Muslimah Writers Alliance Director Requests Federal Action Against Islamophobia

Aishah Schwartz
Posted Sep 1, 2010




United States President Barack Obama
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20500

Hon. Eric H. Holder
United States Attorney General
United States Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20530-0001
Email: AskDOJ@usdoj.gov

RE: Request for Federal Action in Support of Federal Law on Freedom of Religion

Dear President Obama and Attorney General Holder,

Mr. President, I heard you loud and clear when you supported the right of Park51 organizers to pursue their project in the downtown Manhattan area known as ‘Ground Zero’ - or hallowed ground - but I also heard the secondary message you spoke of regarding the wisdom of Park51 organizers in their choice of location for the project. Additionally, I wrote extensively in support of your comments http://pressroom.prlog.org/mwa-net.

Sadly, however, as a result of the Park51 controversy, a media and political frenzy fueling a whirlwind of Islamophobic and hate-filled rhetoric targeting Muslim community members and the Islamic faith, has engulfed the nation, provoking me to call upon both you and Attorney General Holder, to uphold and enforce federal law regarding freedom of religion and freedom of worship based on not only the U.S. Constitution, but also the Republican backed 2000 lesser-known law, U.S. Code Title 42, Chapter 21C, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA).

I trust, of course, that you are both well aware of the Park51 triggered backlash against Muslim community members, their projects and plans, as an alarming increase in reports from across the nation indicate a rise in local governing agencies attempting to excessively scrutinize said plans, by invoking alleged zoning ordinance stipulations that the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act was designed to shield against.

From coast-to-coast a series of protests have risen against those who seek to freely worship in Islamic mosques, including the states of California, Tennessee, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Kentucky, Florida, Connecticut, and throughout New York. More on backlash at http://realhumanrights.wordpress.com.

The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act states that, “No government shall impose or implement a land use regulation in a manner that imposes a substantial burden on the religious exercise of a person, including a religious assembly or institution,â€