(CLEVELAND, OH, 7/3/16) – The Cleveland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Cleveland) today commended elected and law enforcement officials in Avon, Ohio, for their swift apology following an incident in which a Muslim man was hospitalized after falsely being accused of “pledging allegiance to ISIS” by a hotel desk clerk.
Ahmed Al Menhali, of the United Arab Emirates, received that apology from Avon’s mayor, police chief and law director for an incident Wednesday in which he was pinned to the ground and handcuffed by police. The apology took place Saturday night at the CAIR-Cleveland office.
CAIR: Avon’s Mayor, Police Chief Apologize to Man Wrongfully Accused of Supporting ISIS
CAIR: Man Confronted by US Police After False ISIL Accusation (Al Jazeera)
“We commend City of Avon officials for taking an important step toward helping to resolve this matter. Instead of retreating behind a wall of silence, they came forward swiftly to unequivocally exonerate Mr. Al Menhali, which is extremely important in restoring his dignity and reputation,” said CAIR-Cleveland Executive Director Julia A. Shearson. “We appreciate the transparency and forthrightness of these officials and hope they will pursue this matter in terms of seeking justice for Mr. Al Menhali through the office of the prosecutor.”
She cited the leadership shown by the officials such as the city’s law director, the mayor and the chief of police, who took time out of their holiday weekend to meet with Al Menhali at CAIR-Cleveland’s office to apologize for the incident.
Video: Muslim Falsely Accused of ‘ISIS’ Pledge Receives Apology at CAIR-Ohio Meeting with Officials
https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=kBqqju_qOrs
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
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CONTACT: CAIR-Cleveland Executive Director Julia A. Shearson, 216.830.2247 or 216.440.2247, jshearson@cair.com