“Preliminary Victory” In Imams’ Suit Against US Airways

Remember the headline in neocon-central, right-wing noise, FOX sister newspaper, Washington Times: “How the Imams Terrorized an Airliner”? IN YOUR FACE WT!

On the heels of the favorable HLF trial in Dallas, the Imams' discrimination suit against U.S. Airways received its first victory as the federal judge in Minnesota rejected almost all of the arguments made by U.S. Airways and the Metropolitan Airports Commission in the case of six imams, or Islamic religious leaders, removed from a flight last year in Minneapolis, then arrested and denied further service.

These two cases (HLF & the Imams) represent a victory for the fundamental rights of all Americans, where the acid test is not how the majority is treated but how an embattled minority is treated by the judiciary and juries, especially in light of increasing Islamophobia in this country. This is a moment of time where all fair-minded Americans, civil rights activists and anyone concerned about human rights in general can feel good about being Americans. This is a moment of time when the repeat of McCarthyism (this time against Muslims) has been halted, even if ever so slightly. More from the Star Tribune:

U.S. District Judge Ann Montgomery's opinion and order rejected almost all of the defendants' arguments for dismissal. She said the question of whether airport officers had probable cause to arrest the men must be determined by the objective facts they had available at the time.

Montgomery said it is “dubious” that a reasonable person would conclude from those facts that the imams were about to interfere with the crew or aircraft. She said the plaintiffs had stated a plausible claim that MAC officers violated their constitutional rights.

Montgomery, considering the evidence in the light most favorable to the plaintiffs, said the facts they alleged “support the existence of an unconstitutional custom of arresting individuals without probable cause based on their race.”

Attorneys for the Imams were of course delighted with this first victory:

Frederick Goetz, one of the imams' attorneys, praised the judge's decision, saying “This has always been a straightforward civil rights case. You had six individuals … doing absolutely nothing wrong. They prayed in the airport and got arrested. That's unconstitutional, and they deserve redress… You don't arrest people because of their faith. You don't arrest people because of their national origin. That's just fundamentally wrong.”

Another attorney in the case, Omar Mohammedi, said: “This preliminary victory shows that any American can have a day in court. The case is about civil rights violations and constitutional principles that we all cherish. Our judicial system has always been, and will remain, the hope for all minorities who seek to redress civil rights violations.”

CAIR similarly welcomed the developed:

“We are pleased that despite the tremendous level of misinformation, unsubstantiated smears and Islamophobic rhetoric surrounding this case, an impartial examination of the facts lead the judge to rule in the imams’ favor. At its core, this case has always been about the ability of all Americans to practice their faith without fear of intimidation or harassment.”

Related Posts:

• Is CAIR Suing Passengers (in the Imams’ Case)?
• UPDATES! Holy Land Foundation Not Guilty of Financing Terrorism! Alhamdulillah!
• NEW ACTION ALERT! The HLF Trial, Unindicted Co-conspirators & Fairness Play over Fear