The counterterrorism bureau of the Los Angeles Police Department plans to create a city map showing predominantly Muslim enclaves. According to Deputy Chief and bureau head Michael Downing, these enclaves could become “isolated and susceptible to violent, ideologically-based extremism. We want to know where the Pakistanis, Iranians and Chechens live so that we can reach out to these communities," explained Deputy Chief Downing. He added that this plan is still in the early stages of development and that his bureau intends to work with Muslim leaders and use data collected by the University of Southern California's Center for Economic Analysis.
Deputy Chief Downing announced the plan on October 30 during testimony before a Senate committee. His bureau wants to "take a deeper look at the history, demographics, language, culture, ethnic breakdown, socioeconomic status and social interactions in Muslim communities."
The Census Bureau puts the number of Muslims in Los Angeles and Orange and Riverside counties at 500,000.
The Southern California branch of the American Civil Liberties Union and several Muslim organizations – including the Association of Muslim Lawyers, the Islamic Council of Southern California and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) – have sent Deputy Chief Downing a letter expressing their “profound concern” about these plans.
“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,” reads the letter.
According to Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the LA chapter of CAIR, this program will turn LA police officers into “religious political analysts,” even though their job is to fight crime and maintain law and order.
But another Muslim organization known as the Muslim Public Affairs Council intends to cooperate with the police on this project.
“We will work with the LAPD and give them input, while at the same time making sure that people’s civil liberties are protected," said Executive Director Salam Al-Marayati.
