NYPD

Good Law Enforcement or Profiling?

June 11th, 2012

A civil rights law suit was filed this past Wednesday in federal court against the New York City Police Department. It claims the legal surveillance of Muslims in New Jersey is unconstitutional because it “targets Muslims” strictly based on their religion.

by Gadi Adelman

A law suit, ‘Hassan v. The City of New York’, was filed in United States District Court on June 6, 2012 by Muslim Advocates of San Francisco and the Law Offices of Bhalla & Cho, LLC of Jersey City, New Jersey on behalf of Muslim individuals, organizations and businesses who claim they are been singled out for surveillance only based on their religion.

I obtained a copy of the 25-page complaint and it can be viewed on my website here: Hassan V. NYC.

The suit claims violations of the First Amendment's Free Exercise Clause and the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause through discrimination. They seek monetary damages but the main goal is to put an end to the surveillance, which they claim is ongoing.

According to the compliant, back in 2002, shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the NYPD started watching entire neighborhoods where Muslims lived in Newark and other towns. The plaintiffs (Muslims) say that the NYPD also infiltrated Muslim organizations and mosques with undercover officers and informants. They claim that people who were the subject of the surveillance were chosen not because of any suspicion of wrongdoing, but strictly because of their religion.

The plaintiffs named are three individuals: Syed Farhaj Hassan, Moiz Mohammed and Jane Doe; two businesses -- All Body Shop Inside and Out and Unity Beef Sausage Co.; and three organizations-- the Council of Imams in New Jersey, Muslim Students Association of the U.S. and Canada, and Muslim Foundation Inc.

Number 2 of the ‘Preliminary Statement’ section of the complaint states,

In early 2002, the NYPD began a secret spying program (“Program”) to infiltrate and monitor Muslim life in and around New York City. The Department has focused, in particular, upon New Jersey Muslims, conducting surveillance of at least twenty mosques, fourteen restaurants, eleven retail stores, two grade schools and two Muslim Student

Associations, in addition to untold numbers of individuals who own, operate, and visit those establishments. The Department has also created over twenty precinct-level maps of the City of Newark, noting the location of mosques and Muslim businesses and the ethnic composition of the Muslim community.

So why would the NYPD be watching Muslims from NJ, not to mention 20 mosques as alleged in the complaint?  Could it possibly have anything to do with the fact that the FBI has arrested Islamic terrorists from a Jersey City mosque including Sheikh Omar Abdel- Rahman a.k.a "The Blind Sheikh?" Or perhaps it was the fact that the World Trade Center bombing in 1993 was proven to have been planned in that same mosque?

I have written several times that “there is a difference between “profiling” and good law enforcement.”  If I am driving late at night in a known high drug activity area of an African American neighborhood and get pulled over for no reason other than being white is that profiling or good law enforcement? This goes on day in and day out in the US and the percentage of drug arrests from that type of scenario lead to convictions.

My point is this, good law enforcement uses the statistics and the fact is that, statistically, terrorists are of Middle Eastern decent aged 18-34 and yes, Muslim.  Sorry, I don’t make up the numbers, I use facts.  And using the facts is called “Suspect Profiling.”

According to a Quinnipiac Poll from April of this year, most residents of NJ agree with the NYPD tactics. The poll revealed that 62 percent of New Jersey voters said the NYPD's focus on Muslims was appropriate, 18 percent said it was unfair and 20 percent did not express an opinion. Republicans supported it 83-8 percent, Democrats by 44-27 percent, and independents by 64-17 percent.

Number 3 of the ‘Preliminary Statement’ I actually find humorous,

As part of the Program, the NYPD takes photographs and videos and collects license plate numbers at mosques. It also utilizes undercover officers and informants to infiltrate and surveil Muslim communities, including mosques, Muslim Student Associations and Muslim-owned businesses. Upon information and belief, the NYPD Program has not undertaken similar surveillance with respect to non-Muslim communities.

“Has not undertaken similar surveillance with respect to non-Muslim communities”? I wonder why … Has any other “religious” group committed 19,027 deadly acts of terrorism since 9/11/2001? For that matter, I can’t recall any Christian, Jew, Buddhist or Hindu blowing himself/herself up to murder innocents in the name of God recently.

