Leaders meet over Muslim incident

Today members of a national Muslim group met with city leaders in Valdosta to address a controversial incident involving a Muslim woman.

The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations says Valdosta violated Aniisa Karim’s civil rights when an officer banned her from entering a court building last month because she was wearing a head scarf. Karim says she was denied entry to due “homeland security”concerns.

Last week Valdosta city officials said the court officer acted properly, but apologized for offending Karim. The CAIR representatives said today’s meeting yielded no resolution but there was a spirit of cooperation.

Islamic group cries foul in Valdosta

A national Islamic civil rights group claims a court in Valdosta violated the civil rights of a Muslim woman.

The woman said last week that she was not allowed to enter a Valdosta municipal courtroom for wearing a traditional Islamic headscarf. She alleges that an officer cited homeland security reasons, in denying her entry, and says the officer told her that it would show disrespect to the judge.

CAIR, a Islamic advocacy group says the move violated the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which guarantees access to public facilities based on religious beliefs or practices.

They are calling on Georgia's attorney general to take what they term, “appropriate action,” in the incident.

The State attorney-general's office did not have an official comment on the report, as of press time.