Written by Don Byrd
A new federal lawsuit filed in seeks an end to the NYPD surveillance practice targeting Muslims. AP reports:
“The NYPD program is founded upon a false and constitutionally impermissible premise: that Muslim religious identity is a legitimate criterion for selection of law-enforcement surveillance targets,” the lawsuit said.
…
No court has ruled that the NYPD programs were illegal. But the division operates without significant oversight: The New York City Council does not believe it has the expertise to oversee the intelligence division, and Congress believes the NYPD is not part of its jurisdiction even though the police department receives billions in federal funding each year.
Americans should be able to worship without fear of government surveillance. Documentation of where and when one worships would have a chilling effect on anyone’s free exercise. Targeting a specific minority faith on top of that reeks of discrimination, and promotes the same unfortunate stereotypes we’ve spent the last 10+ years trying to disclaim. Being a peacefully practicing Muslim (or Hindu, or Baptist or Catholic) is not suspicious activity. It is also fully protected by the First Amendment.