Also mentioned in Number 3 of the complaint was the Muslim Student Association (MSA). Let’s look at that group for a moment. According to an article by Patrick Poole, the MSA was,

Founded in 1963 at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and operated as an arm of the Saudi-funded, Muslim Brotherhood-controlled Muslim World League, the MSA is one of the oldest, largest, and most respected Islamic institutions in the country. They have chapters at more than 100 universities and colleges.

Since its inception, the MSA has chronically been a vehicle of extremism, hatred, and incitement to violence. Its chapters host a wide variety of extremist speakers and have repeatedly raised funds for Islamic groups that have later been closed by the U.S. government for funding terrorism. For this reason, the MSA was identified in 2004 as one of 27 Islamic charities and groups in the U.S. under investigation by the Senate Finance Committee for terrorist support.

The MSA is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood as explained above. I have explained before, about the Muslim Brotherhood strategy memo, also known in counter-terror circles as ‘the project’. It was key evidence during the largest terror trial to date in the US, the Holy Land Foundation (HLF) trial. The strategic objective of the Brotherhood in America as written by the MB and proven in court,

The Ikhwan [the Muslim Brotherhood's name for itself]  must understand that their work in America is a kind of grand Jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and "sabotaging" its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers so that it is eliminated and God's religion is made victorious over all other religions. Without this level of understanding, we are not up to this challenge and have not prepared ourselves for Jihad yet. It is a Muslim's destiny to perform Jihad and work wherever he is and wherever he lands until the final hour comes, and there is no escape from that destiny except for those who chose to slack.

So, the Muslim Student Association (MSA) is a proven offshoot from the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) and the MB’s goal is to “destroy the Western civilization from within and sabotage its miserable house by their hands.” Using our courts and Constitution would seem like a way to achieve that destruction.

Also, from the same MB document, it lists 29 organizations that they plan to use to carry out their goal. The header reads,

 A list of our Organizations and the Organizations of our friends (Imagine if they all march according to one plan).

Number 2 on that list is the Muslim Student Association.

Patrick Poole’s article lists no less than 7 Presidents, Vice Presidents and members of the MSA that have been arrested and convicted on terror charges. 

If we here in the US or elsewhere in the world were facing Jewish terrorists bent on our destruction, would anyone be upset if synagogues were under surveillance? If terrorists were coming out of Hillel (Jewish student organization on college campuses), would anyone be complaining that the Hillel were being watched? It’s common sense, not profiling.

Jim Kouri reported in the Examiner,

Another large Muslim group -- the Council on American Islamic Relations -- is expected to file a similar lawsuit in Manhattan against the NYPD. A CAIR affiliate, attorney Mary Catherine Roper from the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, stated, “They should be spending their time looking at the more specific behaviors that ought to draw their attention and make them investigate a person or a group.” She goes on to say that congregating to pray should not be a foundation of suspicion."

Maybe if the places of prayer weren’t recruiting grounds for the future terrorists of America and Imams weren’t preaching hate, it wouldn’t be a “foundation of suspicion.”

I have said time and time again, “that we in America need to be proactive rather than reactive when it comes to terrorism.” I am glad that the NYPD is being proactive, performing good law enforcement and not backing down due to the law suits.

Gadi Adelman is a speaker on terrorism, jihad, sharia and Islam. He is a contributing editor for the Family Security Matters website as well as writing for Conservative Camp, Faith for Freedom, Gold Coast Chronicle and Pronline news. He has his own weekly radio show "America Akbar" that can be heard on the Radio Jihad network.

Tue, July 3, 2012 CAIR, Dems Seek Watchdog Over NYPD

Despite the fact that a clear majority of New Yorkers approve of the NYPD's legal counterterrorism measures, CAIR is seeking to limit the force.

Despite the fact that an overwhelming majority of New Yorkers support the anti-terrorism work or the New York City Police Department and its Chief Ray Kelly, Democrats on New York’s City Council, in conjunction with CAIR (the Council on American Islamic Relations) are trying to put a watchdog over them.

The predominately Democratic City Council is proposing a law to create a new position of an “inspector general” to oversee the NYPD. The proposal is in response to complaints by Muslim groups who have labeled the legal activities of the NYPD – including surveillance of mosques, businesses and student organizations -- as racial profiling.

