A renewed attempt to pass a controversial "foreign law" bill proposed by Sen. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, and Rep. Larry Metz, R-Yahala, was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday, after more than an hour of sometimes emotional public testimony.

The bill, SB 58, bans courts or other legal authorities from using religious or foreign law as a part of a legal decision or contract relating to family law. Florida law would supercede foreign law regarding divorce, alimony, the division of marital assets, child support and child custody. The bill is ready to be heard on the House floor but it has more committee stops in the Senate. Last year, the bill passed the House but died in the Senate.

Supporters say the proposal isn't targeting religious groups, but the bill has been criticized as anti-Sharia, a Koran-based code followed in some Islamic countries, by Islamic groups as well as Jewish organizations and the American Civil Liberties Union.

"It should raise some eyebrows for you, the fact that there's a rabbi speaking out against the bill who's from Israel and a Arab Muslim, that's me, also speaking out against the bill," said Ahmed Bedier, president of the United Voices for America. "We may disagree what is happening in the Middle East, but we agree on this bill – that it discriminates and targets our communities."

Hays said the bill "prevents a potential problem" from occurring in Florida courts and that it's "not insulting to any religious group."

"If your law violates the constitutional rights of a Floridian, it has no business being in a Florida court," Hays said.

Miami Herald, 6 March 2013

See also Atif Fareed, "Meaningless bill caters to Islamaphobes", Orlando Sentinel, 21 February 2013

And David Barkey, "Leadership in Tallahassee must stand against intolerance", Tampa Bay Tribune, 25 January 2013

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Local Muslim organizations have started a media campaign stressing the commonality of Christians, Muslims and Jews.

The billboards proclaiming "Same family, Same message" sprouting throughout the Orlando and Daytona Beach areas are sponsored by the Longwood-based American Muslim Community Centers, the Islamic Center of Orlando and the United Muslim Foundation in Lake Mary.

"In the holiday season, people are more spiritual," said AMCC Chairman Atif Fareed. "The idea is this would be an ideal time to spread the message that we are really from the same source: one family, one message."

The billboards, which have several different slogans, refer motorists to the whyislam.org website of the New York-based Islamic Circle of North America. The organization's "Why Islam" campaign is intended to raise awareness and correct misconceptions about a religion many Americans associate with terrorism.

"Our goal is to reach out and start a dialogue with our fellow Americans," said ICNA President Zahid Bukhari.

Orlando Sentinel, 1 January 2013

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ORLANDO — A woman is under arrest after carrying a sword onto a school campus.

Just before 10 a.m. Wednesday, Orange County deputies responded to the Leaders Preparatory School on North Goldenrod Road, which includes a mosque, school and day care. They found 47-year-old Dominique Eloi walking out of the mosque carrying the weapon.

A school employee said Eloi exited her vehicle with the 2-foot sword and did not respond to the employee when asked what business she had on the property. Leaders Preparatory was immediately placed on lockdown as the employee called deputies.

Eloi was arrested and charged with possession of a weapon on school grounds, disrupting a school function and aggravated assault with a weapon.

Central Florida News, 19 December 2012

See also "CAIR-FL urges stepped-up security after woman with sword arrested at mosque, Muslim school", CAIR press release, 19 December 2012

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Panama City police are investigating what appears to be a fire bombing in the Forest Park area.

It happened about 3:45 Wednesday morning at a house on Timber Lane in phase-1 of the subdivision called The Woods.

The owner's son said he heard a loud noise outside of his bedroom window, looked out and saw the ground below on-fire. He called 9-1-1, then put out the fire.

Police say they smelled gasoline and found what appeared to be a broken and burned mason jar, lying on the ground below the window.

The home is owned by a local medical professional named Aziz Ahmad. 5-adults were inside at the time.

Ahmad's son, Muhsim talked with us. "This could have burned down our whole house. This could have killed everyone inside, which is a very dreadful thought. Something like this shouldn't happen to anyone in this community."

Panama City police and the State Fire Marshal's office are investigating the case as an arson.

But a Muslim civil liberties advocacy organization called the Council on American-Islamic Relations is calling on the F-B-I to investigate the incident as a Hate Crime.

WJHG-TV, 15 August 2012

See also "CAIR asks FBI to probe firebomb attack on Fla. Muslim family", CAIR press release, 15 August 2012

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In the last decade, 6,600 Muslims have filed complaints with the federal government, claiming that their employers discriminated against them because of their beliefs.

But Ashraf Sarandah's allegations against the United Parcel Service of America go way beyond the typical religious discrimination charges, according to his lawyers.

Ashraf claims that his boss at UPS called him "a monkey" over instant messenger, because of the color of his skin. And another manager allegedly followed him into the bathroom, mocked him for urinating sitting down, as Ashraf's particular beliefs dictate, and gave him a demonstration in "how we urinate in this country."

On Tuesday, Sarandah's lawyers announced that they were filing a charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, accusing UPS of discriminating against Ashraf because of his race, religion and national origin.

Sarandah, who is a Palestinian Muslim, got a job as an industrial engineer planner with UPS in Orlando, Fla., at the end of 2004. He claims that the harassment began soon after.

AOL, 10 July 2012

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Community Unites with CAIR Against Hate at Hillsborough County School Board

Anti-Muslim Extremists Defeated at School Board

Diverse interfaith coalition stands united in solidarity with Muslim community

Dozens of diverse community members of many faiths attended yesterday's school board meeting to request the school board not to give in to censorship by banning advocacy groups at the request of anti-Muslim extremists.

The board agreed that there is no place for censorship in America and that the current policies which permit teachers to invite qualified speakers to schools do not need to be changed. Those pushing for censorship claim that their problem was only with CAIR, not Islam, however, their statements caught on video shows that they really wished to attack Islam and Muslims as a whole. Their attack on CAIR was simply because CAIR is the largest Muslim civil rights organization.

Nonetheless, dozens of community members came out to oppose the hate and show solidarity with the Muslim community.

Hassan Shibly Official Blog, 11 April 2012

For the background to the controversy see here, here and here.

Photo: Hassan Shibly (centre) at the school board meeting.
Below, an example of the propaganda issued by his opponents.

 

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