CAIR calls for probe of possible civil rights violations
WASHINGTON, Feb. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today called on local, state and national
law enforcement authorities to investigate a recent incident in which a
Muslim woman was allegedly ejected from a Louisiana shopping mall for
refusing a security guard's demand to remove her religiously-mandated
headscarf, or hijab.
CAIR said the 54-year-old woman and her daughter-in-law were leaving
the food court of the Oakwood Mall in the New Orleans suburb of Gretna,
La., on February 22 when a security guard approached them and allegedly
told the older woman that she had two options: remove her headscarf or
leave the mall. (The woman's daughter-in-law was not wearing a headscarf.)
The guard did not offer an explanation for his demand.
During the long walk out of the mall, the guard reportedly followed the
women and even called for back-up. The daughter-in-law told CAIR that the
two women felt "humiliated" by the stares of other shoppers as the guard
followed them out of the mall. When two more guards came to the scene, they
did not offer assistance to the women, but they did confirm the reason for
the first guard's ejection order. The family, all of whom are American
citizens of Palestinian heritage, has retained an attorney and is exploring
their legal options.
"It is unbelievable that an American of any faith would be denied
access to a public area merely because she wished to carry out the
requirements of her faith," said CAIR National Legal Counsel Nadhira
Al-Khalili. "We call on local law enforcement authorities and the FBI to
determine whether any civil rights or criminal laws were violated during
this disturbing incident."
CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 35 offices
and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper,
202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications
Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com; CAIR
Strategic Communications Director Ahmed Rehab, 202-870-0166, E-Mail:
arehab@cair.com
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SOURCE Council on American-Islamic Relations
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CONTACT:
Ibrahim Hooper, National Communications
Director, +1-202-488-8787, +1-202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com, or
Amina Rubin, Communications Coordinator, +1-202-488-8787,
arubin@cair.com, or Ahmed Rehab, Strategic Communications
Director, +1-202-870-0166, arehab@cair.com, all of CAIR
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