( CNN ) -- Ten U.S. Muslim organizations threatened this week to cease working with the FBI , citing `` McCarthy-era tactics '' by the agency , including efforts to covertly infiltrate California mosques . Stephen Tidwell , then of the FBI 's Los Angeles office , speaks at the Islamic Center of Irvine in 2006 . The groups claim the FBI has sent undercover agents posing as worshippers into mosques , pressured Muslims to become informants , labeled civil rights advocates as criminals and spread misinformation . The FBI declined to comment on specific allegations but called the proposed move unproductive . `` Limiting honest dialogue , especially when complex issues are on the table , is generally not an effective advocacy strategy , '' spokesman John Miller said in a statement . `` The FBI has continued our outreach efforts , across the board , with a number of concerned groups and where we agree -- or disagree -- most have concluded the best results are achieved through continued conversation . We believe that , too . '' The group 's statement , dated Tuesday , said several incidents of the FBI `` targeting Muslim Americans lead us to consider suspending ongoing outreach efforts . '' The statement was issued by the American Muslim Taskforce on Civil Rights and Elections , whose director , Agha Saeed , could n't immediately comment because of a family emergency . The FBI has sent `` agents provocateur '' into California mosques , according to the statement , which says an FBI agent threatened to make one mosque member 's life a `` living hell '' if he did not become an informant . Though the statement does not name the mosque member , the Council on American-Islamic Relations said last month it would seek an investigation into the February 21 arrest of Ahmadullah Niazi , an Afghanistan native . `` Mr. Niazi previously reported to [ CAIR 's Los Angeles office ] and other community members that , during a raid of a friend 's house , an FBI agent urged Mr. Niazi to work with the agency , saying that if he refused to cooperate his life would be made a 'living hell , ' `` a news release said . Niazi , a member of the Islamic Center of Irvine , told CAIR his arrest was retaliation for his refusal , the release said . The FBI directed questions about Niazi 's arrest to the U.S. attorney 's office in Los Angeles , California , which declined comment . Niazi , 34 , was indicted last month on charges of perjury , procuring naturalization unlawfully , using a passport procured by fraud and making false statements . A search warrant for Niazi 's Tustin , California , home said Niazi became a naturalized citizen in 2004 and made false statements about his past aliases and international travel . He also made false statements about contact with his brother-in-law Amin ul-Haq , the indictment said . Ul-Haq is said to be Osama bin Laden 's security coordinator and has been labeled a `` specially designated global terrorist '' by the U.S. government , the indictment said . An FBI agent said in open court that Niazi also had discussed terrorist plots with an undercover informant , according to media reports . Niazi has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him . CAIR 's problems with the FBI began before Niazi 's arrest . Last year , the FBI discontinued its `` formal contact '' with CAIR . The Tuesday statement said the FBI unjustly designated CAIR and other organizations as `` unindicted co-conspirators '' in the Holy Land Foundation case . A jury convicted Holy Land Foundation leaders last year of conspiring to support terrorism and launder money for a terrorist group . `` Making this unjust designation public violates the Justice Department 's own guidelines and wrongly implies that those listed are somehow involved in criminal activity , '' the statement said . The FBI 's Miller declined to comment on specifics , but said the FBI wants to avoid `` formally constructed partnerships '' with CAIR . `` Our concerns relate to a number of distinct narrow issues specific to CAIR and its national leadership , '' Miller said . Before the FBI severed formal ties , CAIR officials had met with the FBI to discuss hate crimes targeting Muslims . On occasion , CAIR offered assistance in investigations . The group also held training sessions for FBI agents on Islamic culture and ways to improve interactions with the Muslim community . CAIR this week called the FBI allegations a `` campaign of smears and misinformation , '' a remnant of the Bush administration . `` It is not surprising that we would be targeted in a purely political move by those in the previous administration who sought to prevent us from defending the civil rights of American Muslims , '' said a statement from the group 's national communications director , Ibrahim Hooper . Tuesday 's group statement also mentioned `` a flourishing of anti-Muslim activity '' during the previous administration and expressed fear that `` counterintelligence programs are quelling lawful dissent . '' Unless the FBI affords fair treatment to all mosques , Muslims and Muslim groups , the statement said , Muslims should consider suspending ties to the agency . `` This possible suspension , of course , would in no way affect our unshakable duty to report crimes or threats of violence to our nation , '' it said .
Ten Muslim groups say they may suspend ties with FBI . FBI : `` Limiting honest dialogue ... is generally not an effective advocacy strategy '' Group wants probe into arrest of Afghan man whom FBI accuses of terrorist ties . Statement expresses fear that FBI `` programs are quelling lawful dissent ''