ABC 7: Rehab responds to NYPD spying on Muslims, and the Chicago connection

CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab is asking Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department, Garry McCarthy, to speak out on a secret operation to spy on Muslims in New York and New Jersey. The spying on Muslims was carried out by NYPD in 2007 while McCarthy was the Director of NYPD.

ABC: CAIR-Chicago's Ahmed Rehab responds to NYPD spying on Muslims: Rehab spoke to ABC regarding the secret operation, in which the NYPD’s Demographics Unit took photographs of mosques and eavesdropped in Muslims businesses throughout the New York and New Jersey area.

“The fact that the NYPD is spying on American citizens, who happen to be Muslim, is insane and ludicrous. It’s illegal and unconstitutional,” said Rehab. “Anyone aware of such an egregious violation of our Constitution and the very spirit upon which it stands ought to report it.”

McCarthy's spokesperson said he was aware about this in New Jersey and that NYPD let law enforcement in New Jersey know about the operation:

"As a matter of professional courtesy, the NYPD made then-Director McCarthy and other chiefs from Long Island aware that they were conducting an operation in their jurisdictions. No Newark police officers were used in the operation." said Melissa Stratton, Spokesperson of the Chicago Police Department.

Rehab was also quoted in the Wall Street Journal on the issue.