AA's "Fat Flier" Got Whole Row
Ashley Dupre On Tiger Woods' Babes: "At Least I Kept My Mouth Shut"
Same-Sex Marriage Blame Game Aims at Paterson, Addabbo
Wife Tries To Abort And Poison Husband's Lovechild
Rihanna's Random Airport Search
With the federal authorities continuing their investigation of an alleged terror plot with roots in Denver and Queens, some New York City Muslims have accused the feds and NYPD of racial profiling. Queens Islamic activist Monami Maulik said over the weekend, "An entire community and people and religion should not be profiled and characterized as terrorists because of certain investigations."
The feds have only charged Najibullah Zazi, a former Queens resident who sold coffee from a cart in Lower Manhattan and more recently drove a shuttle bus in Denver, on a single terrorism conspiracy charge, but have said other arrests will come. Zazi, who was allegedly trained in explosives by Al Qaeda, apparently went to Pakistan with two NYC men—" a yellow-cab driver who took the test to become a city firefighter and a Queens College student majoring in economics." While the men, both in their mid-20s, deny any involvement, the FBI and NYPD have searched their homes and they remain under surveillance.
Another focus of surveillance is Naiz Khan, whose apartment Zazi stayed at in early September—he says he knows nothing of a supposed terror plot and lamented to the Times, "If we go back to Afghanistan, Taliban will kill you for being American. In Pakistan, we don’t have a good life. Now they say we are terrorists here? Where should we go?"
One community organizer told WNYC that "more than a hundred women said their husbands had been stopped by the police." Ayesha Mahmooda of Desis Rising Up and Moving said, "When they’re going to work, they’re being questioned, they’re being ID’ed, they’re being asked by police enforcement where are you going, are you involved in any kind of attacks or plotting anything.]" The FBI issued a statement saying, "The FBI does not engage in racial or ethnic profiling. With predication, we investigate individuals or groups of individuals for criminal conduct or threats to national security."
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
Past performance is indicative of future results.
You're totally right. The Christian Crusades have been ongoing for centuries and there's still no slowing down.
settle down little fella.
good god farleft. seems you have everything figured out.
Who in their right mind thinks it's a bad idea to check out where and with whom an alleged terrorist used to live?
I guess an alternative would be to scrawl an angry letter to Zazi asking him to tell us everything he knows. If he says he knows nothing he can't possibly be lying! amiright?
Do you need a Gothamist translator? Because that's not at all the point of the post, nor is it what Jen said was happening here.
try reading the original posts mr. leftwing nutjob.
"Members of a Queens Muslim community and their supporters voiced their opposition over recent FBI and NYPD raids and surveillance following the arrest of Najibullah Zazi"
certain muslims are pissed about the actions of the FBI and NYPD. and so what? these agencies have every right to investigate a crime. and as citizens people of any religion may organize, protest, and sue if their rights have been breached. ain't america great?
Thank you for putting that jackass in his place because I just don't have the energy.
His irrational snipes have gotten, well, more irrational lately.
Jen's post makes reference to hundreds of muslims being searched and questioned simply because they are muslim...not because they are personally associated in any way with Zazi. Nowhere in the post does it say that Muslim community members are offended that people associated with Zazi are being questioned or under surveillance. The roommate of Zazi...yeah, fine, question him...noone is arguing against that.
It's one thing to go after people who knew or had ties to suspected terrorists...It's another thing to randomly stop Muslims because simply they're Muslim...or because they simply live in the area that he lived, which is what the article in question is claiming. I think both of you missed the point, or misread why these community members are upset. That's all.
This was obviously meant for Valeriob and Hotstepper...
i've been stopped and searched many times too and i don't like it either. but because i don't profess a religious affiliation i can't assemble with others and claim racial profiling or religious bias. if muslims are actually being harassed, like i said above, they have the freedom to organize and sue.
you're right in one regard: racial profiling is not legal in america. but if you had a valid point above and we missed it, it could be because spewing knee-jerk crap about "christian crusades" doesn't make your analysis sound very sane or useful.
Hotstepper...I posted my Christian Crusade comment because the poster was making reference to Muslim violence throughout history, and the tendency to continue it. It was totally valid to reference Christian violence throughout history as a comparison. Why do you consider that "knee-jerk crap?" I may say some things on Gothamist that are knee-jerk leftist responses, but this wasn't one of them.
put yourself in their shoes, the the headlines or news shows, theres no such thing as a Christian arrested, a jew arrested, a jesus follower suspected or a jewish person suspected of.
leave out all the snitches, informants and undercovers the cops send to mosques, the famous parking of radioactivity detetcors out side mosques, the requirement to show up and register at INS etc etc...
