NEW YORK (RNS) A New York City Police Department report that characterizes young Muslim men as susceptible to Islamic extremism and “jihadization” is biased and unfair, a Muslim civil rights group said Thursday (Nov. 20).
The Muslim American Civil Liberties Coalition, created last year in response to a NYPD analysis of terrorism plots, said it has already met with Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly several times to protest the 90-page report, “Radicalization in the West: The Homegrown Threat.”
Although the NYPD report states “there is no useful profile” of a potential terrorist, it notes that most of the plotters of 11 global cases over the past six years — including the 9/11 attacks — were Muslim men under the age of 35.
“While the report is not intended to profile Muslims or Islam, the report does exactly that,” said Naoma Nagahawatte, New York City office director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, during the Thursday protest on the steps of City Hall.
European Muslim plotters, who face different socioeconomic barriers and are considered more vulnerable to extremist beliefs, should not be lumped together with Americans, the coalition members agree.
Kelly could not be reached for comment. When the study was released last year, he said it aimed to help law enforcement officials stay ahead of terror plots, by identifying risk factors and symptoms of radicalization.
In calling for a complete revision of the report, which has also been referenced by other police departments and the Senate Homeland Security Committee, the coalition advises law enforcement agencies to increase partnerships with Muslim groups and develop programs to educate police officers and Muslims about each other.
“Through a more cooperative strategy,” the report said, “we can be safe while free.”
The Muslims’ critique is endorsed by civil liberties advocates, the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, and the Sikh Coalition, whose members also experienced anti-Muslim discrimination and hate crimes in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks because of their traditional turbans and beards.
By Nicole Neroulias
Copyright 2008 Religion News Service. All rights reserved. No part of this transmission may be distributed or reproduced without written permission.
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posted November 21, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Willie Sutton was quoted as saying, “I rob banks because that’s where the money is.”
“While the report is not intended to profile Muslims or Islam, the report does exactly that,” said Naoma Nagahawatte
If the report acknowledgingly doesn’t intend to profile Muslims or Islam, then shouldn’t it be allowed to stand unfettered? What about drive by shootings in South-Central L.A.? Are they not allowed to mention age or race of those predominately involved in that particular crime in a hypothetical police report? True that Muslims may be looked into, followed more, questioned more, searched more, or what have you, but lives hang in the balance. If more terrorists slip through the cracks as a result of the so-called non-discriminatory course of investigation and prevention, then that will give the anti-Muslim bigots in this country more incentive to target Muslims when acts of terrorism do occur. Right after 9/11 even Sikhs were targeted for violence, vandalism, and harassment because they happen to wear turbans and look somewhat similar to Muslims.
The danger in profiling, though, is that terrorists will eventually adjust as there are makeup artists that can make blacks look white and vice versa, so I guess it’s a game of cat and mouse.
While anti-discrimination laws serve their purpose and we hate to see any particular race/religion be more inconvenienced, we still need to weigh the pros and cons in order to determine whether or not particular laws are truly serving their purpose without leaving us vulnerable to a bigger threat.
posted November 22, 2008 at 10:57 am
Iraq, almanac, calendars & time
Hutchinsons Almanac 1999 page 15 the time zones for
Baghdad Iraq and Buenos Aires Argentina have been
swapped around. Baghdad shows time as 21:00 and
Buenos Aires shows time as 14:00. also see the
calendars on pages 17 to 20.(particular attention
to September in calendar 2) also omission of leap
year day in calendar 10.
foursgiant@msn.com
posted November 24, 2008 at 5:15 pm
The NY Police report on Terrorism on Jihadism is right on target. It specifically stated that an ideology by the name of Jihadism (Salafi or Khomeinist) is behind terrorism. Islam as a religion was not identified as an incubator. Jihadism is an ideology. It is known widely in the Arab world and it is called sometimes Takfirism. When so-called advocacy groups attack the report for identifying the ideology used by the terrorists, these groups are acting against the civil liberties of the victims, Muslims and non Muslims alike. Jihadism is the first killer of Muslims around the world. We will not accept that Jihadi sympathisers inside the United States camouflage themselves as civil liberties to crush these same liberties in the US and around the world. We Arabs and Muslims opposed to Jihadism as much as Germans were opposed to Nazism, will not remain silent as the Jihadi sympathisers are shielding the most violent and dangerous ideology threatens freedom, and human rights around the world.
posted November 25, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Unfortunately, Sami, Arabs and muslims in general ARE remaining silent. The vast majority of the islamic world blithely accepts the oppression of non-muslims. So, speak up or shut up the extremists. Rat them out.
You have a lot of work to do.
Geoff