The American Freedom Law Center (AFLC) is pleased to report each month the progress of its legal battles to defend America’s Judeo-Christian heritage and moral foundation. As you know, this past month our fundamental right to freedom of speech was thrust into the national spotlight, stirring up a national debate over the First Amendment. Indeed, we watched in horror as violent Muslims stormed our embassy in Libya, killed four Americans, including our ambassador, and burned the American Flag, while the Obama administration blamed it on a YouTube video that was critical of Islam. And rather than defend one of our most precious freedoms, Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton apologized for the video.
Unfortunately, we are clearly seeing the ill effects of Obama’s policy of appeasement toward Muslim violence in the erosion of our fundamental freedoms here in the United States. Indeed, as one can see from the lawsuits AFLC filed just this month, government agencies are now taking an unprecedented, radical, and exceedingly troubling position: that a private citizen’s fundamental First Amendment right to freedom of speech in the United States can and should be abridged because Muslim protestors are engaging in violent behavior in response to the speech. In First Amendment terms, this is known as a “hecklers’ veto,” which up until now, has been unconstitutional.
But make no mistake: AFLC is leading the battle to defend America from this and many other threats to our precious freedoms.
- The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) began running – by order of a federal judge – our clients’ pro-Israel/anti-jihad advertisements that criticize savage acts committed by jihadists against Israel.  This ruling came as a result AFLC’s court victory, and has made national and international headlines.  The advertisements are exceedingly timely in light of the recent protests, riots, murder, and mayhem perpetrated by Muslims overseas in response to speech they deem critical of Islam.  Our case was covered by numerous media outlets, including The New York Times, CNN, BBC, and Fox News.  You can read more about AFLC’s legal victory here.
- On September 20th, AFLC filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia on behalf of the Freedom Defense Initiative (FDI) and its executive directors, Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer, after the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) decided to “postpone” the running of FDI’s pro-Israel/anti-jihad advertisement until some unknown “future date.”  The WMATA cited concerns about “the situations happening around the world” and “world events”—referring to the Muslim violence in the Middle East.  AFLC’s lawsuit challenges the WMATA’s unconstitutional censorship of FDI’s speech and has requested that the federal judge issue an order immediately halting the speech restriction.  A hearing will be held this Thursday, October 4th, in federal court in Washington, D.C.  AFLC Co-Founder and Senior Counsel Robert Muise will be arguing the case on behalf of our clients.  You can read more about this case here.
- On September 25th, AFLC filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan on behalf of several Christian evangelists who were violently attacked by a Muslim mob at the Arab International Festival held this past June in Dearborn, Michigan.  The attack was captured on video, which has gone viral on YouTube.  AFLC’s lawsuit alleges that the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office violated the Christians’ rights by siding with the Muslim mob that was intent on suppressing the Christians’ speech.  Rather than defend the constitutional rights of the Christians, the Wayne County deputies threatened the Christians with arrest for “disorderly conduct” if they didn’t leave the festival.  You can watch the video of the Christians stoned by Muslims here.  You can read more about AFLC’s lawsuit here.
- During this month, Senior Counsel Robert Muise filed numerous briefs in a federal court in Oklahoma on behalf of Tulsa Police Captain Paul Fields, who was summarily punished for objecting to attending an Islamic proselytizing event that was held at a local mosque.  AFLC is asking the court to rule in our favor as a matter of law.  A hearing on the motion is scheduled in Tulsa for November.  You can read more about this case here.
- On September 28th, Senior Counsel Robert Muise defended the deposition of Nabeel Qureshi, one of AFLC’s clients and a plaintiff in the Acts 17 v. City of Dearborn case.  Nabeel is one of the four Christian missionaries who were unlawfully arrested and jailed for peacefully preaching to Muslims during an Arab festival held in Dearborn, Michigan.  You can read more about that case here.
- On September 11th, AFLC Co-Founder and Senior Counsel David Yerushalmi gave a speech at the International Freedom Defense Congress held at the United Nations Plaza in New York City.  The topic of the speech is how sharia threatens our liberty here in America.  You can watch the speech on YouTube here.
- On September 6th, Senior Counsel Robert Muise gave a speech to the Florida International University College of Law’s student chapter of The Federalist Society.  He was invited to discuss AFLC’s cases and to discuss Obamacare and its effect on our freedoms.
- This month, David Yerushalmi and Robert Muise wrote a professional essay criticizing Chief Justice Roberts’ decision in Obamacare.  The essay was accepted for publication in the prestigious Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law published by Duke University Press.
- This month, Senior Counsel Robert Muise was the keynote speaker at the well-attended “Town Hall Meeting and Legislative Breakfast” hosted by Right to Life-Life Span in Michigan.  He discussed AFLC’s litigation efforts and the impact of recent court decisions on right to life issues.
- And the list goes on . . . .