New York – A secret document has surfaced, revealing the NewY ork Police Department (NYPD) recommended increased spying of thousands of Shiite Muslims and their mosques, based solely on their religion, in the US Northeast.

According to Press TV, the May 2006 intelligence report, published on Thursday, was prepared for New York City's Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly. It suggested police expand covert operations at Shia mosques.

The report, drawn largely from information available in newspapers or sites like Wikipedia, listed a dozen mosques from central Connecticut to the Philadelphia suburbs.

The NYPD is prohibited, under its own guidelines and city law, from basing its investigations on religion.

The document runs contrary to the statements by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg who has said the NYPD never considers religion in its policing.

Police Commissioner Kelly has said, however, that officers only go where investigations lead them. But the document lists no leads justifying spying at Shiite Muslims mosques.

Meanwhile, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in New York has posted an announcement for the “Rally for Justice” on Friday February 3 to protest the recent actions of the NYPD against the Muslim community in the US.