NEW YORK CITY: Empire State Building Sued Over Ejecting Muslim Family

A Long Island Muslim family has filed suit against the owners of the Empire State Building, saying that they were "forcibly" ejected for praying on the 86th floor observation deck.

Fahad Tirmizi, 32, and his wife, Amina, 30, hit the owners of the landmark skyscraper with a discrimination lawsuit Tuesday over the July 2, 2013, observation deck incident. “To most, the Empire State Building is one of the great landmarks of this city, but for my client and his family it is a building of ignorance and injustice,” said lawyer Philip Hines. Empire State Realty Trust, one of several parties named in the complaint, didn’t comment. The Tirmizis and their two young children were enjoying the view until around 11 p.m., when it was time to pray, they say. They walked to an “isolated” area “and began to pray silently,” the suit filed by the Farmingville, L.I., pair says. Amina was allowed to pray, but a guard “menacingly poked” Fahad, says the suit, which seeks unspecified damages. The two guards then “forcibly escorted” the family out of the building, the suit says.

As always, Catholic League crackpot Bill Donohue has found a way to inject his perpetual victimhood into the story.

On August 26, 2010, I led a rally of over 3,000 people in the street across from the Empire State Building to protest Anthony Malkin’s (the principal owner) refusal to light the towers blue and white on the 100th anniversary of Mother Teresa’s birthday. He had no problem honoring the anniversary of the Communist Chinese government, even though Mao and his minions murdered 77 million innocent men, women, and children, but he could not stomach any recognition of Mother Teresa. Now he is bullying Muslims. Muslims who pray in public, including in public accommodations, are simply exercising their constitutional rights. In play are two First Amendment rights: freedom of speech and freedom of religion.