NYC patrol group protecting Muslims becomes target of smear campaigns

New York’s Muslim patrollers, who are in preparation to operate in the neighborhood of Brooklyn, have become a target of racist online hate speech campaigns that include far-right supporters in the U.S., the Independent reported on Tuesday.

The all-volunteer Muslim Community Patrol & Services will offer translation services, explain cultural nuances, report suspicious activity, respond to traffic accidents and even help in searches for the missing.

The hostility escalated after a far-right Canadian website, Rebel Media, spread inaccurate stories about New York City Muslims on YouTube, saying, “If there are feminists in New York, they should be concerned”.

Muslim volunteers plan to work in shifts, watching over arrival and dismissal times at three Islamic schools in Brooklyn and conducting patrols from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., mostly near mosques, busses and subway stops in the region, where there are large Muslim populations.

Community leaders said the group is self-funded and used donations to purchase cars and navy blue uniforms for its members.

The patrols work in coordination with the police but are not sanctioned or regulated by the police department.

At least 14 anti-Muslim bias cases were reported in 2017 in the city, according to the police department’s annual report.