Muslim advocates charge NYPD is racial profiling in Queens raids tied to alleged Zazi terror plot (link)
BY Henrick Karoliszyn and Samuel Goldsmith
DAILY NEWS WRITERS
Updated Saturday, October 10th 2009, 4:52 PM
Recent terror raids in Queens have led to a spike in fear and racial profiling, Muslim advocates charge.
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"People are scared," said Sultan Faiz, a leader at Abu Bakar Mosque in Queens. "People are fearful in our community."
Faiz said attendance at the mosque has plunged since the raids.
"Stop the raids," one sign read. "No racial or religious profiling," read another.
Yesha Mahmooda, an organizer with the South Asian immigrant rights group Desis Rising Up and Moving, said hundreds of community members have contacted her to report police profiling in recent weeks.
"They are very scared they are being surveilled," she said.
Organizers say Muslims in New York haven't been this scared since the months after 9/11, when some were subject to blatant discrimination across the country.
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Query, why are these people afraid of being "surveilled"? One of life's mysteries.
I heard footage on the radio of some of the demonstrators being interviewed. They expressed a wish that the police show more "respect" in their investigative activities. I suggest an even trade; the Muslim community organizers (who I do not accuse of complicity or involvement in terror) suggest that the members of their community that do bomb show some "respect" in their targets, and at least make mass transit, tall buildings, religious facilities, schools or any non-military target off-limits. A fair proposal?