Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Legal News Blogs -> JURIST - The Paper Chase

Legal News

: JURIST - The Paper Chase

FBI head defends mosque investigations

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] FBI Director Robert Mueller said Monday that the FBI will continue investigating mosques when there may be evidence or information regarding criminal wrongdoings. Mueller's defense of such investigations followed a complaint sent to US Attorney General Eric Holder from the Council of Islamic Organizations of Michigan alleging that the FBI has been asking members of the Islamic community to spy on religious leaders and followers. The alleged conduct might be allowable under new attorney general guidelines passed last year governing FBI investigations, which rights groups say open the door to racial and religious profiling. Mueller's statement comes shortly after a May 25 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the oversight of the FBI where the bureau director was asked if mosques had been entered by FBI agents or informants. Mueller responded by saying that the agency focuses on individuals, not institutions. In February, a man claimed that he had been commissioned by the FBI to infiltrate several Orange County mosques. The informant had provided information to the agency regarding Ahmadulla Sais Niazi, a Muslim man accused of lying about his ties to al Qaeda. Last year, the FBI responded to criticism regarding alleged investigations into mosques and the Muslim community claiming that "the FBI have a surveillance program to monitor the constitutionally protected activities of houses of worship." Although Mueller has defended the new attorney general guidelines as a "necessary step" in fighting terrorism, the proposed guidelines were amended by the Justice Department last year before they came into effect to appease Congress and civil rights groups.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on June 09, 2009 (boomark / email).