The Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA) and the South Florida Muslim Federation (SFMF) have announced the filing of a federal lawsuit against the Fort Lauderdale Marriott Coral Springs Hotel & Convention Center, the City of Parkland, and additional parties. The lawsuit stems from the hotel’s abrupt cancellation of SFMF’s annual conference, set for January 12-13, 2024, despite having a signed contract in place. This decision was made under pressure from known anti-Muslim extremists, as well as local government and business leaders.
“We believe that no organization or community should bow to hate or discrimination,” said Samir Kakli, President of the South Florida Muslim Federation. “Our conference is an important platform for dialogue and community building, and we will not allow our rights to be compromised.”
“The defendants broke the law. This community deserves to see them held accountable,”said Christina Jump, Civil Litigation Department Head for the legal division of the Muslim Legal Fund of America. “Local interference with the contractual rights of anyone, of any group, directly contradicts American laws and American values. Who won’t they like next? What contracts will they decide to stop next? And what other companies will bow to that pressure like Marriott did here, without any cause? Our laws prevent acts like these for good reasons, and we will show how all defendants violated the law by interfering with South Florida Muslim Federation’s law-abiding actions.“
Amongst present media outlets were their from local CBS, NBC, ABC and NPR outlets.