"big hole in lower Manhattan to prove it."
is stupid reasoning, if these guys wanted to blow something up, they can say theres a big hole in my village where a schoolhouse used to be.
The difference is I don't know anybody who died in their schoolhouse village blast, nor care.
That, in a nutshell, is the apathy of most of America's citizens, convinced they are living like saints in a bubble and their government has never done, nor can do, any wrong.
Please point me to an example of the United States purposely blowing up a schoolhouse.
Yes, profiling is awful. Yes, decent people in the US routinely get harrassed because they happen to be Muslin. It's not fair.
But I also think that the situation would be helped if prominent American Muslims would talk openly about the importance of COOPERATING with law enforcement, rather than tacitly condoning the behaviour of those who would tip-off, aid, abet or otherwise comfort those being investigated and who really do intend to cause harm.
BINGO!
The history of Muslim non- cooperation with law enforcement in this country is horrendous.
totally agreed. If the same population decried their terrorist brethren I'd feel differently and yet I've waited for 8 years and heard sh*t. There's a certain amount of disgust that I'd like to see, where the hell is it and what are they waiting for?
Are you kidding? You think most Muslims support Bin Laden simply because they don't still march around declaring his actions deplorable? You know they did that after the attacks, right? All across the nation Muslims expressed their outrage at the 9/11 attacks. You think that they are not disgusted by terrorism committed by fundamentalist Muslim groups simply because they don't continue to march around reiterating their disgust with the attacks?
Why do you not also ask that white, Christian, right-wing citizens also decry the slaughter of Iraqi and Afghani innocents, or the destruction of Muslim civilian institutions? Why must law-abiding Muslims go out of their way to show you their continued disgust of fundamentalist Islam (of which they have no affiliation) but law-abiding right-wing Christians are not required to make similar statements about the destruction of Islamic life?
If you're going to hold one group up to a different set of expectations without applying those expectations to other groups, then of course there's going to be problems.
Do you also think that African Americans should 'cooperate' with police when they repeatedly get pulled over for no offense whatsoever other than the color of their skin? That it is their obligation as citizens of this great nation to be harassed, questioned, and sometimes detained for crimes that they have no affiliation with whatsoever, despite the fact that it is illegal for authorities to do that?
if African Americans were known for gathering in churches to plan mass rapings and other crimes then yes, I'd feel the exact same way. But most criminals don't act in collusion so it's a different story. Maybe if your heart wasn't leaking so much blood a little bit could sneak up to your brain.
So...Muslims are the only people in the world that "act in collusion"? Is that what you're saying?
Yes, I do farleft. Anytime *anyone* gets stopped by police, the smart move is to smile, cooperate, and say sir or ma'am.
I'm no fan of abusive police, but if the cops are doing something wrong or illegal, I guarantee you that the time of the arrest/detention/conversation is NOT the time to make your protest. You file a complaint, get media involved, have protests, etc. But mouthing off to a cop or slamming a door in a cop's face, right or wrong, is never going to help you, ever.
You have to be pragmatic in your responses.
But anyway - that's not the point here. Everyone agrees (at least I hope agrees) that profiling is bad.
The issue here is that an imam knew that Zazi was being investigated by the Feds (apparently with good reason) and then tipped Zazi off (almost destroying the whole investigation). THAT's the problem. And THAT's what should be condemened.
IT IS NOT GOOD P.R. WHEN A COMMUNITY LEADER TIPS OFF SOMEONE BEING INVESTIGATED FOR TERROR AND NOBODY WITHIN THAT COMMUNITY SAYS "HEY MAYBE THERE WAS SOME BAD FAITH THERE" OR "MAYBE WE SHOULD BE SEEN AS HELPING TO GET BAD GUYS RATHER THAN BEING SEEN AS HELPING PROTECT THEM" OR "WE DON'T WANT OUR SPIRITUAL LEADERS HELPING WOULD-BE TERRORISTS." You know, something to the point like that.
It's just simple public relations work. People need to control perceptions. That's all. If people dont see outrage, they assume complicity.
teledingo...I'm all for non-violent protest, community outreach, campaigns to dispel stereotypes, etc. But at a certain point you cannot expect people to calmly and happily continue to be subject to discrimination based on their race or religious views. Why do you think Henry Louis Gates responded so angrily towards officer Crowley a few months back? At a certain point, even the most respected, professional, educated individuals can not be expected to idly sit back and be subject to illegal discrimination. You're asking the victim to cooperate with illegal discrimination rather than the perpetrator in authority to act within the law.
