Contact Information For Immediate Release
April 26, 2012
The Rev. Chloe Breyer, ICNY 917 420 1214
John Vaughn, Auburn Theological Seminary 212 870 3132
The Interfaith Center of New York and Auburn Theological Seminary join Muslim Advocates and colleagues in Muslim and Arab communities around New York in expressing deep disappointment at White House Chief Counterterrorism advisor John Brennan’s recent comments expressing full “confidence that the NYPD is doing things consistent with the law.” As among the 100 civic, educational and community signatories on a recent letter to Attorney General Eric Holder requesting an investigation into the NYPD’s profiling and surveillance of Muslim New Yorkers, we feel Brennan’s confidence is premature and hope that the US Department of Justice will respond to calls for an investigation from this coalition.
On March 13, 2011 ICNY and Auburn Seminary also joined faith leaders from a variety of traditions on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of NYPD Operations Order 11 which explicitly forbids racial profiling. We questioned the NYPD’s faithfulness to its own Operations Order, and suggested that religious profiling be resisted as well as racial profiling. ICNY noted that in an August 2010 speech at Governors Island Mayor Michael Bloomberg said, “We would betray our values and play into our enemies’ hands if we were to treat Muslims differently than anyone else…Muslims are as much a part of our city and our country as the people of any faith.”
ICNY and Auburn Theological Seminary have often noted there is no one is more interested than Muslim New Yorkers themselves in making sure that their own communities and houses of worship are free from violent extremism. We urge the Obama Administration to engage in substantive dialogue with a broad range of Muslim community leaders to build greater trust and to support the safety of our city.
