L.A. police plan to map Muslim areas criticized ACLU, Islamic groups send
letter citing 'grave concerns'
updated 5:00 p.m. CT, Fri., Nov. 9, 2007 function
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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.
>>>>> More at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21713765/
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