Muslim Advocates Making A Difference

Tabling Los Angeles Police Department's Mapping Plan

As a direct result of the behind-the-scenes organizing and advocacy work of Muslim Advocates, a chilling LAPD "community mapping" initiative was tabled in November, 2007. Muslim Advocates mobilized partner organizations (ACLU, CAIR, Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, and Muslim, Jewish, South Asian community and bar groups), educated key city council members and put pressure on the Mayor's office, scoring a stunning rebuke of the proposal by the LA Times editorial board.

The program would have sought to locate and identify Muslims in Los Angeles and "apply risk factors: whether they are exposed to Wahhabi-Salafi preachings, the age/gender demographic, socioeconomic conditions, unemployment and then try to see which communities are isolated." Even more ominous, it sought to "infuse social services and governmental resources to get them integrated into . . . the greater society and then maybe on the other side make sure we know about what's going on in that community," according to Michael Downing, Commanding Officer, Counter-Terrorism/Criminal Intelligence Bureau, LAPD. The victory demonstrates the need for the ongoing presence of Muslim lawyers/policy experts ready to lend strategic advice and advocate for policies that truly reflect America's values.

Drawing Public Support for Airport Search Reform Via Senate Testimony

On July 25, 2008, during testimony before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on the Constitution meeting about the increase in invasive interrogations and laptop, cell phone, and digital camera searches of law-abiding American citizens returning home from travel abroad, Executive Director Farhana Khera cited detailed experiences of American citizens being subject to intrusive and coercive searches. Many of these examples were entered into the public record for the first time. As a result of the hearing, top-tier media began calling for reform, including a July 10th New York Times editorial. Senator Feingold is now working to craft legislation to address the issue.