The legislation is opposed by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who went on record as saying he is against the "planned legislation to create independent oversight of the New York Police Department." 

The proposed law would give the new inspector general power to subpoena and broad investigative authority to oversee the 40,000-member police department.

Bloomberg responded, saying, "The NYPD is the most regulated department in the entire city. I think we have enough supervision and oversight. We need to focus on just getting the bad guys off the street and getting the guns out of their hands."

Polls show that 63% of New York voters approve of the way the New York City Police Department is doing its job, with an overwhelming 82 percent saying that the NYPD has been effective in combatting terrorism. New York voters also gave Police Commissioner Kelly a 64 percent approval rating, with 28 percent saying they would be more likely to vote for a candidate for mayor of New York if the candidate promises to ask Kelly to continue as commissioner. Current New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (who himself got an overall 54 percent approval rating) will be leaving the office at the end of his current term. Interestingly, the saem poll showed the majority of New York’s voters have a favorable opinion of Islam.

Wed, May 16, 2012 House Republicans Defeat Dem Bill to Defund NYPD for (Legal) Counter Terrorism Efforts

Outrage reigned among the Rebulican U.S. House of Representatives when New Jersey Democrat Rush Holt introduced an amendment that would have prohibited federal funding for any law enforcement agency engaged in “unconstitutional or unlawful discrimination.”

by Meira Svirsky

Outrage reigned among the Republican U.S. House of Representatives when New Jersey Democrat Rush Holt introduced an amendment that would have prohibited federal funding for any law enforcement agency engaged in “unconstitutional or unlawful discrimination.”

Holt made it clear his proposal was directed toward the New York City Police Department (NYPD) for racial profiling. Holt referenced the sensational media stories released by the AP revealing that the NYPD had surveilled the Muslim community “simply because they were Muslims.”

There was no mention by Holt that the tactics used by the NYPD to prevent over two dozen terrorist attacks by radical Islamists were completely legal or that the NYPD has been one of the most effective police departments in America fighting crime and terrorism.

The amendment was defeated on almost perfect partisan lines, with only 11 Democrats voting against the measure.

Republican Representatives from New York Peter King and Bob Turner demanded an apology from the Democrats, calling the vote a “shameful surrender to political correctness.”

King added during the debate, "I remember years ago when the Justice Department was going after the Mafia, they went to the Italian American communities. When they were going after the Westies, they went to the Irish American communities. When you're looking for the Russian mob, you go to the communities in Coney Island and Brighton Beach. That's where the enemy comes from.”

“Ninety-nine percent of the people are law-abiding. But if you're looking for the person who is going to that community to carry out a crime, you look in that community. If you're looking for an Islamic terrorist, you don't go to Ben's Kosher Deli. When they were looking for the Italian mob, they didn't go to an Irish bar. They went to the Italian social clubs," King said.

The Republicans defeated the amendment 232 to 193.

Mon, May 14, 2012 The NYPD vs. a 'Moderate' Hamas-Supporter

To the outrage of some in the media, the NYPD secretly kept watch on Sheikh Reda Shata, the former imam of Brooklyn's Islamic Center of Bay Ridge, even though he dined with Mayor Bloomberg and, he thought, had a friendly relationship with law enforcement.

by: 
Ryan Mauro

To the outrage of some in the media, the NYPD secretly kept watch on Sheikh Reda Shata, the former imam of Brooklyn's Islamic Center of Bay Ridge, even though he condemned terrorism, dined with Mayor Bloomberg and, he thought, had a friendly relationship with law enforcement. On the surface, this sounds like the NYPD unfairly targeted a Muslim it should uphold. Left out of this story is an important fact: Sheikh Shata supports Hamas.

Shata was the subject of a glowing Pulitzer-winning New York Times series in 2010. In one article, the reporter describes him as viewing the Hamas terrorist group as a "powerful symbol of resistance." He condemns terrorism and violence but in 2004, he spoke at a funeral service honoring the founder and spiritual leader of Hamas, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, who was killed by an Israeli airstrike. He told the crowd that the "lion of Palestine had been martyred." In another lecture, Shata bestowed the coveted title of "martyr" upon a mother who suicide bombed a border post in the Gaza Strip, killing four Israelis.

