AMAL

September 26, 2009

New York 9/30/09 - On Saturday, September 26, 2009, the Association for Muslim American Lawyers (AMAL) along with 20 other lawyer associations and advocates met with the Honorable Jane Holl Lute, Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security.  At the meeting, several civil rights issues that affect the Muslim and Arab communities were raised.  Omar Mohammedi, the President of AMAL, expressed concern over the citizenship delays that members of these communities were experiencing due to their religion and national origin and not based on their moral character.  “Everyone has a dream to become a U.S. citizen,” said Mr. Mohammedi, “and the Muslim and Arab communities should not be an exception.”

 

Mr. Mohammedi also voiced his concern over the ever increasing No Fly List, which has served to cause extended detentions at airports along with humiliation and extreme inconvenience.  Other important issues raised at the meeting included immigration and extended automatic detentions for asylum seekers.

 

The meeting was productive and Deputy Secretary Lute promised that the administration would work with all the communities to address these concerns and reform some of the policies of the Bush administration.

 

AMAL will continue to work with the Department of Homeland Security to protect the interests of the Arab and Muslim communities.  We request that those who have experienced problems with citizenship delay, no-fly lists or any other Department of Homeland Security related issues to please visit our website and provide us with a brief description of your concerns.  Please complete the form that can be found on our website at http://www.theamal.org/contactus.aspx.  AMAL would like to approach the Department of Homeland Security with specific examples and statistics as this dialogue moves forward. 

 

Contact:

 

Tariq Hussain, Board Member

(212) 725-3846

 

Sawsan Zaky, Board Member
 (914) 469-1789

 

 

The open letter to Obama was published in a one page ad in the New York Time on January 21, 2009. The publication raised awareness of the atrocious violations of internatioanl law committed by the state of Israel against the civilians of Gaza, in Palestine. AMAL played an important role in this historic publication. See the full New York Times ad.

 

 

 

Muslim American Civil Liberties Coalition (MACLC) issued a counter report to the 2007 NYPD report "The Radicalization in the West: The Homegrown Threat." See the full PDF version of the report and the letter sent to Commissioner Kelly along with the report:

 

 

 

MACLC is a New York-based coalition of Muslim advocates, attorneys and community leaders and was created in 2007 following the realease of the New York City Police Department report, "Radicalization in the West: The Homegrown Threat." MACLC was created for the purpose of articulating a New York-specific Muslim perspective on homeland security, civil liberty, and counterterrorism decision-making.

 

AMAL members Ally Hack and Omar Mohammedi engaged in regular discussions and meetings with other Muslim groups and worked extensively in drafting and editing this report.

 

May 21, 2008

AMAL Board Member Umar F. Moghul spoke on Successful Drivers for Islamic Finance in North America at Islamic Finance World North America 2008 in New York City.

March 28, 2008

AMAL Board Member Umar F. Moghul spoke on Islamic Financial Laws at the First Annual MENA Conference, Columbia Business School.


March 25, 2008

AMAL Board Member, Umar F. Moghul spoke on Islamic finance at the Association for Corporate Growth Fifth Annual Tri State Conference.

 

AMAL co-sponsored an open forum with Congressman Keith Ellison at New York University's Kimmel Center.

Keith Ellison represents the Fifth Congressional District of Minnesota in the United States House of Representatives since taking office on January 4, 2007. He is the first Muslim elected to the United States Congress. 

March 6, 2008

AMAL President, Omar Mohammedi Selected as Moot Court Judge at Wagner Moot Court Competition
Omar T. Mohammedi, AMAL member and Board President, was selected to preside over the prestigious final round bench of the upcoming 32nd Annual Robert F. Wagner Sr., National Labor & Employment Law Moot Court Competition.

