The New York Police Department has agreed not to conduct surveillance based on religion or ethnicity and to listen to Muslims as it develops new training materials as part of a deal to settle claims that it illegally spied on Muslims for years after the September 11 attacks.
The agreement announced April 5 by the city and the Islamic community also calls for the city to pay $75,000 in damages and nearly $1 million in legal fees. It also requires surveillance in New Jersey to follow rules defined in another landmark civil rights case.
“Today’s settlement sends a message to all law enforcement: simply being Muslim is not a basis for surveillance,” said Farhana Khera, executive director of Muslim Advocates, a legal advocacy and educational organization.
