From: ADC Updates
To: ADC Updates
Sent: Saturday, November 10, 2007 1:05 PM
Subject: ADC Deeply Troubled by LAPD Plan to 'Map' LA-Area Muslims
ADC Press Release:
ADC Deeply Troubled by LAPD Plan to 'Map' LA-Area Muslims
Washington, DC | November 10, 2007 | www.adc.org | The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is deeply troubled by the Los Angeles Police Department's "community mapping" plan. The intelligence-guided mapping plan, which is to be carried out in conjunction with the University of Southern California's National Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events, would collect information about Muslim communities in the Los Angeles area in an effort to identify who the Muslims are and where the Muslims reside.
During his October 30, testimony before the before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Los Angeles Commander Michael P. Downing discussed this plan. The nature and scope of the plan is unclear from this testimony and numerous questions remained unanswered. What is clear, however, is that the plan singles out individuals for investigation, surveillance, and data collection based solely on religion, which is a form of religious profiling. In addition to obvious constitutional concerns that such a practice would violate equal protection and burden the free exercise of religion, religious profiling will engender fear and lack of trust in the community which will, in turn, hinder law enforcement efforts.
Once the Muslims in the Los Angeles area are identified, then the LAPD would then, according to Downing’s written testimony, "take a deeper look at their history, demographics, language, culture, ethnic background, socio-economic status, and social interactions." In an interview with the Congressional Quarterly (Nov 1), Downing said he hopes to complete the community mapping plan by this Spring and, "if its successful, he believes it could be transmittable, at least in part, to other major U.S. cities."
ADC Communications Director Laila Al-Qatami said, "ADC supports efforts to keep our country safe and to prevent violence, extremism, and terrorism, but is deeply concerned with the emerging details of this plan. In terms of potential risk factors, Downing’s testimony cites the use of non-mainstream media as a possible indicator of extremist ideology and inclination, ADC raises serious objections to that idea. Additionally the implications of how much data will be collected, and with whom it will be shared, raises obvious privacy concerns, particularly in these times of warrantless wiretapping and illegal surveillance."
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NOTE TO EDITORS: The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), which is non sectarian and non partisan, is the largest Arab-American civil rights organization in the United States. It was founded in 1980, by former Senator James Abourezk to protect the civil rights of people of Arab descent in the United States and to promote the cultural heritage of the Arabs. ADC has 38 chapters nationwide with chapters in every major city in the country, and members in all 50 states.
The ADC Research Institute (ADC-RI), which was founded in 1981, is a Section 501(c)(3) educational organization that sponsors a wide range of programs on behalf of Arab Americans and of importance to all Americans. ADC-RI programs include: research studies, seminars, conferences and publications that document and analyze the discrimination faced by Arab Americans in the workplace, schools, media, and governmental agencies and institutions. ADC-RI also celebrates the rich cultural heritage of the Arabs.
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Contact: Laila Al-Qatami | ADC Communications Director
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee | www.adc.org
1732 Wisconsin Ave., NW | Washington, DC | 20007 Tel: 202-244-2990 | Fax: 202-244-7968 | E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.