Detroit civil rights group calls for probe into anti-Muslim hate flyers
AHRC and AMLC request an investigation regarding anti-Muslim Flyer, call on Costco to review its Response to attempts to spread hate on its property:
The American Human Rights Council (AHRC-USA) and the American Muslim Leadership Council (AMLC) are alarmed by the distribution of an anti-Muslim flyer that mocked and degraded Prophet Mohamed. The flyer’s content is very offensive to Muslims.
The hatful flyer was distributed and put on the customers’ cars windshields at the parking lot of the Costco Wholesale located at 13700 Middlebelt Road in Livonia, Michigan.According to one customer who reported this incident the flyer was put on cars on Wednesday, May 8, 2019 around 5:45 pm. The customer was offended and reached out to one of Costco’s managers asking them to do something about the distribution. The manager instead asked the customer to call the police and report it as the matter is not Costco’s responsibility.
We salute the customer who notified Costco requesting action to stop the distribution of the flyer.AHRC communicated with Livonia Police Department who and requested immediate investigation related to this most despicable act of hate and anti-Muslim propaganda.
In addition, AHRC and AMLC representatives visited Costco on Friday, May 10, 2019 and relayed the serious concerns regarding the lack of action from Costco management to address this sensitive matter that spreads hate against many of their customers.The parking lot is Costco’s private property.
It is a matter of grave concern that the Costco staff asked the customer to call the Police as they have “no control” over the parking lot. It is Costco’s responsibility to keep their property safe and welcoming to all.
During the brief meeting, Costco management noted that they do not recall the incident, they do not condone such acts, they can’t release employee information, camera footage except to authorities and that they will fully cooperate with the Police investigation.
The American Human Rights Council (AHRC) and the American Muslim Leadership Council (AMLC) trust that the Livonia Police Department will pursue its investigation that will hopefully reveal the identity of those behind this flyer and the rhetoric of hate it included.AHRC & AMLC demand that Costco make every effort to keep their property safe and welcoming to everyone. We ask them to treat anti- Muslim bigotry with the same urgency and alarm that they would treat hate directed against any other faith or group. Disrespect to one faith is a disrespect to all faiths, and such advocacy of hate mongering against Muslims or/and others is not accepted and should be met with swift action.
“We simply ask any business or government to treat anti- Muslim bigotry the way they treat any other bigotry,” said Imad Hamad, AHRC Executive Director.
“We are disappointed that Costco did not deal with this hateful act the way we expect a great American corporation to act,” added Hamad. “Costco, in word as well as in deed, needs to assure all its customers, including Muslims, that it values them and would react swiftly when its property it used to spread and promote hate,” concluded Hamad.
“The flyer is bigotry. It’s appalling to see such piece of hate around,” said Abdallah Sheik, AMLC President.
“We are very disappointed that Costco disregarded the customer’s concern and did not act promptly,” continued Mr. Sheik. “Hate is our common enemy and any advocacy of hate against the Islam or any other faith is not unacceptable and should not be tolerated,” concluded Mr. Sheik.
For more information call the AHRC office at 313-790-8453 or the AMLC office at 313-586-4610.
Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.
Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).
Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.
Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.
His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.
Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.
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