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
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
