threat.

He reiterated the FBI’s commitment to aggressively investigate all credible violations of federal civil rights laws that fall under its jurisdiction.

The community leaders also emphasized the importance of public awareness of the investigations to better ensure the confidence of Sikhs, Arabs and Muslims in law enforcement. Another concern expressed by leaders was the importance of cultural sensitivity by law enforcement when interviewing or otherwise dealing with members of the Arab and Muslim communities.

Mueller said that while cultural sensitivity has been part of the FBI’s continuing education program for its employees, such training is being expanded to all special agents in response to the broader post-Sept. 11 FBI investigative jurisdictions in the Sikh, Arab and Muslim communities.

Since Sept. 11, there have been more than 500 meetings with over 600 organizations and mosques across the U.S., as well as dialogue between the FBI headquarters, civil rights program managers and the national Sikh, Arab and Muslim leadership.

Those who attended the meeting included James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute; Manjit Singh, executive director of the Sikh Media Watch and Resource Task Force, a Sikh advocacy group; Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations; and Hassan Ibrahim, national director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council.