AFLC Month in Review: January 2014

January was another incredibly busy month for the American Freedom Law Center (AFLC), all of which is made possible by your generous support.  Here are the highlights:

  • AFLC continues its legal challenge against the Massachusetts Bay Area Transit Authority (MBTA) for censoring our clients’ pro-Israel advertisement.  Last month, a federal judge upheld the MBTA’s censorship of the ad, ruling that it was “reasonable.”  As a result, on January 3, AFLC’s clients submitted a new ad to test the “reasonableness” standard, which the MBTA subsequently accepted for display.  As stated last month, AFLC is appealing the federal district court judge’s ruling.
  • On January 21, Senior Counsel Robert J. Muise presented oral argument before a three-judge panel in the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, asking the court to overturn a lower court’s dismissal of a civil rights lawsuit brought by several Christian evangelists who were violently attacked by a hostile mob of Muslims while preaching at an Arab festival last year in Dearborn, Michigan.  Video of the Muslim assault went viral on YouTube.
  • On January 23, AFLC filed a “Petition for Writ of Certiorari” in the U.S. Supreme Court, asking the Court to grant review of its case challenging the Obamacare contraception mandate.  Specifically, the petition asks the Court to decide whether the challenged mandate as applied against non-exempt, nonprofit religious employers violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
  • On January 27, AFLC filed a “friend of the court” brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in support of two Christian businesses that are challenging the constitutionality of the Obamacare contraception mandate.  In its brief, AFLC urges the Court to protect the fundamental right to religious exercise by striking down the mandate, which requires certain non-exempt organizations to provide insurance plans that promote and facilitate the use of contraceptives, abortifacients, and related services.
  • On January 27, Senior Counsel David Yerushalmi presented oral argument in federal court in Seattle, Washington, in support of AFLC’s motion for a preliminary injunction, which asked the court to order the local transit authorities in Seattle to run an anti-terrorism advertisement.  The transit authorities censored the ad because they believed it would offend Muslims.  Yerushalmi argued that the agency’s refusal to run the advertisement is unconstitutional.
  • In a “Faith & Freedom Report” that is going viral, Senior Counsel Robert Muise responded to President Obama’s “State of the Union” address, arguing that the speech was nothing more than a commentary on the destruction of our constitutional republic.
  • Throughout the month, Senior Counsel Robert Muise appeared on various radio and television programs to discuss AFLC’s cases and other important issues, including The Blaze, National Public Radio (NPR), The Frank Beckmann Show, and Bill Bennett’s Morning in America.
  • On January 23, AFLC celebrated its two-year anniversary.  Accordingly, we want to thank all of you for your critical support, which has allowed AFLC to become a formidable and successful organization in such a short period of time.  We couldn’t do it without you!
  • You can read more about our important work at www.aflc.us.

May God bless you, and may God continue to bless America!