The Arab American Association of New York Welcomes the Settlement of Lawsuit over NYPD Surveillance
----FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE----
January 7, 2016
Landmark settlement reached in NYPD lawsuits to protect all New Yorkers including Muslims from discriminatory surveillance practices that have had detrimental impact on our communities
(New York, NY) – Today, the Arab American Association of New York welcomes the settlement reached by the NYPD and plaintiffs in the Raza v. City of New York lawsuit. The Arab American Association of New York has been at the forefront of the campaign to end unwarranted surveillance of American Muslims by engaging in direct action, legislative advocacy, and grassroots organizing.
The lawsuit, filed in 2013 by attorneys from CUNY CLEAR, NYCLU, and the ACLU, came in response to widespread community concerns after reports surfaced detailing broad NYPD surveillance of Muslim communities in New York and beyond. Secret documents revealed that the Arab American Association of New York was a direct target of NYPD’s discriminatory surveillance practices. The settlement codifies protections against investigations based on race, religion, or ethnicity and appoints an independent civilian monitor to serve as a check on potential future police abuses.
“We welcome this settlement announcement and think it's a significant step forward in protecting all New Yorkers against discriminatory policing." Linda Sarsour, Executive Director of the Arab American Association of New York
The Arab American Association of New York sees this settlement as a platform for future reforms within the New York Police Department and will continue to work diligently to ensure that all New Yorkers are treated with the dignity and respect that they deserve.
****Arab American Association of New York is a non-profit social service and advocacy organization serving the Arab American, Arab immigrant, and Muslim communities citywide.****
***For additional information please contact the Executive Director: Linda Sarsour lindasarsour@gmail.com