Cruz's proposal of policing ‘Muslim neighborhoods' met with dismissal

A recent proposal by the U.S. Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz to increase surveillance on Muslim-American communities has ignited fierce condemnation – and more than its fair share of satire. The #MyMuslimNeighborhood hashtag has trended on Twitter since Cruz announced the proposal. The Texas senator said Tuesday that if he is elected to America's highest office he would "empower law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized." Republican front-runner Donald Trump agreed, saying it is a "good idea."

Not only have police commissioners, analysts as well as activists on Twitter found the proposal impractical and devoid of common sense, but President Barack Obama made his objections known during an historic press conference in Argentina. "As far as the notion of having surveillance of neighborhoods where Muslims are present, I just left a country that engages in that kind of neighborhood surveillance, from which by the way the father of Senator Cruz escaped for America, the land of the free," he said after leaving Cuba.

Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton also blasted Trump and Ted Cruz, calling their counterterrorism proposals "wrong" and "counterproductive." "One thing we know that does not work is offensive, inflammatory rhetoric that demonizes all Muslims," she added.