The FBI inquiry being conducted in Michigan is making many uneasy, but it’s a necessary part of the investigation to stop terrorism - and good things can come out of it.

About 25 students and faculty members have been singled out as part of an 800-person survey by the Department of Justice throughout Michigan. FBI agents are targeting men from the Middle East and other areas in hopes of gaining more information about Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida terrorist network.

While people on Michigan’s east side received letters requesting a time, date and place for an interview, residents of the western district - including Lansing, Kalamazoo and the Big Rapids area - will be approached by law enforcement agents by a simple knock at the door.

This seems more intrusive and informal, but FBI officials say they will honor requests to meet later, with an attorney or in a different location.

It’s understandable some may feel threatened by this, but information gathering is a key part of any investigation, and sometimes a little detail someone may deem insignificant could generate an entirely new avenue for investigators to examine.

And questioning does not imply criminal suspicion.

At the same time, FBI agents conducting these interviews need to go out of their way to be courteous and respectful of those they interview.

Those who are to be interviewed need to be made aware of their rights. The state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has set up a hotline for those being interviewed to contact an attorney, get information on the questions the FBI plans to ask and even information on the possibility of detainment or deportation if the FBI determines they lied during their meeting or have overstayed their visa.

Simply being interviewed shouldn’t be a cause for alarm, and could help the FBI crack its case against bin Laden’s terrorists, as long as investigators show respect to those being interviewed.

The responsibility falls on law enforcement agents to treat this investigation with the care and respect the men being interviewed deserve. If law enforcement fails in this, then agents have failed in their role as public servants - a failure they can’t afford to make.

The statewide hotline number is (313)578-6806. “Know Your Rights” pamphlets can also be obtained at the ACLU office or online at www.aclumich.org.