Video: NYPD Apology Not Enough for Showing Anti-Islam Film to Officers (CAIR)

CAIR-NY: Coalition to Call for Resignation of NYPD Commissioner Over Anti-Islam Film Cover-Up

(NEW YORK, N.Y., 1/25/12) -- On Thursday, January 26, the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) -- along with the Muslim American Civil Liberties Coalition (MACLC) and other minority and civil liberties groups -- will hold a news conference on the steps of City Hall to call for the resignations of New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Ray Kelly and Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne due to revelations that they covered up their roles in the production of the anti-Islam propaganda film "The Third Jihad" that was shown to almost 1500 NYPD officers.

SEE: NY Times Slams Hateful Anti-Islam Film
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/25/opinion/hateful-film.html
CAIR-NY: Mayor Bloomberg Disavows Use of Anti-Muslim Movie in Police Training
http://tinyurl.com/77y623q

WHAT: News Conference to Call for Resignation of NYPD Commissioner Kelly, Deputy Commissioner Browne
WHEN: Thursday, January 26, 11 a.m.
WHERE: Steps of New York City Hall, New York, NY
CONTACT: CAIR-NY Civil Rights Manager Cyrus McGoldrick, 203-206-6883 or 212-870-2002, E-Mail: cmcgoldrick@cair.com

A New York Times article published yesterday stated:

"Commissioner Kelly is listed on the 'Third Jihad' Web site as a 'featured interviewee.' Paul J. Browne, the Police Department's chief spokesman, wrote in an e-mail that filmmakers had lifted the clip from an old interview. The commissioner, Mr. Browne said, has not asked the filmmakers to remove him from its Web site, or to clarify that he had not cooperated with them."

CAIR-NY: In NYPD Training, a Dark Film on U.S. Muslims
http://tinyurl.com/6orht58

But in a follow-up article today, the Times reveals that Kelly and Browne were both involved in the film's production: "Deputy Commissioner Paul J. Browne told The New York Times on Monday that the filmmakers had relied on old interview clips and had never spoken with the commissioner. On Tuesday, the film's producer, Raphael Shore, e-mailed The Times and provided a date and time for their 90-minute interview with the commissioner at Police Headquarters on March 19, 2007. Told of this e-mail, Mr. Browne revised his account. 'He's right,' Mr. Browne said Tuesday of the producer. 'In fact, I recommended in February 2007 that Commissioner Kelly be interviewed.'"

SEE: In Shift, Police Say Leader Helped With Anti-Islam Film and Now Regrets It (NY Times)
http://tinyurl.com/7vfsumf

McGoldrick said that when the issue first came to light last year, CAIR-NY called on the NYPD to investigate how the propaganda film came to be used in mandatory counterterrorism training. CAIR-NY also called for new NYPD guidelines to ensure that officer training materials offer only unbiased information about any religious or minority community. Along with the Muslim American Civil Liberties Coalition (MACLC), CAIR-NY sent several letters to Commissioner Kelly, but received no response beyond callous dismissals of the allegations as "wrong" and "a non-issue."

SEE: CAIR Asks NYPD to Probe Use of Anti-Muslim Training Film
http://tinyurl.com/8775c67
SEE: Muslim American Civil Liberties Coalition
http://maclc1.wordpress.com/

McGoldrick added that a recent series of investigative reports by the Associated Press revealed that undercover NYPD officers in a so-called "Demographics Unit" spied on Muslim communities and houses of worship with the assistance of individuals linked to the CIA. NYPD officials initially denied the Demographics Unit existed, despite the AP's publication of an NYPD presentation and other documents that described the mission and makeup of the unit.

SEE: CIA Lawyer Never Approved NYPD Collaboration that Built
Widespread Muslim Spying Programs
http://tinyurl.com/7wy2qzu
AP: NYPD Demographics Unit Presentation
http://wid.ap.org/documents/nypd-demo.pdf

Reports indicate that the NYPD even spied on Muslim leaders who figured prominently in community outreach efforts, and infiltrated Muslim student groups not suspected of committing any crime.

SEE: NYPD Even Spied on the Muslim Leaders Who Were Helping Them
http://tinyurl.com/3lhrfv5
SEE: NYPD Spying on Muslim College Students Now
http://tinyurl.com/3nbjxla

"The Third Jihad" was produced by the shadowy non-profit group the Clarion Fund. A previous anti-Muslim propaganda film produced by the group and distributed to millions of voters in swing states just prior to the 2008 election was apparently backed by a $17 million donation from a "longtime contributor" to neo-conservatives and militant Israeli groups. The Clarion Fund also has links to the right-wing Israeli group Aish HaTorah.

SEE: Moneyman for Anti-Muslim DVD Campaign Revealed?
http://tinyurl.com/27f4dyj

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