Multimedia | American Civil Liberties Union

The ACLU, the NYCLU, and the CLEAR project announced their lawsuit challenging the New York City Police Department's discriminatory surveillance of innocent Muslim New Yorkers at One Police Plaza in NYC. From left to right, Diala Shamas from the CLEAR project stands with Asad Dandia, one of the lawsuit's plaintiffs, the ACLU's Hina Shamsi, and Imam Raza, another plaintiff in the lawsuit.

Hina Shamsi, director of the ACLU's National Security Project, said "Spying on innocent New Yorkers because of religion is wrong and ineffective."

Shamsi stands with one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit Imam Hamid Hassan Raza.

Ramzi Kassem, with the CLEAR project, said "NYPD Muslim spying stifles speech, disrupts communal life and chills religious practice."

Linda Sarsour, leader in the Muslim community, said "The NYPD must be held accountable to not just Muslim New Yorkers but to all New Yorkers for Constitutional practices."

Community member Imam Al-Hajj Talib Abdur-Rashid, the Islamic Leadership Council of Metropolitan New York.

Imam Raza said that he often filters himself from speaking on current events for fear of its being misinterpreted by the NYPD.

"The NYPD has prevented me from doing my job as Imam." -Imam Raza

"Imagine if someone you considered a friend was an NYPD informant. That happened to me." - Asad Dandia

Dandia takes a moment to collect himself as he reflects on the effects of having welcomed an NYPD informant into his life with opens arms.

"I've done nothing wrong, yet I am unable to practice Islam fully because of what the NYPD did to me." -Plaintiff Asad Dandia

"The NYPD is supposed to protect New Yorkers but is instead but is instead stigmatizing hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers because of their religion." -Art Eisenberg, attorney with the NYCLU.

Defending Targets of Discrimination, Discrimination, Surveillance & Privacy

Press Conference Announcing Legal Challenge to NYPD Muslim Surveillance Program

The ACLU, the NYCLU, and the CLEAR project announced their lawsuit challenging the New York City Police Department's discriminatory surveillance of innocent Muslim New Yorkers.

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