Muslims And ACLU Sue FBI Over Mosque Surveillance

By Omar Sacirbey
Religion News Service

(RNS) Is sending a secret informant into a mosque in search of terrorists proactive policing, or a violation of worshippers' civil rights?

That's the question a federal judge will have to answer after the American Civil Liberties Union and the Council of American-Islamic Relations filed a lawsuit Tuesday (Feb. 22) in Los Angeles against the FBI.

The suit charges the nation's top law enforcement agency targeted Muslims for surveillance based solely on their religious affiliation, violating their constitutional rights.

FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller declined to comment on the lawsuit. In a statement, the agency rejected allegations of religious profiling.

"The FBI investigates allegations of crimes, not constitutionally protected activities, including the exercise of religious freedom," the statement said. "The FBI does not investigate houses of worship or religious groups, but individuals who are alleged to be a threat to national security or involved in criminal activity."

Filed on behalf of three plaintiffs, the lawsuit says the FBI's Los Angeles office paid Craig Monteilh, an Irvine, Calif. resident who had been imprisoned for forgery, to "indiscriminately collect" phone numbers, e-mail addresses and other personal information on hundreds or
even thousands of Muslims in Southern California.

Using the alias Farouk al-Aziz, Monteilh worked undercover for 14 months between 2006-2007, the lawsuit alleges, and was paid between $6,000 and $11,200 per month. He did most of his surveillance at the Islamic Center of Irvine but targeted other Southern California mosques as well, according to the suit. The suit also said Monteilh taped conversations he had with Muslims in their homes and videotaped mosques.

Information collected by Monteilh helped the FBI start a case against one Irvine mosque member, but that case collapsed. Monteilh went public with his informant status in 2009, and filed his own lawsuit against the FBI last year alleging civil rights violations.

"Ironically, the operation ended when members of the Muslim communities of Southern California reported the informant to the police because of his violent rhetoric and ultimately obtained a restraining order against him," said the lawsuit.

Muslim Americans and even some law enforcement officials contend such clandestine surveillance can lead to abuses by informants, and alienate Muslim communities.

Comments

[Pablo Gonzales]

02:53 PM on 02/28/2011

( DOES THIS SOUND LIKE THEY ARE FIGH|TING TERRISM OR TRYING TO GET INNOCENT PEOPLE )
Suit Claims FBI Told Mosque Informant To Get Dirt On Sex Lives, Drug Use Of Worshipers
(TPMuckracker)
The FBI allegedly told an informant who infiltrated a California mosque to dig up dirt on the immigration status, sexual activities, business problems and drug use of members of the community. A discrimination lawsuit filed against the Bureau this week charges that they hoped to use the information to convince those members to become FBI informants.

The lawsuit says FBI Special Agent Kevin Armstrong and FBI Special Agent Paul Allen of talked with Monteilh about obtaining dirt on members of the Muslim community — “immigration issues, sexual activity, business problems, or crimes like drug use” — that could be used to convince them to become informants.
“Agents Armstrong and Allen instructed Monteilh to pay attention to people’s problems, to talk about and record them, including marital problems, business problems, and petty criminal issue,” the suit says.
“Agents Armstrong and Allen on several occasions talked about different individuals that they believed might be susceptible to rumors about their sexual orientation, so that they could be persuaded to become informants through the threat of such rumors being started,” the lawsuit claims.

http://www.loonwatch.com/2011/02/suit-claims-fbi-told-mosque-informant-to-get-dirt-on-sex-lives-drug-use-of-worshipers/

[riff4u]

01:43 PM on 02/28/2011

Since the time of Ms J. Edgar Hoover the FBI has been abusing its authority. Glad to see that somebody is taking them on.

[FreeAmerican7]

07:56 AM on 02/28/2011

$6,000 to $11,200 a Month...
and how much is a TEACHER's Monthly Salary in ... let's say: Wisconsin ?
hoping that the Judge's IQ is NO LESS than the smartest lawyer's IQ in his/her Courtroom!

[Richard Pearce]

05:50 AM on 02/28/2011

Imagine if the FBI had used the same guy, who'd used the same tactics, with the same outcome, only the target had been Teabaggers.
 
Ask yourself honestly if that would have changed your initial reaction, the position you took after a moment or two of thought, the severity of your reaction.
 
Also ask yourself how many of those who have come out in support of each side would have switched sides in such a case, and/or been more or less vocal in their positions.  Also ask yourself how the tone and volume of the media coverage would have changed in such a case.
 
Think about what those differences say about you, me, the media, and the pundits/loud voices.

[bkerensa]

06:54 AM on 02/27/2011

Sadly the FBI/JTTF has been widely using criminal informants to do their dirty work for decades and in some cases it has come to light that the informants made up evidence to secure prosecution against a defendant just so the informant could get more money for informing or in some cases get a plea bargain in their own case.

