US settles suit with Muslims in post-9/11 abuse

NEW YORK - Five Muslim men wrongfully jailed in a post-9/11 sweep have won a $1.26 million settlement from the US government, their lawyers were cited as saying in media reports on Wednesday.
The agreement ends a suit filed one year after the World Trade Center attack, which prompted the detention of 84 immigrants at the Metropolitan Detention Center between Sept. 11, 2001, and September 2002.
'We were deprived of our rights and abused simply because of our religion and the colour of our skin, said plaintiff Yasser Ebrahim, 37, who now lives in Egypt.
'After seven long years, I am relieved to be able to try to rebuild my life. ... I sincerely hope this will never happen again. The suit charged the men were rounded up and thrown behind bars based simply on racial and religious profiling. All five in the lawsuit were eventually deported.
The government admitted no wrongdoing in the settlement papers filed late Monday in Brooklyn Federal Court. The Justice Department declined comment.
The suit was filed against then-Attorney General John Ashcroft, FBI Director Robert Mueller and officials at the federal lockup.
According to the suit, the five immigrants were wrongfully detained and abused inside the Brooklyn jail.
Guards smashed prisoners faces into a wall decorated with an American flag
T-shirt and the slogan 'These colours dont run, lawyers charged.
New arrivals at the MDC were pushed against the blood-stained T-shirt and told, 'Welcome to America, the lawyers added.
'We applaud our clients for being willing to fight seven long years, lawyer Michael Winger was quoted as saying.
'We hope the federal government will take the hint and not repeat this outrage.