NY Police Sued over Muslim Surveillance
Civil rights lawyers have accused the New York Police Department of creating climate of fear and stigma among Muslims in violation of longstanding constitutional guidelines, calling for an independent monitor to oversee counter-terrorism efforts.
“The NYPD is continuing a massive, all-encompassing dragnet for intelligence concerning anything connected with Muslim activity through intrusive infiltration and record-keeping about all aspects of life, politics and worship,” the court filing cited by the New York Times stated.
“The NYPD operates on a theory that conservative Muslim beliefs and participation in Muslim organizations are themselves bases for investigation.”
In the case filed on Monday in Federal District Court in Manhattan, a group of civil rights lawyers accused NYPD of infiltrating Muslim institutions, including mosques, student associations and cafes.
The department also retained records of what police officers and informers overheard in such locations.
"My NYPD boss Steve told me that the NYPD did not think the John Jay Muslim Student Association was doing anything wrong, [and that] they just wanted to make sure," Shamiur Rahman, a former NYPD infiltrator, was paid as much as $1,500 a month to spy on the Muslim community, told The Guardian.
In a declaration filed as part of the motion, Rahman describes how he took photos of worshippers at mosques, took down cell phone numbers of those who had signed up for Islamic education classes, and provided images of Muslim students at John Jay College.
"The members of the MSA were religious Muslims, and according to Steve, the NYPD considers being a religious Muslim a terrorism indicator," he added.
Anger has grown against the New York police recently following reports that the NYPD used undercover agents to spy on Muslim communities.
A report by the Associated Press said that the NYPD sent out undercover officers into ethnic communities to track daily life and monitor mosques as well as Muslim student organizations.
However, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg defended the practice, saying it does not take religion into account in its policing.
Police commissioner Raymond W. Kelly also denied targeting Muslims in its policing, saying it only followed leads.
Source: Onislam.net
“The NYPD operates on a theory that conservative Muslim beliefs and participation in Muslim organizations are themselves bases for investigation.”
In the case filed on Monday in Federal District Court in Manhattan, a group of civil rights lawyers accused NYPD of infiltrating Muslim institutions, including mosques, student associations and cafes.
The department also retained records of what police officers and informers overheard in such locations.
"My NYPD boss Steve told me that the NYPD did not think the John Jay Muslim Student Association was doing anything wrong, [and that] they just wanted to make sure," Shamiur Rahman, a former NYPD infiltrator, was paid as much as $1,500 a month to spy on the Muslim community, told The Guardian.
In a declaration filed as part of the motion, Rahman describes how he took photos of worshippers at mosques, took down cell phone numbers of those who had signed up for Islamic education classes, and provided images of Muslim students at John Jay College.
"The members of the MSA were religious Muslims, and according to Steve, the NYPD considers being a religious Muslim a terrorism indicator," he added.
Anger has grown against the New York police recently following reports that the NYPD used undercover agents to spy on Muslim communities.
A report by the Associated Press said that the NYPD sent out undercover officers into ethnic communities to track daily life and monitor mosques as well as Muslim student organizations.
However, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg defended the practice, saying it does not take religion into account in its policing.
Police commissioner Raymond W. Kelly also denied targeting Muslims in its policing, saying it only followed leads.
Source: Onislam.net
Related News