The Islamic Center of Bay Ridge (ICBR), where he served as imam from 2002 to 2006, has a "long history of association with radical Islamic organizations, such as the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, going back almost 20 years," said Patrick Dunleavy, a former Deputy Inspector General for the New York State Department of Corrections and author of The Fertile Soil of Jihad.

A 2006 NYPD document explains, "NYPD source reporting indicates that individuals believed to be supporters/members of Hamas may have links to the Bronx Muslim Center and the Islamic Society of Bay Ridge, noting that in 2003, Mohammed El-Mazin, the suspected North American leader of Hamas, was a guest speaker at the Islamic Society of Bay Ridge. In addition, in June 2003, the FBI arrested four individuals who were seen in of the Islamic Society of Bay Ridge and who allegedly had links to Hamas."

Is it any wonder why the NYPD conducted surveillance on Sheikh Shata, when he is a vocal supporter of Hamas and the leader of a Hamas-tied mosque that brings in suspected Hamas leaders as guest speakers?

The NYPD designated Shata as a Tier One Person of Interest.  Those who qualify for this designation have a "threat potential based on their position at a particular location, links to an organization, overseas links and/or criminal history." It is very possible that the NYPD has even more concerning information about Shata and his mosque than is available to the public.

The ICBR first came under the microscope in 1994 when a Lebanese-Palestinian immigrant named Rashad Baz fired upon a van full of Hasidic Jews on the Brooklyn Bridge, killing a 16-year old, in retaliation for a massacre on Muslims in Hebron, Israel. According to two witnesses, the attack came shortly after Baz attended a service at the ICBR where the speaker said, "This takes the mask off the Jews" and "It shows them to be racist and fascist, as bad as the Nazis. Palestinians are suffering from the occupation, and it's time to end it." A witness said that he left the service in a rage. Two of Baz's family members helped him hide his weapons and were in contact with a member of Hamas. Two terrorist groups, Hamas and Hezbollah, praised him.

In 1998, a speaker at ICBR reportedly said that Jews murdered Mohammed, Islam's Prophet, and will forever wage war against Muslims. He vocally support jihad against Israel and distributed Hamas propaganda. Though these incidents happened before Sheikh Shata's arrival in 2002, it is important because it tells us about the leadership that chose him.

The NYPD also had good reason to keep a close eye on things in Bay Ridge, as there were several expressions of extremism. In August 2004, Shahawar Matin Siraj and James Elshafay were arrested for planning to bomb a New York City subway station. Siraj worked at the bookstore adjacent to ICBR, where the two met. During Siraj's trial, his attorney said the "entire Muslim community in Bay Ridge, the thought that the American government was responsible for bringing down the towers on 9/11 was common."

On Memorial Day in 2006, graffiti praising the Palestinian Liberation Organization was sprayed on cars, trees and homes. Notably, only houses that displayed the American flag were victimized. A 12-year old boy was arrested.

In May 2006, hundreds of Palestinians and anti-Israel activists held a rally in Bay Ridge and chanted, "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free." For that to happen, that means Israel must be destroyed. In January 2009, a hacker struck the Bay Ridge Jewish Center's website and had it display the words, "Death to Israel" and "For Palestine For Gazza [sic] For Hamas."

Sheikh Shata left the ICBR in 2006 and now is the imam of the Islamic Society of Monmouth County in New Jersey. His website states that he is known for his "moderate" interpretation of Sharia Law, but "moderate" compared to what? He told the Times that he is a moderate because he opposes suicide bombings of civilians, but approves of violence against Israeli soldiers in defense. He said that when he taught Sharia Law in Saudi Arabia from 1990 to 1995, he found them to be overly strict. In other words, he is a moderate because there's worse out there.

Shata won't shake a woman's hand and supports banning music that "encourages sexual desire." Shata's website doesn't have many sermons by him, but one is titled, "Why They Hate Islam." The sermon goes through five reasons why "we [Muslims] are prey for many predators" and why Muslims are targeted by "these animals" even in their own homes.

The first reason is because Islam was created by Allah and Islam's enemies are controlled by Satan. He explains that Allah created good and evil, with the good being created in the East, and the struggle never ended. Obviously, that means that the West is where Satan/evil was created.

