Ummid Assistant

Jamia Millia launches courses on China, Afghanistan

IGNOU launches value education programme for teachers

Welcome Guest! You are here: Home » International

New York City Mayor boycotted for surveillance of Muslims

Sunday January 01, 2012 11:28:04 AM, Agencies

New York: More than a dozen Muslim community leaders boycotted an interfaith breakfast organized by Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Friday to protest reported police surveillance of Muslim areas since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

In an open letter to Bloomberg, the leaders accused the mayor of ignoring concerns that the New York Police Department has been using racial profiling and violating civil rights in its anti-terrorism surveillance programs.

“We believe with heartfelt conviction that during times when a community’s rights are being flagrantly violated its leaders cannot in good conscience appear at a public gathering with the government official who is ultimately responsible and smile for the cameras as if all is well, when we know full well that it is not,” news Agency Reuters reported citing the letter addressed to the New York mayor.

The letter cited a series of articles earlier this year by The Associated Press that alleged that police, at times in cooperation with the CIA, infiltrated New York mosques, Muslim bookshops and other Islamic businesses and institutions to gather intelligence without specific evidence of any criminal activity.

The letter was signed by 15 leaders of Muslim organizations based in New York City who said they were turning down their breakfast invitation, as well as the leaders of several dozen other faith organizations and civil rights groups.

The mayor’s office said 368 guests attended Friday’s breakfast, up from 315 people last year. The office said the guests included representatives of the Muslim community but did not have a specific number.

Bloomberg has defended the police department, which denies the accusations.

“Contrary to such assertions, the NYPD lawfully follows leads in terrorist-related investigations and does not engage in the kind of wholesale spying on communities that was falsely alleged,” police spokesman Paul Browne said in an e-mail.


Linda Sarsour, director of the Arab American Association of New York, said she and others boycotting the breakfast wanted an independent investigation into the NYPD’s surveillance methods.

“We’ve received no substantial proof that there has been no wrongdoing,” she said.





 


 

 

 

 

Bookmark and Share

Home | Top of the Page

Comments

Note: By posting your comments here you agree to the terms and conditions of www.ummid.com

Comments powered by DISQUS

i

i

 

 

 

Top Stories

PM's New Year message: Be patient, we shall overcome

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday said his government took some "transformational initiatives" to empower people and fight corruption and listed five key personal challenges to address as India enters the new year.  »

Text of PM's message

Democracy is best guarantor of internal security: PM

 

  Most Read

Government 'may' redraft Lokayukta provision: Chidambaram

In order to have bitter critic Trinamool Congress on board when the Lokpal bill is taken up again in the budget session of parliament, Home Minister P. Chidambaram Saturday expressed the government's  »

Year of steep losses, volatility for Indian equities

Indian equity markets, a favourite among foreign investors just a year ago, presented one of the worst performances among emerging economies during 2011, resulting in a key index shedding a fourth of its valuation when the year drew to a close. The 30-share sensitive index (Sensex)  »

 

  News Pick

Cyclone Thane toll now 46, life limps back to normalcy

The deaths due to cyclone Thane that hit the Tamil Nadu coast Friday morning went up by nine to 46 Saturday. Though life started limping back to  »

Punjab: where politics and religion mix well

The mix is all too evident -- from the political stages at Sikh religious congregations to the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal openly contesting and dominating the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak  »

Now, a 'paathshaala' for prospective 'netas'

It is poll-time in India's largest state. And as election euphoria sweeps Uttar Pradesh, a coaching institute in Agra has announced a unique crash course - for first-time politicians. The course aims "to groom them, chisel the rough edges and  »

 

Picture of the Day

Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal inaugurating the long awaited Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) special centre at Malappuramm in Kerala  on December 24, 2011.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

RSS  |  Contact us

 

| Quick links

News

 

Subscribe to

Ummid Assistant

 

National

Science & Technology

RSS

Scholarships

About us

International

Health

Twitter

Government Schemes

Feedback

Regional

History

Facebook

Education

Register

Politics

Opinion

Newsletter

Contact us

Business

Career

     

Education

     

 

 

Ummid.com: Disclaimer | Terms of Use | Advertise with us | Link Exchange

Ummid.com is part of the Awaz Multimedia & Publications providing World News, News Analysis and Feature Articles on Education, Health. Politics, Technology, Sports, Entertainment, Industry etc. The articles or the views displayed on this website are for public information and in no way describe the editorial views. The users are entitled to use this site subject to the terms and conditions mentioned.

© 2010 Awaz Multimedia & Publications. All rights reserved.