MUSLIM LEADERS AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT ON NYPD REPORT ON HOMEGROWN THREAT OF RADICALIZATION
 

(Los Angeles - 8/15/07)—Leaders from the Muslim Public Affairs Council are availability today to respond to a report issued this morning by the New York Police Department which cautions against a growing domestic threat from young Muslim American men.

PLEASE CONTACT MPAC COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR EDINA LEKOVIC AT 213-383-3443 OR EMAIL .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) TO ARRANGE FOR INTERVIEWS WITH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SALAM AL-MARAYATI, AUTHOR AND PROMINENT LEADER DR. MAHER HATHOUT OR SPOKESWOMAN EDINA LEKOVIC.

MPAC today issued a statement, which says:

We are concerned with the implications of the NYPD report, which warns against the presence and spread of domestic “clusters” of self-radicalized young Muslim men. While officials say that there are a dozen “clusters” operating in the Northeast, they have not produced any evidence or charges against individuals.

The NYPD’s report is inconsistent with public statements made by federal law enforcement officials, who have commended the Muslim American community and its organizations for their upstanding character and vast contributions in preventing radicalization, fostering integration, and producing a successful and healthy younger generation. The report also contradicts findings from the National Intelligence Estimate released last month as well as Congressional testimony offered by Department of Homeland Security and FBI officials last month on the question of domestic radicalization.

The report and comments made by NYPD officials use unfortunate and overly broad language to describe average Muslim American young people who they say could pose a threat. MPAC fears that such imprecise and misleading language could inadvertantly induce unfounded hysteria from the American public and hinder the need for intelligent and precise efforts to protect our nation.

The report, which sought to identify patterns from a handful of domestic counterterrorism cases, finds “there is no useful profile to assist law enforcement or intelligence to predict who will follow this trajectory of radicalization. Rather, the indiviudals who take this course begin as ‘unremarkable’ from various walks of life.”

SEE: “Radicalization in the West: The Homegrown Threat” (NYPD, 8/15/07)

Muslim American groups, including MPAC, have taken a leading role in fostering relationships between law enforcement and local communities in order to work proactively to prevent radicalization from taking root in religious institutions. Since May 2004, MPAC’s National Grassroots Campaign to Fight Terrorism has offered mosques a set of proactive community-led guidelines and resources in order to protect mosques, communities and the country. It also supports Mosques in developing ongoing relationships with interfaith groups and law enforcement officials. Click here to find out more about the campaign, which has been recognized by the Department of Justice and endorsed the Islamic Society of North America.

In recent months, MPAC released a special report examining the state of Muslim American youth entitled “The Impact of 9/11 on Muslim American Young People: Religious & National Identity Formation in the Age of Terrorism & Islamophobia”. Last month, MPAC also held a historic National Muslim American Youth Summit, which brought 27 Muslim college student leaders and young professionals to Capitol Hill to foster enhanced civic engagement. Such efforts are crucial to provide opportunities for inclusion and contribution from among the community.

Founded in 1988, the Muslim Public Affairs Council is an American institution which informs and shapes public opinion and policy by serving as a trusted resource to decision makers in government, media and policy institutions. MPAC is also committed to developing leaders with the purpose of enhancing the political and civic participation of Muslim Americans.