The second reason is "widespread ignorance." The third reason is that there are people in "high, influential positions" that get rich off of destroying the lives of Muslims and promoting segregation. The fourth is "overwhelming fear," particularly of "Islamic politics." Sheikh Shata criticizes the notion that "if a nation is ruled by Islam," it will be war-like. In other words, the creation of an Islamic State (which is the goal of Hamas and its parent organization, Muslim Brotherhood) is a good thing. The final reason is "cursed, strict ideals and stubbornness."

Shata's website indicates he is also a frequent guest lecturer at the Islamic Society of Passaic County in Paterson, N.J., another mosque with strong ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, led by Imam Mohammed Qatanani.

The case of Shata is part of an overall lesson. Participating in interfaith events, friendly engagements with public officials and meetings with government agencies doesn't automatically make someone a moderate. In fact, Islamist extremist groups usually do these kinds of things.

The real story here is that the NYPD decided it would be prudent to conduct surveillance on a mosque with a history of ties with Islamic extremism and its leader, who supports Hamas. If the NYPD declined to do that, that would be the real scandal.

Ryan Mauro is RadicalIslam.org's National Security analyst and a fellow with the Clarion Fund. He is the founder of WorldThreats.com and a frequent security analyst for Fox News.

This article is sponsored by the The Institute on Religion and Democracy.


 

Sun, March 18, 2012 Ray Kelly's War on Terrorism, Lee Baca's Mission Confusion

Ordinary American citizens -- who are not in a dilemma at all about what to expect from cops -- would choose Ray Kelly’s brand of law enforcement any day.

by: 
Karen Lugo

 "The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today announced that Los Angeles County Sheriff Leroy Baca (left) was awarded with the ‘Courage in Leadership’ award for his consistent engagement with and support of the American Muslim community. The award was given at CAIR-LA’s 14th Annual Banquet on Saturday, Oct. 30.

Sheriff Baca, who was out of the country and couldn’t receive the award in person, shared an exclusive heartwarming videotaped message with CAIR-LA banquet attendees. Deputy Sherif Morsi thanked CAIR-LA and the Muslim community on the sheriff’s behalf." --- CAIR California Website

Head Sheriff of Los Angeles, Lee Baca has cultivated relationships with Muslims and has cemented close ties to CAIR and other Muslim political action groups. He claims that “diplomacy should be the primary mission of all Americans” and he assures Muslim groups that he understands that “when one religion is under threat, all religions are under threat.” Baca believes that American public officials “are in a dilemma with the educating of America about what the law is all about.” He urges Americans to “reach out to those who they fear and engage in a sensible dialogue.”

If Baca’s responsibilities were chiefly diplomatic, this would all be fine -- except the part about the dilemma on what the law is all about. However, Baca’s job description is far from that of diplomat. During a recent Muslim-hosted summit on Sharia and the Constitution, he did not once challenge applications of Sharia in America that undermine free speech, freedom to leave a religion, the equal rights of women or those honor- and shame-based Sharia tenets that promote violence. Nor did he define his department’s obligations to monitor radicalization cells; he did not even note the threat from radicalization. Rather, he implied that political candidates who would confront these issues “do not even know the American Constitution” to be able to correct their anti-Constitutional stances.

LAPD Counter-Terrorism Chief Michael Downing says that last year “a small number of people spread a hate campaign across America to create untruths about American Muslims.” He has declared that Muslims “recognize the supremacy of the U.S. Constitution through the principle of Sharia” and that Sharia “is not a threat to Americans.” He also defines the threat as “the other side of extremism which perpetuates hate against a small number of people.” (The remarks by Baca and Downing were made at a February 19, 2012 Garden Grove, CA, Islamic Center panel session on Sharia and the Constitution. There is no published videotape for linking purposes so I have transcribed a private recording.)

Downing’s ignorance of Sharia and his attempt to shift focus from threatened Islamist violence and extremism to Americans who press for the exact debate that Downing shirked at this meeting was unconscionable. These remarks would not be appropriate from a diplomat or an ordinary police officer and they certainly are not fitting when spoken by the counter-terrorism chief of one of the nation’s largest law enforcement agencies.