The Wagner Competition is the largest student-run moot court competition in the nation and the only national competition exclusively focused in the areas of labor and employment law. In previous years, the Wagner Competition Final Round Bench has included many distinguished judges and attorneys as well as past and present members of the National Labor Relations Board and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Traditionally, the Wagner Competition fact pattern addresses two complex and timely issues in labor and employment law. This year the competition will examine:

1. whether Title VII prohibits discrimination against transsexuals for non- confirming gender; and

2. whether an employer may be liable under federal anti-discrimination laws based on a subordinate’s animus, where the person who actually made the adverse employment decision admittedly harbored no discriminatory motive toward the impacted employee. This issue was granted certiorari by the Supreme Court in E.E.O.C. v. B.C.I. Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of L.A., 450 F.3d 476 (10th Cir. 2006) (referring to such employer liability as the “Cat’s Paw Doctrine”).

The 32nd Annual Wagner Moot Court Competition will take place on Sunday, March 9, 2008 at New York Law School on 57 Worth Street, New York, New York 10013.


March 5, 2008

The Law Firm of Omar T. Mohammedi, LLC and its member, Omar Mohammedi, President of AMAL secured a Major Victory in Upholding Religious Freedom

The Law Firm of Omar T. Mohammedi, LLC secured a dismissal of a frivolous lawsuit targeting an Islamic center in Florida. The plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed their complaint after a vigorous defense from the Mohammedi firm.

The recent dismissal comes after a second attempt to block the construction of the Islamic center. The initial lawsuit, which attempted to impede the construction of an Islamic center in south Florida, was dismissed by a Florida judge. The Plaintiff attempted to refile his frivolous suit but withdraw his complaint after receiving a persuasive Memorandum of Law by the Mohammedi firm.

Mr. Omar Mohammedi said, “We are not going to let such people target the community with frivolous discriminatory lawsuits based on race and religion.”

This dismissal is a great victory in upholding the Constitutional right to freedom of religious practice. This is also a great victory for the Muslim community of South Florida It demonstrates that those targeting Muslims and Islamic institutions on the basis of race and religion will not prevail.

 

 

The Law Firm of Omar T. Mohammedi announces its victory in the first stage of the 6 Imams litigation. On November 20, 2007, the Honorable Judge Ann Montgomery of the United States District Court of Minnesota issued a 41-page opinion (attached herewith) granting the 6 Imams their first victory in their legal fight to remedy discrimination they suffered at the hands of US Airways and the Metropolitan Airport Commission (MAC). Judge Montgomery found in the 6 Imams’ favor and dismissed US Airways Motion for Summary Judgment. She also found in the 6 Imams’ favor and dismissed most of MAC’s and US Airways Motions to Dismiss. The case will now move to the discovery and trial stages.

The decision sets a major precedent on how Airlines and law enforcement may treat minorities in general and Muslims in particular. In fact, Judge Montgomery actually states in her opinion that the facts "support the existence of an unconstitutional custom of arresting individuals without probable cause based on their race".

Indeed this a major victory for not only the the Law Firm of Omar T. Mohammedi, LLC, and its principal Omar Mohammedi, but also for AMAL, which is presided over by Mr. Mohammedi, and most importantly for Muslims nationwide.

Read the Memorandum Opinion and Order

December 10, 2006

We are glad to report that the New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, ("Central Labor") has joined the fight alongside AMAL against Hate Crimes. Central Labor is the largest labor organization in the United States, affiliating nearly 500 local unions and advancing labor rights through organizing, public education, and political action.

Central Labor drafted and unanimously passed the resolution strongly condemning hate crimes in general, and specifically the hate crime that occurred against Pakistani immigrant Shahid Amber on October 29, 2006.

 

The racially and ethnically motivated attack against Mr. Amber was carried out by a gang of youths in the Midwood neighborhood of Brooklyn. AMAL has been working behind the scenes, as well as in the forefront, to uphold Mr. Amber's right to justice. AMAL thanks and congratulates Central Labor for its vocal and visible support.

 

 

 

AMAL writes a letter in support the establishment of the Khalil Gibran International Academy in Brooklyn, New York.

 

 

 

AMAL, in conjunction with various grass roots organizations, helped prepare a letter to the Federal Government urging guidance and restraint of FBI officials and agents as they question Muslim Americans for an investigation of a potential Hezbollah threat on the Untied States soil.