Monday, February 6, 2012
Document shows NYPD eyed Shiites based on religion
In the article, the issue of investigating a person, group, or organization based solely on religion is brought to the forefront. The press recently discovered a document pertaining to the NYPD. Within the document, the NYPD is given permission to target mosques for investigation based on their population of Iranian attendees and their religious sect within Muslim. The Shiite sect within the Muslim religion is the targeted group within the NYPD’s jurisdiction and even in some areas outside NYPD’s jurisdiction.
With permission to target the Shiite religious group, the New York Police Department has eavesdropped, infiltrated mosques, and monitored Muslim neighborhoods as plainclothes officers. The jurisdiction of the document is defined as the NYPD’s jurisdiction; however, the NYPD has spread this investigation far outside its jurisdiction into New Jersey and Connecticut. The investigations and spying efforts started soon after the 9/11 attacks in 2001.
Investigations based on religion are prohibited by city law and under the NYPD’s guidelines, yet the document clearly breaks these laws and guidelines. Iranian Shiite Muslims are mostly targeted due to their origin and sect of religion. Iranian Muslims are thought to be the terrorists within the U.S., but Palestinians are targeted as well because terrorists could be of a Palestinian background.
Yes, the majority of Iran’s population is Shiite, but this sect of the Muslim religion is said to be allies with the United States in the fight against Muslim extremists. Al-Qaida and other extremist groups are Sunni Muslims who oppress the Shiite Muslims. Many Shiites sought refuge in the West from the oppressing Sunnis.
The NYPD and U.S. continue to be concerned with Iran, therefore investigations and spying continue of Iranian Muslims. The U.S. worries about reactions and efforts that would arise if the U.S. went to war or any other form of open military conflict with Iran. One mosque president in Philadelphia, Asad Sadiq, claims the NYPD is being unfairly broad. He states, "If you attack Cuba, are all the Catholics going to attack here? This is called guilt by association… Just because we are the same religion doesn't mean we're going to stand up and harm the United States. It's really absurd."
I agree that the NYPD is accusing a population based on religion due to fear of the what-if situations. Guilty by association is exactly what is being place on the Shiite group in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Just because they are the same religion doesn’t mean they stand for the same things. Many Shiite Muslims want to escape to religiously free nations to rid themselves of oppression and ridiculing. The U.S. should be the religiously free nation that the Muslims seeking refuge can go, and not a nation that creates more oppression and guilt.
The issue that has arisen from these documents is the police departments’ and other law enforcing officials’ jurisdiction and the laws and guidelines they follow based on discrimination. Targeting a group based on religion is discrimination at the root, while also threatening religious freedom.
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With permission to target the Shiite religious group, the New York Police Department has eavesdropped, infiltrated mosques, and monitored Muslim neighborhoods as plainclothes officers. The jurisdiction of the document is defined as the NYPD’s jurisdiction; however, the NYPD has spread this investigation far outside its jurisdiction into New Jersey and Connecticut. The investigations and spying efforts started soon after the 9/11 attacks in 2001.
Investigations based on religion are prohibited by city law and under the NYPD’s guidelines, yet the document clearly breaks these laws and guidelines. Iranian Shiite Muslims are mostly targeted due to their origin and sect of religion. Iranian Muslims are thought to be the terrorists within the U.S., but Palestinians are targeted as well because terrorists could be of a Palestinian background.
Yes, the majority of Iran’s population is Shiite, but this sect of the Muslim religion is said to be allies with the United States in the fight against Muslim extremists. Al-Qaida and other extremist groups are Sunni Muslims who oppress the Shiite Muslims. Many Shiites sought refuge in the West from the oppressing Sunnis.
The NYPD and U.S. continue to be concerned with Iran, therefore investigations and spying continue of Iranian Muslims. The U.S. worries about reactions and efforts that would arise if the U.S. went to war or any other form of open military conflict with Iran. One mosque president in Philadelphia, Asad Sadiq, claims the NYPD is being unfairly broad. He states, "If you attack Cuba, are all the Catholics going to attack here? This is called guilt by association… Just because we are the same religion doesn't mean we're going to stand up and harm the United States. It's really absurd."
I agree that the NYPD is accusing a population based on religion due to fear of the what-if situations. Guilty by association is exactly what is being place on the Shiite group in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Just because they are the same religion doesn’t mean they stand for the same things. Many Shiite Muslims want to escape to religiously free nations to rid themselves of oppression and ridiculing. The U.S. should be the religiously free nation that the Muslims seeking refuge can go, and not a nation that creates more oppression and guilt.
The issue that has arisen from these documents is the police departments’ and other law enforcing officials’ jurisdiction and the laws and guidelines they follow based on discrimination. Targeting a group based on religion is discrimination at the root, while also threatening religious freedom.
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