I see where you're coming from...and I don't disagree with a lot of what you said, but I think we'd be misplacing responsibility if we assume it is the victim of racism who must make the extra effort, not the perpetrator of discrimination.
yes, unless you know other people that blew up/terrorized:
The 1972 Olympics
The USS Cole
Two embassies
The Achille lauro
The WTC twice
Tourist areas in Thailand
The majority of Israel
Several planes (some over Lockerbie, some not)
Look man, not liking the truth doesn't mean it isn't so. When the Swedes start doing this shit I'll think poorly of the Swedes but until then, historically this is Muslim-terrain. They are free to stop whenever they want.
I suggest you research all the non-arab terrorists throughout the world as well, including Caucasian Americans...then let's compare notes.
I suggest you research all the non-arab terrorists throughout the world as well,
If you have a point to make, make it. I'm not your research assistant. I guarantee you will find no other group of people who have terrorized the globe as much as militant Muslims have over the past 100 years.
After all, who invented the "suicide bomber"? Not Judeo-Christians. Nice try though.
The reason why I suggest you do some research is because you're ignorant. Why should I educate you? Pick up a book and read another perspective for once.
And, just so you know...the first suicide bomber was a Jewish Zionist. Her name was Sima Fleishhaker-Hoizman, and she committed the act in 1946 before the State of Israel was created. Kinda ironic, eh?
RIGHT...
Please point me to an example of the United States purposely blowing up a schoolhouse.
on a US based media or foreign terror loving media website?
are you ready for shocking pictures of dead babies, toddlers, and children. or is it ok if its a "mistake"
farleft i bow...
you dare
let the world know that...the orig palestine suicde bomber was not palestinian...
That's right. Unlike these idiots, I keep my mouth shut if I don't know something, and only comment if I've researched all sides and know what I'm talking about. Sometimes I have no problem schooling idiots like this if it will get them to shut the F up and run away with their tails between their legs. After 4 responses, etypical is gone...not a big surprise. Hopefully his head exploded. :)
Not gone, more like commuting home from work. A sensation I'm betting you are unfamiliar with. Are you seriously advocating that the bulk of terrorism over the past 100 years was NOT caused by militant Muslims? The IRA has been quiet for years, who else has brought all that terror down on innocent people.
At 8:46 am on 9/11/01 you thought what, Bush did it? I don't care that there is one instance of Jewish terrorism. I care about what is empirically true. Militant Muslims commit more acts of modern terrorism than any other group of individuals on the face of the Earth - whether or not you like that doesn't make the evidence negligible. When that stops, I bet the profiling will. I for one (clearly) don't care to protect those who don't care about me.
Say whatever else you like on the matter - I've been dragged down to your level and now I'm going to crawl out of your mental ditch of sheer stupidity.
etypical...the problem with your argument is that it's an "Us versus Them" argument. That's exactly the way fundamentalists on both sides argue...as if the Other is subhuman, expendable, worthless, insignificant. And that the Other's lives are subsequently less valuable than Ours. And so are their civil rights.
It's a lot more complicated than simply saying 9/11 was committed by Muslim fundamentalists, therefore we must be at war with Muslims...and that 9/11 warrants initiating a discriminatory policy that scrutinizes all Muslims, not just the few who are fundamentalist nuts.
There is a history to fundamentalist Islam, and it was supported by the USA and other countries decades ago. And there is also a history to fundamentalist Christianity and Judaism. All three are ongoing, and they are intertwined with other issues including economy, access to natural resources, geography, political power, human rights, free trade, Capitalism, etc. You cannot look at 9/11 and say that one event will shape your perspective on Islam and all muslims in this world. If you do so, then you're denying yourself historical and cultural perspective and will inevitably continue this path towards alienation and perpetual war. It's a fact. It's the path Bush took us, republicans supported, and Obama is continuing to support as well.
I'll just end by saying that you asked a question about the first suicide bomber, asserting that it was not a Judea Christian terrorist who performed it, and you did so with a very pompous attitude...and you were flat out wrong. Consider for just a minute if the other information you have been taught is also rooted in lies and fundamentalist Christian propaganda. You can decide for yourself if you want to educate yourself on this history, but if you decide to absorb only the junk from Christian & Jewish fundamentalists, you're no different than the Muslim Fundamentalists you so despise.
Well said etypical.
I'm glad to see that most people agree that racial profiling is wrong, but to those who think that Muslims should go through the "proper channels" of lawsuits and not make a ruckus to the police, have you considered that they've probably already tried all that? That maybe, the fact that this is being publicized 8 years after 9/11, that this has been happening for ALL of those 8 years?
Unfortunately, racial profiling, harassment, and yes murder of Muslims and perceived Muslims have actually been going on the entire time in this country. These people are just like you, trying to live their lives peacefully in the good ol USA. I know most of us are apathetic about what happens outside of our own lives, but yes, they actually do deserve the same rights you do.
