This reminds me of a story I once read on a now defunct news site. Shortly after 9-11 the NYPD setup this a “Demographic” Unit, whose existence they initially denied, which they used to keep tabs on local Muslims. After many years, they did not produce a single lead but their agents understood the rules of cricket and if I remember correctly, they actually started understanding (if not speaking) Urdu.
[quote=““Captain Obvious””]
This reminds me of a story I once read on a now defunct news site. Shortly after 9-11 the NYPD setup this a “Demographic” Unit, whose existence they initially denied, which they used to keep tabs on local Muslims. After many years, they did not produce a single lead but their agents understood the rules of cricket and if I remember correctly, they actually started understanding (if not speaking) Urdu.
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Sir there are 680k names of people who will not be allowed to cross borders, that is a very big number
There is really no support for innocent either, we also share responsibility
[quote=““Captain Obvious””]
I’m not American (neither a US resident), but my limited interactions with police there have been good, :alhamd
Last time I was there, I got pulled over. There were at least 3 separate things he could have caught me for but let me go with a warning.
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So far the American Pakistanis complaints are they got caught breaking the law, they could have been ticketed and Officers let them go by talking to them sternly.
It wasn’t stern in my case. He was actually really nice about it. I decided to be more careful with my speed after that, and the rest of the drive was pleasant. In some cases, the cops don’t care if you’re not too much past the speed limit. I’ve found that Ontario cops don’t care if you’re driving 120kph on a 100kph highway.
I’ve known of kids who got delayed in boarding planes because their names showed up on those lists. I know what a hassle that can be.
[quote=““Captain Obvious””]
This reminds me of a story I once read on a now defunct news site. Shortly after 9-11 the NYPD setup this a “Demographic” Unit, whose existence they initially denied, which they used to keep tabs on local Muslims. After many years, they did not produce a single lead but their agents understood the rules of cricket and if I remember correctly, they actually started understanding (if not speaking) Urdu.
[/quote]
Such surveillance ops are not as harmless as they appear to be. Lasting psychological trauma on the target population are well established. I once attended Eid prayers at a mosque near NYC while I was visiting a relative, and the imam sahab after the prayers told the congregation to not to stand in groups and talk outside the mosque as it raises suspicion. Such a cautious attitude was new to me at the time.
Later on in life, I witnessed old friends stop trusting one another, couples who were dating became distant, relatives became suspicious of one another, etc. due to similar fears. When children learn about such things from their parents, they lose the connection they thought they had with their country. So an entire generation of targeted community becomes permanently disenchanted.
I’ve never been through this type of thing myself so I’m not going to be able to comment on what it’s like. On some level we kind of assumed that this could be happening. However, I have never shied away from my Muslim identity. Actually one thing that has annoyed me has been the perception that Muslims themselves have seemed more worried about it than what I felt from non-Muslims. Though we felt it could be happening, I’ve never seen it impact anyone’s interpersonal relationships.
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I've been pulled over thrice. Twice for speeding and once for illegal tints. Received warnings and went on my merry way.
The only time I was ticketed was when I rolled into the car in front of me at a turn. I didn't realize my foot wasn't on the brake. The driver called the cops for a scratch, which I offered cash to avoid it being claimed through my insurance. The officer was very apologetic and didn't even want to give me a ticket but he said he had to for following too close.
Two of my uncles were police officers in New York. They have since left the force. I haven't seen a single desi cop in the state I live in.
I can't say I have ever been racially profiled by a cop. But, I feel if I were to travel further out of the metro I might receive suspicious looks or a cop might give me a hard time.