CIOGC welcomes Chicago Police Superintendent and Mayor Emmanuel

remarks on NYPD surveillance of Muslim American Community and Commends CAIR-Chicago on their leadership

Last Modified: Wed, 23 May 2012 19:42:38 GMT v1.001

Misbahu Rufai

Press Statement: For Immediate Release

Media Contact: Misbahu Rufai: 773.996.1653, mrufai@ciogc.org

CIOGC welcomes Chicago Police Superintendent and Mayor Emmanuel remarks on NYPD surveillance of Muslim American Community and Commends CAIR-Chicago on their leadership

(Chicago, IL-February 29, 2012) - The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago welcomes Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy's promise to confine CPD surveillance activities to the pursuit of "criminal leads," and not widespread spying of Muslims as carried out by New York police. CIOGC also commends the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) for its lead on the issue.

Since 2006, the NYPD's secretive Demographics Unit fanned New York City, and Newark, photographing mosques and eavesdropping on Muslim students, and businesses. This resulted in a database of Muslim license plates, and records of where Muslims live, shop and pray.

While Mayor Michael Bloomberg has vigorously defended the operations as necessary to "look to see whether those allegations are true," CIOGC welcomes Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s promise not to allow such activity in Chicago.

“Any surveillance that targets a group simply for its religious belief is un-American and counter-productive for national security as it leads to lack of trust and suspicion of law enforcement by American Muslims who should be considered allies and not enemies,” says Imam Misbahu Rufai, CIOGC Director for Urban and Governmental Affairs.

CIOGC is more disturbed by the fact that this operation was in cooperation with the CIA and with funds provided by the White House. The Council is additionally concerned that the call by 34 members of Congress, Muslim civil rights groups and most recently Ivy League universities and New Jersey officials for the Justice Department to investigate the NYPD's intelligence division have not been acted upon.

The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago commends CAIR for its action, Mayor Emanuel and CPD Superintendent McCarthy for their assurances. CIOGC calls on the Obama administration to repudiate the NYPD program that is partly funded under a White House federal grant, and ask Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate this blatant violations of Federal law by the NYPD