The New York Police Department (NYPD) secretly labeled mosques as terrorist organizations, as the designation that allow police to use informants to record sermons and spy on imams, the Associated Press reported.
As part of its counter-terrorism methods, the NYPD believes that anyone who attends pray service may be subject of an investigation.
The NYPD opened at least a dozen "terrorism investigations" into the city's mosque's since the 9/11 attacks, according to interviews and police documents. The NYPD has yet to criminally charge a mosque or Islamic organization with operating a terrorism entity yet. The strategy enabled the NYPD to send undercover officers into mosques, as well as planting informants on the board at different mosques.
"We follow leads wherever they take us," Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said. "We're not intimidated as to wherever that lead takes us. And we're doing that to protect the people of New York City."
Some lawyers in New York believe the strategy goes against the very principle of freedom of worship in America. "Every Muslim is a potential terrorist? It is completely unacceptable. It really tarnishes all of us and tarnishes our system of values," Martin Stolar said.
The NYPD indicate they were particularly alarmed by the case involving Mohammad Elshinawy, an Islamic teacher at several New York mosques. After all, Elshinawy's father was an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center attacks, according to NYPD documents. Elshinawy is a Salafist.
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