[been2there]

04:17 PM on 02/26/2011

It would make at least as much sense to have informants infiltrating all Christian churches to find evidence of right-wing extremism--a la the Hutaree Militia. That would really raise a stink, but it might make us safer.
Our strongest allies in the war against Muslim radicals are--Muslims! Let us keep them as our friends!

[ammsamm]

10:12 AM on 02/26/2011

Good for them.

[michael26]

09:29 PM on 02/24/2011

Revised:

I do not think the U.S. Constitution is being violated at all.

[tallen]

05:57 PM on 02/24/2011

"the Council of American-Islamic Relations "

How ironic. An organization that was named a co-conspirator in a Federal terrorism case ( http://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/case_docs/423.pdf#page=5 ) objects to the FBI doing its job.
Can't imagine why???

[pinkeyelemonade]

07:03 PM on 02/24/2011

But you are.

[Pablo Gonzales]

04:24 AM on 02/28/2011

WHy are they still open then ...... If they are on the FBI list of Terrorists then why are they still open? Are you saying the FBI is not doing there job? THese claims are from Daniel Pipes and investigative reporter Steven Emerson( who said muslims were responcible for Oklahomo city bombings) these both are muslim haters and Islamophobes and have been point out as such my CAIR why they are makeing these personal attack on these org to smear there name

[tallen]

08:41 AM on 02/28/2011

>>THese claims are from

...the US government.
That link is to US federal court documents.

[Gottlieb]

05:51 PM on 02/24/2011

Didn't we go through this behavior during the civil rights era, the nuclear freeze movement, all anti war movements, etc...

[dnb310]

04:38 PM on 02/27/2011

Really, you sure you want to stick with that?
http://articles.cnn.com/2008-03-31/us/mlk.fbi.conspiracy_1_dream-speech-david-garrow-civil-rights?_s=PM:US

http://previous.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=143852§ionid=3510203

http://www.mediaite.com/online/released-fbi-documents-detail-walter-cronkites-aid-of-vietnam-war-protesters/

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/projects/2010/wellstone-files/feature/

http://www.examiner.com/political-buzz-in-national/revisiting-the-fbi-s-dirty-war-on-black-america

http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/26666

http://books.google.com/books?id=VnQduXa4JdoC&pg=PA41&lpg=PA41&dq=CIA+FBI+Anti+Nuclear+Movement+disarmament&source=bl&ots=SAfZHq2UmQ&sig=dRtxin0mINliJdnA1lGNaTWV808&hl=en&ei=WsNqTbysG4e6sAPEztWmBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&sqi=2&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=CIA%20FBI%20Anti%20Nuclear%20Movement%20disarmament&f=false

And let through in the Women's Movement for good measure.

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-64702649.html

[Gottlieb]

07:49 AM on 03/03/2011

I think you took my comment the wrong way. The FBI and local police are almost always abusing their power when scapegoating people who demand their civil rights, protest injustice, or are just a minority who need to be put in their place. Here in Portland, OR, we have police riots, police illegally monitoring protest organizations, and suburban police imported when the Portland Police want to avoid the blame for police riots now. You had good links, I agree with you completely. Sorry dnb310, I wasn't clear enough in my post for you. Power corrupts and the powerful hate to share and attack anyone who demands their rights or just to be treated like other Americans. I will try to avoid making confusing statements so I don't get you all worked up by mistake.

[Jasel]

02:41 PM on 02/24/2011

It's not like the FBI has the greatest track record when it comes to civil rights.

[patience1]

12:25 PM on 02/24/2011

Monteilh worked undercover for 14 months between 2006-2007, the lawsuit alleges, and was paid between $6,000 and $11,200 per month. Wow! How many out there to get so much money for doing the entrapment? The fact that FBI used this man were convicted felon, the same as the one at Rockford Illinois few years ago. It was in Rolling stone' article
http://www.truth-out.org/article/guy-lawson-the-fear-factory

[Erewhon7]

11:51 AM on 02/24/2011

Of course CAIR would initiated this lawsuit!
Of course they don't want surveillance!
Considering numerous CAIR members and leaders have been convicted of various crimes including support of terrrism!
The very fact that CAIR is funding this lawsuit is proof positive that surveillance is necessary.

[Just-a-Guy]

11:50 AM on 02/24/2011

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110224/ts_nm/us_usa_security_saudi

[cookerman45]

12:22 PM on 02/24/2011

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_terrorism

[cookerman45]

12:24 PM on 02/24/2011

http://atheism.about.com/b/2007/04/27/christian-terrorists-leave-ied-outside-abortion-clinic.htm

[RFreedomUSA]

11:25 AM on 02/24/2011

This article has been reposted on Religious Freedom USA. To find out more visit: http://religiousfreedomusa.org