ADC Responds to Glenn Greenwald’s NSA Revelations

Washington, DC | www.adc.org | July 9, 2014 – The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) stalwartly condemns the National Security Agency (NSA)’s systematic, unconstitutional, and profiled surveillance of the Arab- and  Muslim-American communities. In Glenn Greenwald’s published article today in The Intercept, it was revealed that thousands of community leaders, organizations and activists were targeted by the NSA.

Greenwald details the NSA’s activities in targeting Arab- and Muslim-Americans, along with respective community organizations, and civil rights groups solely due to political beliefs or religious affiliation. The NSA has unlawfully spied on organizational emails, phone records, member and donor lists, and civil rights strategies, among other information. This government activity is not only discriminatory, but is also in clear violation of the First Amendment and the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth amendment.

Abed Ayoub, ADC Legal & Policy Director, states, “The magnitude of these revelations is shocking. The Obama Administration, through its directives and instructions, has shown zero regard for protecting the Constitutional Rights of the Arab- and Muslim-American communities.”

It is important to note that this discrimination is not limited to Arab- and Muslim-Americans; it extends to those that share similar views of equality and justice as the respective communities. This unlawful activity pervades and is alarmingly normalized in many facets of the government — from the Transportation Security Agency’s racial profiling of Arab- or Muslim-looking travelers for searches and detainment, or the New York Police Department’s spying on Muslim Student Associations both within and outside of their jurisdiction. 

ADC denounces the unlawful profiling and surveillance of the Arab- and Muslim-American communities and will continue to stand in defense of the basic civil and human rights of all Americans. ADC will be following up this issue with upcoming actions items, demanding that the NSA cease its unlawful and immoral activity.