NEW ORLEANS— The ACLU of Louisiana sent an open letter today to Jefferson Parish Councilmember Ben Zahn, following his comments to The Advocate newspaper on which religions would be welcome at an annual holiday celebration.
“Singling out Islam as a disfavored religion not only violates the Constitutions of the United States and of Louisiana, it also discriminates against the many Muslim residents of Jefferson Parish who have the right to equal protection for their religion,” writes Executive Director Marjorie R. Esman. “To ban legitimate symbols of the Muslim faith that might also be associated with a political entity is both unlawful and harmful to those peaceable practitioners of Islam who want nothing more than their legal right to full equality for their religious beliefs.”
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