There is a big question this week of civil rights violations and discrimination after learning that the NYPD was keeping watch over Muslim students in colleges far beyond city limits.One of the colleges listed in the NYPD report from 2006 is UAlbany.
A school spokesman says the University is not aware of anyone monitoring the electronic or online communications of student groups, nor have they been contacted about it.
FOX23 News spoke with UAlbany Muslim Student Association Faculty Advisor Sohaib Chekima and he says the students are alarmed and disappointed.
Chekima calls this discrimination and is now afraid some Muslims will start shying away from their religion.
“Just knowing that you're being watched, it's hard even to explain,” Chekima said.
The recent news made its way to Chekima through an email.
“I was not shocked, honestly,” he said.
The Associated Press revealed that in recent years the NYPD has kept a close eye on Muslim Student Associations, or MSA’s, across the Northeast, including here at UAlbany.
Chekima spent the first 19 years of his life in Algeria and is now is a Muslim American who teaches Arabic at both UAlbany and Union College.
He's the faculty advisor for both MSA’s.
“I was a student actually at SUNY Albany from 2004 to 2006, so I would say probably my name is on the report,” Chekima said.
The NYPD report reveals officers tracked student websites and blogs, and in one case sent an undercover agent on a rafting trip with a group of Muslim students.
The AP reports, although professors or students hadn’t been accused of any wrongdoing, some names were recorded in police intelligence files.
Chekima calls it discrimination and a clear invasion of privacy.
“You don’t expect to see this is the United States,” he said. “A lot of us left our countries because we didn't have the freedom of speech, now we apparently do not have freedom of religion.”
But local attorney Arnie Proskin says in his opinion there is no violation of civil rights.
“They're watching this area saying we have to watch to see we have none of these people, we're not going to bother any of the legitimate ones, but if we could find somebody, we want to prevent some tragedy from happening,” Proskin said.
Chekima’s biggest problem with the monitoring of students is that Muslims are being singled out.
“I am sad to say that, yes, some Muslims do bad things, but some Christians do bad things, and some Jews do bad things too,” he said.
Chekima says he owes a lot to this country and tells us while the news is disheartening, he'll never rethink his religion.
“In fact, I am more dedicated to hold onto my faith and contribute to this country as a Muslim American without being afraid,” Chekima said.
Chekima tells us he has been contacted by lawyer planning to bring a lawsuit against the NYPD.
He says the MSA at UAlbany has not made any decision about legal action.
Another point of contention with all of this - a lot of people feel as though this was a terrible waste of resources and money.
The NYPD made no arrests, and no professors or students were accused of any wrongdoing.
