Muslim name changes probed
Source: Agencies |
October 27, 2011, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
MUSLIMS who change their names to sound more traditionally American - as immigrants have done for generations - or who adopt Arabic names as a sign of their faith are often investigated and catalogued in secret New York Police Department intelligence files.
The NYPD monitors everyone in the city who changes his or her name, according to internal police documents and interviews.
For those whose names sound Arabic or might be from Muslim countries, police run comprehensive background checks that include reviewing travel records, criminal histories, business licenses and immigration documents. All this is recorded in police databases.
The program was conceived as a tripwire for police in the hunt for homegrown terrorists, where there are no widely agreed upon warning signs.
Like other NYPD intelligence programs created in the past decade, this one involved monitoring behavior protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution which guarantees freedom of speech and religion.
Monitoring name changes illustrates how the threat of terrorism now casts suspicion over what historically has been part of America's story.
For centuries, immigrants have Americanized their names in New York. The Roosevelts were once the van Rosenvelts.
Reviewing name changes was intended to identify people who either Americanized their names or took Arabic names for the first time, said the officials, who insisted on anonymity as they were not authorized to discuss the program.
NYPD spokesman Paul Browne did not respond to messages left over two days asking about the legal justification for the program and whether it had identified any terrorists.
The NYPD monitors everyone in the city who changes his or her name, according to internal police documents and interviews.
For those whose names sound Arabic or might be from Muslim countries, police run comprehensive background checks that include reviewing travel records, criminal histories, business licenses and immigration documents. All this is recorded in police databases.
The program was conceived as a tripwire for police in the hunt for homegrown terrorists, where there are no widely agreed upon warning signs.
Like other NYPD intelligence programs created in the past decade, this one involved monitoring behavior protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution which guarantees freedom of speech and religion.
Monitoring name changes illustrates how the threat of terrorism now casts suspicion over what historically has been part of America's story.
For centuries, immigrants have Americanized their names in New York. The Roosevelts were once the van Rosenvelts.
Reviewing name changes was intended to identify people who either Americanized their names or took Arabic names for the first time, said the officials, who insisted on anonymity as they were not authorized to discuss the program.
NYPD spokesman Paul Browne did not respond to messages left over two days asking about the legal justification for the program and whether it had identified any terrorists.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
