Relax: NYPD ends surveillance of New Jersey Muslims

Even a rigorously observant dhimmi like Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York has defended the legality and usefulness of this program, but the NYPD has, predictably enough, nonetheless crumbled before the Islamic supremacist pressure.

And what could go wrong? No Muslim in New Jersey would dream of taking advantage of law enforcement's defensive and subservient stance, now, would they? Of course not!

"NYPD Muslim Spying In New Jersey Has Ended, Attorney General Tells Religious Leaders," by Samantha Henry for the Associated Press, September 5:

NEWARK, N.J. — The state attorney general assured a group of Muslim leaders Wednesday that a New York City police unit that conducted surveillance of Muslim businesses, religious leaders and student groups was no longer operating in New Jersey.

Jeffrey Chiesa made the remarks during the first meeting of an outreach committee he formed to repair relations between law enforcement and Muslims in the wake of the revelations about the New York Police Department's surveillance tactics.

Paul Loriquet, a spokesman for the attorney general, confirmed that state Department of Homeland Security and Preparedness Director Edward Dickson said during the closed door meeting that the NYPD's Demographics Unit was no longer working in New Jersey. Loriquet added that Chiesa felt the meeting was productive and that the attorney general "wanted to make sure that all the people of New Jersey's rights are protected and respected."

Chiesa told the group Wednesday that he stood by his findings – announced in May following a three-month review – that the NYPD had not violated any New Jersey laws in conducting the surveillance.

The NYPD had operated secretly in New Jersey neighborhoods where Muslims lived and worked, spied on Muslim neighborhoods and organizations, infiltrated Muslim student groups and videotaped mosque-goers. The activities, revealed in a series by The Associated Press, angered many Muslims and New Jersey officials and resulted in a federal lawsuit against the NYPD.

NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly, who has vigorously defended the department's spying on Muslims as vital to the city's safety, said Wednesday that he wasn't aware of the New Jersey meeting. An NYPD spokesman, Paul Browne, said the department is "continuing and will continue to follow leads wherever they take us, including out-of-state."

Muslim leaders who attended Wednesday's meeting said it was a good first step.

"The discussion I think is laying a foundation for us to move forward, an opportunity for us to build, or rebuild, more communication, more cooperation, and hopefully improving the trust between the Muslim community and law enforcement agencies," said Imam Wahy-ud Deen Shareef of Masjid Waarith ud Deen in Irvington, who is a plaintiff in the federal suit against the NYPD....

A good first step? Why do they not see any need to make any first step to show they're working against jihadist sentiments and Islamic supremacism within their community? Why is it not incumbent upon them to do the slightest thing to build "trust"? And more importantly, why does it never occur to anyone in government, law enforcement, or media to ask such questions?