American Muslims file lawsuit to stop NYPD spying on universities, mosques

New York, June 7 (ANI): An Islamic civil rights organization has filed a lawsuit against the New York Police Department (NYPD), saying that its surveillance program has violated the civil rights of innocent Muslims.

The NYPD was earlier slammed for a surveillance program that targeted universities and mosques in several states.

According to CBS News, the lawsuit, filed in a federal court in New Jersey, is intended to take the controversy beyond the rhetoric and into the courtroom.

The group of New Jersey Muslims charges that the NYPD gathered secret files on Muslims, not because they were suspected of any crime, but simply because of their religion.

The lawsuit also charges that the NYPD monitored meetings and web postings of Muslim student associations, the report said.

NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg have both defended the practice, saying the information the police officials collect are within the department's guidelines, which are approved and monitored by lawyers and a federal judge.

The NYPD has said that it shouldn't be barred from going anywhere the general public can including, for instance a meeting of the Muslim Student Association.

The Muslim community, however, argues, 'police shouldn't be able to come into a community and just catalogue every business, house of worship, school, and put it in a file and stamp it 'secret' and keep it forever if you don't suspect anything.' (ANI)