This mission-fuzziness in top law enforcement officers cannot inspire confidence in Californians who just learned that a beautiful 22 year-old Sacramento resident was stabbed to death by her ex-fiance because, according to her parents, she would not go along with his terrorist plans. Apparently, he was part of a terror ring and wanted to use her to get into the country. She did not play along – and paid what was the ultimate price, if the family is right. But if we go with the certain proposition that some of these would-be terrorists are succeeding, and are among us, would you rather have Sheriff Baca, Chief Downing, or NYPD’s resolute Commissioner Ray Kelly in charge of monitoring Muslim activities?

NYPD’s Ray Kelly knows he is fighting a war on homeland turf. He plays by the rules called the Handschu Guidelines as designed under court guidance to protect political activity from police interference. He knows his enemy and understands that he will have to “initiate investigations in advance of unlawful conduct." He has adopted the same rules of engagement that police “use to arrest drug dealers, human traffickers, and gang leaders.”

Ray Kelly (right) appeared in our film, The Third Jihad

While understanding that “the vast majority of Muslim student associations and their members are law-abiding,” Kelly investigates because America “has seen too many cases in which such groups were exploited.” Kelly is confident in his mastery of the rules: "The NYPD is authorized to visit any place and attend any event that is open to the public" and "to conduct online search activity and to access online sites and forums on the same terms… as members of the public." He is “very clear about the nature of the threat we face” as being “persistent and dangerous.”

NYPD surveillance has thwarted several plots and led to the arrest of dangerous terrorists. Jesse Curtis Morton has confessed to encouraging others to kill the writers of South Park after they depicted the prophet Mohammed dressed in a bear suit. Morton also urged violence against Molly Norris, the cartoonist who organized Everybody Draw Mohammed Day. On Morton’s website, Revolution Muslim, readers could find the contents of Inspire magazine, a publication put out by al Qaeda, which included articles such as "How to Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of your Mom." This document provided instructions for Jose Pimentel, just indicted on charges of weapons possession and conspiracy, to make pipe bombs last year. Over the years, a total of ten people who've been arrested on terrorism charges have been in contact with Morton’s website.

Tragically, Top Cop Attorney General Holder (left)  has thrown in with the Sheriff Baca and Chief Downing types. Not only is he investigating Ray Kelly and the NYPD, but he has purged FBI training documents of materials that activist Muslim groups claimed were offensive. Again, the message to local agencies is that they will answer to the Department of Justice and the dictates of the Civil Rights Division agenda regardless of how scrupulously they follow the law. Even if Kelly and the NYPD are cleared of wrongdoing, the instruction is clear to all other jurisdictions who wish to avoid the risk of expensive and morale-defeating investigations.

While reactionary Islamists threaten that Muslims will withhold cooperation from law enforcement unless surveillance is done on their terms, sincere Muslims leaders like Dr. Zuhdi Jasser (below) of the American Islamic Leadership Coalition stand with the NYPD against the “systematic and coordinated assault by highly-politicized Islamist organizations.” These anti-Islamist Muslims are understandably “often the primary targets of radical groups.” They offered to speak for “a silent majority of American Muslims” to say that they “thank God every day for the NYPD.”

Ordinary American citizens -- who are not in a dilemma at all about what to expect from cops -- would choose Ray Kelly’s brand of law enforcement any day. Sensible adults know that Defying Bullies 101 teaches that it is better to be respected than loved when dealing with threatening thugs. Tough love is needed to keep the American homeland safe for Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

Karen Lugo is the Founder of the Libertas-West Project and a co-director of the Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence.

Thu, March 15, 2012 New Yorkers Give Big 'Thumbs Up' to NYPD

A newly released poll found that 63% of New York voters approve of the way the New York City Police Department is doing its job.

A newly released poll found that 63% of New York voters approve of the way the New York City Police Department is doing its job, with an overwhelming 82 percent saying that the NYPD has been effective in combatting terrorism.

In addition, a clear majority (58%) think that the NYPD is acting appropriately in dealing with the Muslim community.

"New Yorkers brush aside the gripes about police surveillance of the Muslim community. Voter approval of the way police are handling terrorism is through the roof and overall approval for police in general and for (Police) Commissioner Ray Kelly is undented by criticism," said Maurice Carroll, director of the institute that conducted the Quinnipiac University poll.

