(TAMPA, Fl, 11/21/2023) – Later today (Tuesday, Nov. 21, 1 p.m. ET), the Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL), CAIR’s national office, Erchid Law Firm, and the University of South Florida chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (USF SJP) will hold a press conference in Tampa to announce the filing of a complaint challenging an order issued by the Chancellor of the State University System of Florida to deactivate the student group across the state.
READ THE COMPLAINT.
The USF Students for Justice in Palestine complaint seeks to protect the pro-Palestine advocacy student group’s First Amendment right to express and advocate for its political views.
WHAT: USF’s Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) Sues the University of Florida System and Governor DeSantis for First Amendment Violations When Ordering Its Deactivation
WHEN: Tuesday, November 21, 1 p.m.
WHERE: CAIR-Tampa Office, 8076 N 56th St, Tampa, FL 33617
CONTACT: CAIR-FL Outreach & Media Director Wilfredo A. Ruiz, (305)502-6749, wruiz@cair.com; CAIR Senior Litigation Attorney Gadeir Abbas, 720-251-0425, gabbas@cair.com
CAIR-Florida’s #EveryAmericanSafe campaign brings to light not every American is being kept safe by our government. From young Palestinian and Muslim Americans being attacked on campus, to American citizens being trapped, and families being massacred in Gaza.
In a statement, CAIR-Florida Lead Attorney Omar Saleh said: “Let us be real in Florida, student groups that express criticism of Israel’s government are neither antisemitic nor are they terror supporters. We don’t believe the government can legally ban USF’s SJP for criticisms that it merely dislikes.”
“Governor DeSantis is asking young Americans to sacrifice their freedom here in the United States to shield a foreign government from criticism,” said CAIR Senior Litigation Attorney Gadeir Abbas. “These students are standing up for all of our rights to condemn the atrocities we see every day with our own eyes.”
Attorney Roza Tawil of Erchid Law said: “The actions by Governor DeSantis and the student university system of Florida are a threat to the rights enshrined in our first amendment of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. This is a threat to every American and American values as a whole. This is a despicable attempt on behalf of politicians to silence opinions they disagree with and to foster a homogeneous people by eliminating the ‘marketplace of ideas’ that the Supreme Court has ruled the school environment must be.”
SEE: Florida sued over ban on pro-Palestinian student groups
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/florida-sued-over-ban-pro-palestinian-student-groups-2023-11-16/
Pro-Palestine student group, ACLU sues University of Florida system, DeSantis
DeSantis directive to disband pro-Palestinian student groups met with federal lawsuit
CAIR-Florida’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR-Florida es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR-FL Outreach & Media Director Wilfredo A. Ruiz, (305)502-6749, wruiz@cair.com; CAIR Senior Litigation Attorney Gadeir Abbas, 720-251-0425, gabbas@cair.com