Very well put.
Violent dissenters have been around for hundreds of years. The anarchist bombing of Wall Street, the Croatian airport bombing of years back, the IRA Harrods blast and Boston connections, the FALN Fraunces blast, the anti-choice (I refuse to use the PC "Pro-Life") whackos. Japanese internment, MacCarthy black-listing, various other over-reactions sucked, of course. But in LE, with the resources you've got, Sutton's law applies.
You use your resources to target the "most likely" suspects, and do your best. It would be, of course, much better if the "authorities" were more competent in their work. TSA probing Grannies shoes is a waste of resources. I'm no paranoid, and the "PATRIOT" act was a load of bull. But folks may have to deal with a little inconvenience from time-to-time to sort stuff out. If you're on a "shots fired" run, who are you gonna stop: Granny with a walker or the dude running down the street, baggies hanging down and pit-bull in tow. In medicine ther is a saying: when you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras. Go with the stats, focus, increase the yield, and screw the ACLU. I have the same rights as anyone stopped on suspicion (and, as a white-bread, I have been). Deal with it, suck it up, and go on. You're doing nothing wrong, deal with the inconvenience. Might you offer an alternative as to how such conundrums might be dealt with? Efectively?
Good post. Obviously common sense isn't the strong suit of some lunatic fringe apologists like farleft who won't be happy until Muslims destroy the US like they are doing to Europe now.
Perhaps we should expand racial profiling to the construction industry, in order to drive off the mafia. Maybe then the SAS and WTC will finally be completed.
I'm still waiting for all these "good Muslims" to denounce the 9/11 and 11-M terrorist attacks which, last I knew, was committed by a bunch of Muslims. Haven't seen too many Christians or Jews flying planes into buildings lately.
Until then, racial profiling makes perfect sense.
US forces (including militant Christian missionary groups contracted by the US Army) have killed many more civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan...and Israeli's (Jews) have killed far more Palestinian civilians since 9/11. The USA and Israel have also committed far more destruction to infrastructure, economy, and the well-being of those civilian populations than any attacks by Muslims in the USA. Sure, you can side with your friend Dickhead Cheney, and say that the reason we haven't been attacked on our soil since 9/11 is because we racially profile muslims, but one day the chickens will come home to roost, and it will continue to grow into yet another vicious cycle of bloodshed around the world. You can't expect a domestic and international policy based on killing, discrimination, and Christian religious fundamentalism to keep Americans safe. It's only a matter of time when that policy bites us on the ass. That's always been the case. It's time to learn from history.
Hark. Another brainwashed libtard speaks out of his ass.
Also, just because I agree with racially profiling Muslim terrorists doesn't mean that Dickhead Cheney is my "friend". Educate yourself. Thanks.
"...just because I agree with racially profiling Muslim terrorists..."
This is a great quote...one which speaks volumes about your ignorance. For the record, I support profiling "Muslim Terrorists" also...do it 24/7. That's not what we're arguing her. We're talking about profiling Muslims citizens that are NOT terrorists simply because they're Muslim. Just because you're a Muslim doesn't mean you're a terrorist. Heed your own advice and go back to school.
lol what rot. how come you looney liberals never get this upset when christians and other non-muslims are being murdered every day in the Middle East just for existing? All you freaks do is cry how the poor little Muslim terrorists aren't getting a fair shake in a country that treats them better than their own home country ever did.
Okay, I have to raise a point on this article.
I condemn racial profiling, but where is it? The only proof of it in this article is that a community organizer said that the wives said that the husbands said that they were asked various questions by the police. And all of these people live in the community Zazi was known to stay in and worship at the mosque that he used to attend.
Since he lived in area X, it makes sense for investigators to focus their attention on that location. Since he worshiped at mosque Y, and Islamic extremism is what fuels most terrorist attacks, it is logical to investigate that mosque and the people who visit it.
All in all - I'm on the fence about this one. Did Police bother people who probably had nothing to do with this plot? Probably.
Did they do so because of racial profiling? Very doubtful - it was because of (locational and religious) proximity to the alleged terrorist.
And this "He said that she said that he said that they said" about the profiling does not fly. True, we should be cautious about how such investigations are run, but I don't see the authorities doing anything wrong here and until someone who has been allegedly profiled comes forward, I don't buy it.
In any case, racial profiling or not, they foiled a plan to attack us yet again....Good Job!
the cat is out of the bag,
use the movie plot scenario,
"how can we test the system, and create fear without actually commiting a terrorist act"
they didnt fail, they succeeded.