Groups demand investigation into abuse of surveillance powers, anti-Muslim bias
Dallas -- July 10, 2014 -- Muslim Legal Fund of America joined other national organizations in expressing outrage over government agency spying on Muslim Americans without suspicion of criminal activity.
In an article published by The Intercept, the authors list five prominent, law-abiding Muslim Americans who have been victims of unjustified NSA and FBI surveillance. The article, written by Glenn Greenwald and Murtaza Hussain, is based on documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. The five victims are (listed and described verbatim from the article):
- Faisal Gill, a longtime Republican Party operative and one-time candidate for public office who held a top-secret security clearance and served in the Department of Homeland Security under President George W. Bush;
- Asim Ghafoor, a prominent attorney who has represented clients in terrorism-related cases;
- Hooshang Amirahmadi, an Iranian-American professor of international relations at Rutgers University;
- Agha Saeed, a former political science professor at California State University who champions Muslim civil liberties and Palestinian rights;
- Nihad Awad, the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim civil rights organization in the country.
These new revelations further demonstrate anti-Muslim bias in federal law enforcement culture. For example, the term “Mohammed Raghead” was used as a placeholder in a government training document on the surveillance request process. Federal law enforcement training has included documents prepared and presented by anti-Muslim activists who claim religious Muslims are violent because of their faith and are a threat to America’s safety and security.
“It is unconscionable that law enforcement is basing any portion of its surveillance program on religious affiliation,” said Khalil Meek, executive director of MLFA. “Americans deserve a thorough investigation that leads to corrective actions against individuals responsible for these clear violations of our constitutional liberties.”
MLFA joined other organizations in a letter to President Barack Obama in which the organizations call for an investigation into the government’s discriminatory surveillance activities. In the letter, the organizations stated:
These practices hurt not only American Muslims, but all communities that expect law enforcement to serve and protect America’s diverse population equally, without discrimination. They strike the bedrock of democracy: that no one should grow up fearful of law enforcement, scared to exercise the rights to freedom of speech, association and worship.
Muslim Legal Fund of America is a national charity that funds legal work and programs to defend Muslims against injustice in American courtrooms, prisons, and communities. Established in 2001, MLFA has defended freedom of speech, association, religion, the right to a fair trial, and other constitutional rights. Get more information at mlfa.org.
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Sources:
- Meet the Muslim-American Leaders the FBI and NSA Have Been Spying On (article published by The Intercept)
- Coalition Letter to President Obama
Responses to the article:
- U.S. Representative Keith Ellison: Rep. Ellison Statement on Allegations of NSA Spying on Muslim-Americans
- ACLU: NSA Surveillance of Muslim Leader Fits Same Pattern as FBI Spying on MLK, Say Civil Rights Attorneys
- Amnesty International: Surveillance of American Muslims Underscores Lack of Safeguards
- Center for Constitutional Rights: NSA Surveillance of Muslim Leader Fits Same Pattern as FBI Spying on MLF, Say Civil Rights Attorneys
- Human Rights Watch: US: Explain Surveillance on Civil Liberties Group
- Brennan Center for Justice: NSA and FBI Targeting Muslim American Leaders
- Electronic Frontier Foundation: EFF Statement on Intercept Article Revealing Surveillance of Muslim-American Activists
- Council on American-Islamic Relations: Broad Coalition Urges “Full Public Accounting” for Government Surveillance of U.S. Muslim Leaders
- American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee: ADC Responds to Glenn Greenwald’s NSA Revelations
- Muslim Public Affairs Council: MPAC Strongly Condemns NSA, FBI Spying on American Muslim Leaders
- The Partnership for Civil Justice Fund: Justice Dept.’s disingenuous denial of spying on Muslim and Arab Americans
- Linda Sarsour of the American Arab Association via The Guardian: Don’t be shocked that the US spied on American Muslims. Get angry that it justifies spying on whomever it wants.
- Muslim Advocates: Statement on Report by Glenn Greenwald on NSA Spying
- Islamic Society of North America: ISNA Deeply Disturbed About NSA Profiling and Surveillance of American Muslim Community Leaders Email
- Free Press: FBI and NSA Profiling Threatens Our Most Fundamental Rights
- Defending Dissent Foundation: Full Investigation Needed. NOW.
- Access: The NSA revelations continue to shock
- The Hindu: White House to probe NSA, FBI anti-Muslim slurs
140709 FirstLook Coalition Letter Final
