[wvns] L.A. police to map Muslim areas
L.A. police plan to map Muslim areas criticized
ACLU, Islamic groups send letter citing 'grave concerns'
Fri., Nov. 9, 2007
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21713765/
LOS ANGELES - Civil rights advocates criticized plans by the Los
Angeles Police Department to map the city's Muslim communities,
calling it racial profiling.
The LAPD's counterterrorism bureau plans to identify Muslim enclaves
in order to determine which might be likely to become isolated and
susceptible to "violent, ideologically based extremism," said Deputy
Chief Michael P. Downing on Thursday.
"We want to know where the Pakistanis, Iranians and Chechens are so we
can reach out to those communities," said Downing, who heads the
counterterrorism bureau.
Downing said the plan is still in its early stages, but the LAPD wants
to work with a Muslim partner and intends to have the data assembled
by the University of Southern California's Center for Risk and
Economic Analysis.
Downing testified about the plan before a U.S. Senate committee on
Oct. 30.
In his testimony, Downing said his bureau wanted to "take a deeper
look at the history, demographics, language, culture, ethnic
breakdown, socioeconomic status and social interactions" of the city's
Muslim communities.
There are an estimated 500,000 Muslims in Los Angeles, Orange and
Riverside counties.
On Thursday, several Muslim groups and the American Civil Liberties
Union of Southern California sent Downing a letter expressing "grave
concerns" about the program.
"Singling out individuals for investigation, surveillance, and
data-gathering based on their religion constitutes religious profiling
that is just as unlawful, ill-advised and deeply offensive as racial
profiling," said the letter.
It was signed by representatives of the ACLU of Southern California;
Muslim Advocates, a national association of Muslim lawyers; the
Islamic Shura Council of Southern California and the Council on
American-Islamic Relations.
The plan "basically turns the LAPD officers into religious political
analysts, while their role is to fight crime and enforce the laws,"
said Hussam Ayloush, head of the Los Angeles chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, who signed the letter.
However, another group, the Muslim Public Affairs Council, is
considering working with the LAPD on the project.
"We will work with the LAPD and give them input, while at the same
time making sure that people's civil liberties are protected," said
Salam al-Marayati, the council's executive director.
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