During the weekend, The Associated Press reported the New York Police Department spied on many Muslim student associations at various universities, including Syracuse University.
Now that the original news has broken, more facts of the investigation need to come out. Why did the NYPD pick the schools they investigated? Why was Syracuse University chosen? Have the investigations ended? What were the outcomes of the investigation? Why was the NYPD allowed to investigate schools beyond their jurisdiction in Upstate New York or in Pennsylvania?
It appears none of the Muslim student associations were found to have done anything illegal during the investigation. The very fact that an investigation was done puts the Muslim students at SU in a troublesome position. These investigations reinforce a negative stereotype about Muslims that students at SU should not be subject to.
In a post-9/11 world, Muslims are often typecasts as terrorists. And while there have been instances of Muslim individuals trying to attack the United States, Muslims are not always the perpetrators and not all Muslims are perpetrators. The NYPD should be following up on potential threats, not just watching individual Muslim student associations.
Another troublesome aspect for students, Muslim or not, is that the university administration said it were completely unaware of the NYPD's actions. Students expect administrators to know what is happening on campus and to provide students with a basic level of protection. The university may be unaware of similar situations happening on campus that could affect the lives of many other students.
This news should concern students, who should demand answers to the endless questions that have since risen.
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