First Muslim-American appointed to New York’s police oversight committee

The Mayor of New York in the United States, Eric Adams, has appointed the first Muslim-American civilian to the city’s police accountability group.

The nine-member committee oversees civilian rights in police investigations of political and religious groups.

It was previously made up of high-ranking members of the New York Police Department (NYPD) but Muhammad Faridi will be its first civilian member.

“As the first Muslim representative on this committee, that particular note is not lost on me. The Muslim community, and all communities, I understand that they’re looking at me and they want to make sure that the NYPD does the right thing in some of the most important work that the NYPD does for our city and our country,” Faridi said Tuesday.

The committee was formed after two federal lawsuits alleged improper investigations into the Muslim community.