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OWENS DEMANDS POLICE RESPECT
FOR PAKISTAN AMERICANS

In a letter to Mayor Bloomberg Congressman Major Owens demanded that a Deputy Police Inspector be disciplined for his insulting behavior at the annual Pakistan Independence Day Parade and Festival on Sunday, August 22nd.  The Commanding Officer of the NYPD group assigned to the event abruptly pulled the plug and shut down the microphone as Congressman Owens began addressing the crowd of thousands.  It was ten minutes past six o'clock, the time specified for shutdown on the group's permit.  The Congressman representing the largest Pakistani American community in the country was not given the courtesy of being allowed to complete his speech.

The Commander identified as Deputy Inspector McCormick gave no explanation and made no apology as he ordered Owens and two dozen Pakistani leaders to "Get off the stage."  As part of his punishment Owens proposes in his letter that this police executive be forced to expand his dangerously limited education:

"I strongly urge that disciplinary action be taken with regard to the behavior of Deputy Inspector McCormick.  I am willing to accept the fact that he chose to extend no courtesy to a Congressman.  However, this high ranking officer should be forced to attend a lecture on the war against terrorism.  He needs to be informed that Pakistan is now probably the most important ally of the United States in the war against terrorism.  The government of this Muslim nation of 180 million people has placed itself in jeopardy by its declaration of a continuing alliance with our nation.  Certainly, law enforcement officers and first responders, should be alerted to their need to play a role in sealing this alliance with the nation of Pakistan and with Pakistani Americans."

Owens also asked the Mayor to review the inflexible and dogmatic regulation requiring community parades and festivals to end by 6 P.M.  On this issue, the Brooklyn Congressman whose district is host to the annual West Indian Day Parade, sent a communication to City Council Speaker Gifford Miller urging him to lead the Council in overturning the 6 P.M. curfew before the Caribbean spectacle takes place on the first Monday in September:

"Beautiful floats and costumed revelers are crudely driven from Brooklyn's Eastern Parkway at 6 P.M.  Although the overall weekend of Carnival activities attracts thousands of tourists and millions of dollars in revenue for the City, it is pressured to comply with the irrational 6 P.M. curfew.  On New Year's Eve each year our City is able to accommodate more than a million people in Times Square until midnight.  Surely we can allow the West Indian celebration to continue until 8 P.M.  New Orleans would never dishonor its Mardi Gras by closing it down at 6 P.M."

Owens is calling on all Brooklyn elected officials to join him in his plea for Council action addressed to Speaker Miller.

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