The poll comes in the wake of harsh criticism of the NYPD by CAIR (Council on American Islamic Relations), The New York Times and the Associated Press (AP). The criticism began in January when the Times dredged up a year-old story that the NYPD was showing our film, The Third Jihad, in its counterterrorism training program. A few weeks later the AP revealed that the NYPD had put Muslim student organizations and mosques in the tri-state area under surveillance.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly got a 64 percent approval rating in the poll, with 28 percent saying they would be more likely to vote for a candidate for mayor of New York if the candidate promises to ask Kelly to continue as commissioner. Current New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (who himself got an overall 54 percent approval rating) will be leaving the office at the end of his current term.

The poll also showed that the majority of New York City voters have a favorable opinion of Islam (by a 54 - 23 percent margin).  In addition, 65 percent of those polled believe that mainstream Islam is a peaceful religion.

From March 6 - 11, Quinnipiac University surveyed 964 New York City voters with a margin of error of +/- 3.2 percentage points, through live interviewers,  land line and cell phone calls.

The poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public opinion surveys in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio, Virginia and the nation as a public service and for research.

Tue, March 6, 2012 Muslim Coaltion Rallies for the NYPD

American Islamic Forum for Democracy says the NYPD is doing a job that moderate Muslims should be doing themselves.

Dr, Zuhdi Jasser, the narrator of our film, The Third Jihad, led a coalition of Islamic and Congressional supporters of the counterterrorism efforts of the New York Police Department  in a rally Monday outside the NYPD’s headquarters. The NYPD and its commissioner, Ray Kelly, came under attack close to a month ago by CAIR (Council on American Islamic Relations) and The New York Times, who objected the NYPD’s showing of The Third Jihad in its counterterrorism training.

The assault was joined recently by the Associated Press in an investigation that revealed that the NYPD had put Muslim student organizations and mosques in the tri-state area under (legal) surveillance after September 11. A number of attempted terrorist attacks on New York were prevented by the NYPD from information gained through the surveillance.

Jasser, a former U.S. Naval Physician and president of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, said the coalition wanted to thank the NYPD for monitoring extremists, “a job that Muslims should be doing,” he emphasized.

“If you look at arrests for terrorism, in the last over 200 arrests, over 80 percent have been from Muslims, and yet we are only one and a half percent of the population“ said Jasser. “

Jasser (left) added that he didn’t view the NYPD as over-stepping their bounds. “In no way do we want to we want to be spied on, but this is not about spying. This is about monitoring public programs; the more we overblow the monitoring of Muslim Communities, the more that will serve to radicalize Muslims.”

Jasser defended the NYPD’s showing of The Third Jihad, which proved how that many Muslims groups, like CAIR, purport to be moderate but have radical agendas that include taking over America from within. He compared The Third Jihad to another, patriotic film. “If you look at Third Jihad, also look at movies like “Act of Valor. Here’s a movie about Navy SEALs, the greatest heroes of the United States, that actually says the same thing — they went after Islamic terrorists in Afghanistan and elsewhere. These are not racism; these are reality films,” he said.

Samir Abdelkhalek, a high school senior at St. Peter’s Boys High School on Staten Island, spoke on behalf of the Muslim Liberty Project, a group of young people affiliated with the American Islamic Forum for Democracy. “As a Muslim, I have nothing to hide,” he said. “I have trust in the NYPD for following people with reasonable belief.”

An imam from Queens, Qazi Qayyoom, joined the event to show his support and gratitude to the NYPD. "They protect us, they allow us to pray in peace; some of us don't have those rights in the countries where we came from," he said. "We thank them."

A business owner on Long Island, Mohammed Hai, 58, who attended the press conference, came to show support the NYPD in their efforts to protect the community. “We are the real Muslims and stand up for the real Islam,” he said.

The news conference ended with comments by Representative Peter T. King (R-NY), head of the House Committee on Homeland Security who praised the “effectiveness” of the NYPD in preventing more terrorist attacks on New York.  “Let’s give a medal to Ray Kelly,“ said King, who pointed a finger at the culprits who are hampering the NYPD’s counter-terrorism effort.  “Let’s denounce The New York Times and the Associated Press for what they are: Left-wing rumor mongers.” King (right) added that these media outlets were “disgracing themselves.”

