The Arizona chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-AZ), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today urged the Fountain Hills Town Council to reject an anti-Islam proposal to draft a “Florida-style” ban targeting “sharia law.”
The unconstitutional proposal was raised during the September 15 Fountain Hills Town Council meeting by Councilman Allen Skillicorn, who called for drafting local legislation modeled after Florida’s discriminatory anti-Islam measures.
[NOTE: Washington, D.C.-based CAIR has repeatedly challenged the manufactured controversy of “sharia law” created by those promoting anti-Muslim fearmongering and dangerous smear tactics amid rising anti-Muslim hate incidents nationwide.]
In a letter sent to Mayor Gerry Friedel, members of the Town Council, and Town Manager Rosa Goodwin, CAIR-AZ Attorney and Civil Rights Director Martín Quezada, Esq., outlined the legal and constitutional risks of pursuing anti-Muslim legislation:
In his letter, Quezad wrote in part:
“It is unclear whether the Council directed the drafting of an ordinance or only a discussion of the idea. We appreciate that some members asked for more discussion before committing legal resources. We write now, before any ordinance is drafted or advanced, to urge the Council not to proceed. The proposal would solve no problem, it duplicates existing Arizona law, and it would expose the Town to serious constitutional and financial risk…
“CAIR-AZ prefers dialogue to litigation. But if the Town advances an ordinance that targets Muslim residents or the Islamic faith, CAIR-AZ is prepared to pursue all available legal remedies, including action in federal court on behalf of the chapter and affected residents, and to seek attorney’s fees to the fullest extent the law allows.”
He noted that:
“Sharia, an Arabic word which means ‘the way,’ refers to the rules that Muslims follow. It is a broad religious framework that guides personal practices such as prayer, fasting, charity, marriage ethics, and moral living. In daily life, it governs acts of worship and ethical conduct, such as praying five times a day, giving charity, fasting in Ramadan, conducting honest business, caring for family, and showing compassion to others, while also requiring Muslims to obey the laws of the lands in which they live.”
CAIR-AZ called on town leadership to decline to draft the proposed ordinance and refrain from placing any such anti-Islam proposal on future council agendas.
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CONTACT: CAIR-Arizona Executive Director Azza Abuseif, 602-349-1573, [email protected]