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Muslim Family Says They Were Kicked Out Of Empire State Building For Praying
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Mar 19, 2014
Modified Mar 19, 2014
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By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Mar 19, 2014
Modified Mar 19, 2014
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A Muslim family from Long Island is suing the Empire State Building owners, alleging that two security guards forcibly removed them from the building's observation deck because they were praying.
In a complaint filed on Tuesday, Farmingville resident Fahad Tirmizi, 32, and wife, Amina, 30, allege that they were visiting the building's famed observation deck with their two children on July 2nd of last year; at around 11 p.m. that night, they "walked over to an isolated area of the Observatory where they began to pray silently," according to the complaint. The suit alleges two security guards approached them, and one "put his hands" on Tirmizi and "menacingly poked at" him, telling him he was not allowed to pray there.
The security guards "forcibly escorted Plaintiffs and their children to the Observatory elevator, down to the lobby, and out of the Empire State Building entirely," according to the lawsuit.
Tirmizi says he previously prayed at the Staten Island Ferry terminal without incident. "Earlier that same day at the Staten Island Ferry terminal, I needed to pray the afternoon prayer and wanted to make sure I'm not in the way, so I confirmed with a police officer who was standing right there to make sure it was a good spot. The officer responded 'go for it, its not illegal to pray,' " he told us in a statement. "Later on, we went to the Empire State Building Observatory. We weren't doing anything wrong, we just wanted to enjoy the view like everyone else."
The suit, which names a number of ESB management companies including Malkin Properties, security company Andrews International Inc. and Empire State Realty Trust, seeks $5 million in damages. "A family trip to enjoy the cityscape was cut short after security officials threw them out of the building for exercising their religious beliefs and silently praying in a corner," the family's attorney, Philip Hines, said in a statement. "This type of discrimination is shameful."
Neither Malkin Properties nor Andrew International Inc. could be reached for comment.
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