Late last week, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg issued a statement in support of Kelly and the NYPD, saying the NYPD will and should continue the surveillance. “The threat is not going away. We've got to do everything that the law permits us to do to prevent another terror attack. We cannot forget that."

Bloomberg added, "This is not a joke. This is not a political statement or a political football to play with," he said. "We are threatened.”

Bloomberg called the surveillance “legal,” “appropriate’ and “constitutional.”

 

Thu, March 1, 2012 Anti-Islamist American Muslims Support NYPD

A Muslim coalition will hold a press conference to support the NYPD, reject the Islamist grievance narrative and 'take the Islamophobia card off the table.'

PRESS CONFERENCE

WHEN: MONDAY, MARCH 5, 2012 10 AM - 11 AM
WHERE: 1 POLICE PLAZA, NEW YORK CITY

In a first-of-its-kind, a press conference has been called by a coalition of American anti-Islamist (anti-Muslim Brotherhood) Muslims to voice their support for the New York Police Department (NYPD). They will be joined by Congressman Peter King (R-NY), chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security.

“For all those who asked, ‘Where are the moderate Muslim voices?’ we will be shouting from the rooftops. America needs this story covered. It is long overdue for Americans to see a Muslim coalition support the work of brave Americans like the NYPD and reject the Islamist grievance narrative. It’s time to take the Islamophobia card off the table once and for all,” said Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, organizer of the event and president and founder of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy (AIFD).

“The public discourse concerning Muslims and NYPD has been dominated by a perception that American Muslims feel targeted. This press conference will give voice to a large coalition of American Muslims who feel otherwise and reject Islamist representation of their voices. [We] stand with the NYPD in its belief that the best way to fight terror is to identify its roots causes and address them head on,” Jasser continued.

The NYPD has been under a non-stop barrage from CAIR (Council on American Islamic Relations) and The New York Times since January when the Times dredged up a year-old story that the NYPD was using our film, The Third Jihad, in their counter-terrorism training.  CAIR subsequently called for the dismissal of NYPD Chief Ray Kelly, known as one of the main players in effectively countering radical Muslim terror in New York City post September 11.

In recent days another media storm ensued when an investigation by the Associated Press (AP) revealed that the NYPD was keeping tabs on Muslim student associations and mosques in the New York-New Jersey area. Even though the NYPD had stopped a number of terrorist attacks whose perpetrators were radicalized in these same student associations and mosques and was fully within legal boundaries, calls for Kelly’s resignation followed.     

The press conference will take place Monday, March 5, 2012, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. at 1 Police Plaza in New York City and will be attended by a diverse, broad based group of American Muslims under the leadership of the The American Islamic Leadership Coalition (AILC), representing over 20 North American Muslim organizations and activists.

The demonstrators will be standing before a large banner declaring, “American Muslims Support NYPD.”  

The event will feature remarks from Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser, President of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy; Tarek Fatah, Founder of the Muslim Canadian Congress; Manda Zand Ervin, Founder of the Alliance for Iranian Women; C. Holland Taylor, Chairman and CEO of the LibForAll Foundation; and Congressman Peter King.

Tue, February 14, 2012 Anatomy of a Smear: CAIR's Attack on The Third Jihad and the NYPD [with VIDEO]

The director of The Third Jihad has made a video documenting the smear campaign being waged against the film by CAIR, the Council on American Islamic Relations, and The New York Times.

 

The director of The Third Jihad, Wayne Kopping, has made a video documenting the smear campaign being waged against the film by CAIR, the Council on American Islamic Relations, and The New York Times.

In connection with New York University's Brennen Center for Law, The New York Times launched a full-scale attack on the film January 24, a year after the Village Voice "broke" the story that the film was being used in training sessions for the New York City Police Department.

The film documents the "cultural jihad" being waged by much of the Muslim leadership in America today. Citing documented sources and expert testimony, the film is careful to report factual evidence.

In an eerie reminder of the focus of the film itself, CAIR, an organization with proven links to terrorist organizations, has tried to get the NYPD Chief of Police (who appeared in the film) fired and have   "deprogramming" sessions instituted by the NYPD. They have already been successful in getting the film yanked from the training sessions, after NY Mayor Michael Bloomberg and NYPD Chief Ray Kelly succumbed to pressure from CAIR and other Islamist groups.

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