Trampling the rights of Muslims

LAST WEEK, it was admitted for the first time by the Department of Justice that evidence used against a criminal defendant was gained through warrantless wiretapping under an order of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court. The U.S. Supreme Court will have to rule if the surveillance program is constitutional.

In New England, there has been resistance to holding any law enforcement accountable in the patriotic fever of "Boston Strong"--the sentiment following the Boston Marathon bombing. One can look to how the police and military are highlighted in the World Series, in the wake of the Marathon bombing. Much of this patriotic fervor is similar to after 9/11 and the start of the never-ending "war on terror."

Obama appointed a new FBI director recently under the guise of "reform." But to see the true colors of the FBI, one only needs to look to the cornering and murdering of Ibragim Todashev. Todashev was shot and killed in Osceola County in Florida in May. That much is known for sure--it is the rest of the story that is murky, due to law enforcement contradictions.

Todashev was an acquaintance of an alleged Boston Marathon bombing suspect--they attended a martial arts class together. According to friends and family, due to this casual acquaintance, Todashev was hounded by law enforcement for weeks after the Marathon bombing.

Finally, one day, numerous law enforcement agents, including Massachusetts state troopers and at least one FBI agent, followed Todashev home again. Todashev apparently had had enough of repeated attempts by law enforcement to question him and agreed to talk, a few weeks prior to him being scheduled to leave the country.

Law enforcement conveniently separated him from the friend he was with and interrogated him with no counsel. Law enforcement wanted to talk to him about an unsolved triple murder from 2011. His friend never saw him again. Conveniently for the FBI and others, Todashev was murdered right after he allegedly had a "violent confrontation" with authorities and also conveniently told them the alleged Boston bombing suspect committed the triple homicide.

There are many disturbing details in the aftermath of Todashev's death in Florida. Weeks after his death, Todashev's former girlfriend gave an interview to Boston Magazine. Soon after, she was detained, put in solitary confinement and deported for having overstayed her visa. She reportedly was told that "she was being deported because of her interview with Boston Magazine."

The FBI has told the Orlando Sentinel that the "agency's internal review of the shooting is ongoing and no other details will be released." The Florida medical examiner has been ordered not to release the autopsy. A friend of Todashev has been interrogated and detained without the right of counsel.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has called this a "pattern of egregious civil rights violations and abuse by the FBI targeting associates of Ibragim Todashev." CAIR reports that friends of Todashev have been threatened, harassed and told they would be arrested if they didn't become informants about the activities of local mosques and restaurants.

With the appointment of a new FBI director, accountability issues arise regarding its agents' practices. Just like questions surrounding NSA surveillance, there are questions around the justification of killings by FBI agents. From 1993-2011, FBI agents shot and killed approximately 70 people and injured 80 others. Every one of these killings was "justified" according to internal investigations.

It will be up to the development of a mass civil rights movement to help secure rights for all residents of the U.S. Civil rights are necessary for all residents in order to live in a democratic and free society. Law enforcement cannot be allowed to be judge, jury and executioner--because dead men tell no tales.
Chris Murphy, Providence, R.I.