SEE YOU THERE!

 napolitanoletter

December 12, 2008

Ms. Janet Napolitano

Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Washington, D.C. 20528

Dear Ms. Napolitano:

We, the undersigned organizations and members of the Muslim American Civil Liberties Coalition (MACLC) congratulate you on your appointment to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). We view this as an opportunity for our government to restore America’s global image as a leading defender of human rights. As a coalition consisting of New York Muslim advocates and community leaders, we are concerned over the heightened scrutiny and subsequent marginalization of American Muslims under the Bush administration. Thus, we urge DHS to develop counterterrorism strategies that uphold national security interests without unduly infringing upon civil liberties.

Our concern especially warrants your consideration in light of the 2007 New York City Police Department (NYPD) Report, “”Radicalization in the West: The Homegrown Threat.” The Report presents a misleading depiction of Islam and its adherents by perpetuating widespread public and private stereotypes of the American Muslim community.

Some of our specific concerns regarding the Report include:

·        Linking of faith with terror by erroneously associating religious precepts with violence, without considering religious nuances and guidelines provided by defense experts and DHS documents.  

·        Infringing on free exercise and association rights protected under the U.S. Constitution, and implied sanctioning of racial and religious profiling.

·        Alienating mainstream American Muslims and failing to provide practical counter-terrorism solutions that target actual offenders.

MACLC recently released a detailed critique of the NYPD Report, entitled “CountertERRORism Policy: MACLC’s Critique of the NYPD’s Report on Homegrown Radicalism”. This critique, draws attention to the mischaracterization of the domestic threat of terrorism while offering recommendations to the NYPD that safeguard both civil rights and national security interests.

In a letter dated October 6, 2008, NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly acknowledged some of MACLC’s concerns regarding the Report, stating:

“The report never intended to be a policy prescriptive for law enforcement actions, a fact that should have been emphasized, as you noted during our discussions. Indeed, the very reason that this report was disseminated publicly — and not just within the law enforcement community – was for the expressed purpose of engaging and soliciting a broad array of views from a diverse group of people.” Commissioner Kelly also noted in the letter: “The readership would have been better served if a statement clearly asserting that Muslims are not in any way a threat to security were to have been including at the beginning of the report.”

While MACLC welcomes Commissioner Kelly’s statements, we remain deeply concerned that the Report’s unsubstantiated analysis will continue to guide policing and public perception unless it is updated. Case in point: the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs adopted the Report’s analysis[1] and made the alarmist statement that “the United States will likely face increasing levels of homegrown terrorism.”[2] Furthermore, drawing on the NYPD Report, the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, Homeland Security Division has developed protocols for car stops that profile for citizenship and connections to “Islamic owned businesses.”[3] 

Echoing President-elect Barack Obama’s recent statement that national security will be his top priority, MACLC recognizes the importance of contending with such threats to our country. However, we firmly believe that collaborating with, rather than alienating, the Muslim community will strengthen national security efforts. As such, we’ve enclosed a copy of the detailed MACLC critique and recommendations for your review and consideration. 

For any additional information on this matter, please contact MACLC representatives at maclc.ny@gmail.com. We look forward to your response, and to working with your office.

Sincerely,

Omar Mohammedi

President, Association of Muslim American Lawyers

Wael Mousfar

President, Arab Muslim American Federation

Aziz Huq

Deputy Director, Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law School

Faiza N. Ali

Community Affairs Director, Council on American Islamic Relations-NY

Mohammad Razvi

Executive Director, Council of Peoples Organization

Khurshid Khan

President, Islamic Circle of North America

Imam Shamsi Ali

Director, Jamaica Muslim Center Inc.

Abdelhafid Djemil

Outreach Coordinator, Muslim American Society New York

Adem Caroll

Board President, Muslim Consultative Network

Asim Rehman

President, Muslim Bar Association of New York

Naoma Nagahawatte

Director, Muslim Public Affairs Council – New York City

Aisha Al-Adawiya

Executive Director, Women in Islam Inc.