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Will All Muslims Please Send Us Their Whereabouts.

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 16 2007 9:00 AM

Submitted by FearTheReaper. Edited By FearTheReaper.

TAGS: LAPD, Muslim Mapping

Last week the LA Times revealed an awesome plan that would keep America safe from terrorists. The police department was planning on creating a database of all the Muslims living in the Los Angeles area. The LAPD planned on using census data and �other demographic information� to locate Muslim communities and then �reach out� to them. It is being called a �Muslim mapping� program, just for a little extra creepy flair.

We are seeking to identify at-risk communities. We are looking for communities and enclaves based on risk factors that are likely to become isolated�We want to know where the Pakistanis, Iranians and Chechens are so we can reach out to those communities.

Great fucking idea! Maybe after we can start a �Jewish mapping� program. I don�t think anyone would have a problem with that, would they? What? Does that bring up some odd memories or something? Where�s everybody going? Hello?

People were obviously upset, particularly the people who were going to be �mapped.� But they did not stand alone in their outrage.

I was shocked and horrified to read of the Los Angeles Police Department's antiterrorism bureau program to map Muslim communities. The debate over security versus individual rights that was popularized in the wake of the USA Patriot Act and invoked in this case is, in my view, the wrong debate. Targeting identity communities to protect society from those minority subgroups that seek to do harm � as opposed to creating strategies to address criminal behavior � is both morally repugnant and strategically misinformed.

I actually feel a little weird right now, because I have a colorful Los Angeles Muslim map on my wall. I use it to find falafels. (I get very bummed out when the Muslim community is Indonesian because they do not make falafels.)

Yesterday, after listening to a week of protest, the LAPD decided to kill the mapping plan.

The reversal comes after a week of protests from Muslim groups and civil libertarians, who equated the mapping with religious profiling. Others questioned whether it was possible for the LAPD to accurately map the city's far-flung Muslim community.

Oh, you mean because the law bars the US Census Bureau from asking people about their religion? Yeah, that might be a bit of a problem. But the LAPD said they will still �reach out� to the Muslim Community.

Hey, thanks for getting around to that. It�s only 2007, no need to go too fast, I guess. Muslim leaders are pleased that they won�t be �mapped� and said they will work with the police � as long as the mapping idea does not return. And I�m sure the police will have tremendous success convincing Los Angeles Muslims that they are there to help after this fiasco.

The ACLU on Wednesday filed a public records request for details of the mapping project.

Good idea. Not that I�m suspicious of the LAPD, they have an awesome history as humanitarians, but they could try to start this up again under another name or secretly. Get all the information you can, ACLU, because it�s creepy.

Mary Grady, the LAPD's public information director, said that it made sense to remove the mapping element from the plan. "The whole purpose of this initiative was to bring together the department with the Muslim community. The word 'mapping' gave the impression it was about profiling when it was not."

Right, it was just about finding out where people of a certain religion live, making a map of it and then keeping an eye on those people. Nothing weird about that.

50 Comments

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emotedcreations

Germany

July 2006

NOV 18, 2007 10:50 PM

azrael7 said:
It really isn't a bad idea considering Islam has been the problem child of religious faiths. SInce the beginning of creation and still today the world over no other religion causes as much devestation than Islam. In Darfur black muslims and trying to erradicate black africans. I think we should deport all mulims and never allow any to return to the USA, but then again since i was actualy in combat and lost many friends in Iraq I don't expect anyone here to understand.

Being from Detroit I have lots of Muslim friends that I care about from a large sample of different countries. I don't want them going anywhere, sorry. They're going to stay right here. You can leave.

sitar

Philadelphia, PA

June 2004

NOV 19, 2007 05:25 AM

bendingunit23 said:
oh yeah that plan sounds nothing like hitler and the Jewish and gypsies.

psst, hey buddy,
the jews don't really like being referred to as 'the jewish'. it comes off sounding awkward and skin crawley. I don't know why, but trust me on this one.

and to azrael the bigot:

your mom is the problem child of all religions. at least she was last night.
Since your rhetoric could not possibly be serious, this is what you get.
your mom.

Kindle

Seattle, WA

March 2006

NOV 19, 2007 09:00 AM

oyaji said:

It's too bad you don't understand what the United States is about. Deport all Muslims, indeed. Ever heard of the Constitution? In fact, don't you take an oath as a member of the armed forces to defend it?

I would be much more in favor of deporting reactionary ignoramuses who try to hide behind service in the military as a hackneyed ruse to deflect righteous and Real American criticism of their filth. You could go to Burma or Darfur, where people of your mindset are appreciated.

Better for you, better for us. And by "us" I mean the United States of America, of which you don't deserve to be a citizen.

I think I love you oyaji

Yummy

SUICIDEGIRL

California, USA

NOV 19, 2007 08:36 PM

Yeah, because what they did to the Japanese during WW2 turned out GREAT, let's start down the same road again. Seriously, why did anyone think that would work?

Ascanius said:

SockPuppet said:

azrael7 said:
your not even in the USA so you dont matter.

You, sir, are a wanker.

+1. A wanker!!

Hehe. Wanker. I like that word, I should start using it.

inkonnu

United Kingdom

November 2007

NOV 30, 2007 06:01 AM

Zarth said:
Um, yeah. Do you know where the term "witch hunt" comes from? "Pogrom"? "Blood libel"?

Was it Muslims who committed the Holocaust?

Just because you were "actualy in combat" doesn't give your racist (and, needless to say, false) generalizations any legitimacy whatsoever.

You should seek help for your PTSD, not turn into a crutch for your hate.

Actually, some Muslims did take part in the Holocaust.

As for the rest of your post, absolutely spot on.

Thanks for writing a post which made me want to reply enough to re-subscribe