Hassan Shibly Misconduct and Harassment Allegations Fact-checked (2024)

The well-known founder of the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Florida chapter, Hassan Shibly, resigned after being accused of domestic abuse. Since then, a lot of women have come out to share their stories. The assertions have been refuted by Hassan Shibly.

Hassan Shibly, a Muslim civil rights activist charged with misconduct and harassment

For months, a well-known Muslim civil rights activist was the target of allegations of sexual harassment, bullying, and covert weddings.

Then, toward the close of the previous year, a few of the charges levelled against 34-year-old Hassan Hassan Shibly gained widespread attention. The mother of Hassan Shibly’s three children, his ex-wife, made a plea for help in a video that was posted to GoFundMe. She claimed that her husband’s violence had broken her off financially.

“For years, I’ve been in an abusive relationship, and the situation at home has become unbearable,” Imane Sadrati said. “I finally decided to build the courage to start over for my children and I.”

The content of the charges was shocking, as was the fact that they revealed the inner anguish of a well-known Muslim leader. For ten years, Hassan Shibly served as the director of the well-known Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR. This nonprofit rights organisation is well known for defending Muslim civil liberties in the wake of September 11th.

After his estranged wife’s video became viral, Hassan Shibly resigned from his prominent role with the Florida branch of CAIR in less than 15 days. Hassan Shibly denied allegations of abuse in an interview with NPR, saying that during one incident last summer that Sadrati detailed in court documents, he had shoved her against a wall, smacked her, and twisted her arm. Hassan Shibly also denied any further charges of misconduct.

His resignation did not, however, bring an end to the matter. Following Hassan Shibly’s departure, several women were emboldened to come forward and report instances of sexual assault and emotional abuse on his part, as well as workplace discrimination at the national office and some well-known CAIR chapters.

NPR examined emails, social media posts, internal CAIR documents, and interviews with twelve of Hassan Shibly’s critics. When taken as a whole, the tales depict Hassan Shibly as a man who freely utilised his position of authority to intimidate detractors and court women.

Critics of Hassan Shibly assert that his purported actions were concealed by a culture of silence, which was fostered in part by Muslim taboos about disclosing personal issues and in part by fears that the repercussions might  incite virulent anti-Muslim animosity.

Former staff members said that when concerned parties brought complaints to the attention of high-ranking CAIR officials in Florida and Washington, D.C., very little, if any, follow-up action was done. They added that some of the claims were communicated to leaders as early as 2016.

Laila Abdelaziz, a former employee of Hassan Shibly at the CAIR Florida branch, stated that she resigned from the company in 2016 in part because of sexual harassment by Shibly. She claimed that, in part because Muslim communities already face such a daily barrage of prejudice and occasionally violent acts of anti-Muslim bigotry, she believes CAIR leaders have not adequately addressed the issue.

According to Abdelaziz, it’s difficult to invite more of that when your community is already under constant attack, denigration, and diminished.

“Muslims do turn to them in crisis”

In 1994, a small group of young Muslim activists in Washington, D.C., made the decision to fight against what they saw as the growing demonization of Islam in popular culture and politics.

The product of their organisation is CAIR.

With over 33 independently managed chapters across the nation, CAIR has grown into the biggest and most well-known Muslim civil rights group in the US after nearly 30 years of existence. CAIR leaders make televised appearances to defend Muslim civil liberties and to voice opposition to government discrimination against Muslim communities and anti-Muslim prejudice.

“There is a certain brand recognizability,” asserted Yale University historical anthropologist Zareena Grewal, who has written extensively about American Muslim groups. She asserted that a large number of CAIR chapters perform outstanding, vitally necessary grassroots work. “Muslims do turn to them in times of crisis.”

Grewal conceded that there have been shortcomings in terms of accountability and growing pains. CAIR has had to defend itself against hateful, unjust, and Islamophobic political attacks. It has also had internal issues, such as impeding workers’ attempts in 2016 to form a union at the national headquarters.

Grewal claims, “They’ve been reluctant to adapt and let in a new generation of leaders who might be much more committed to things like reckoning with sexual harassment or gender bias, corruption, and things like unions.”

Parvez Ahmed has been critical of CAIR’s leadership on issues such as gender parity and inclusiveness since he departed the national board more than a decade ago. He said CAIR’s Hassan Shibly case offers an opportunity to show the community that “they are doing everything within their power to take these allegations seriously.”

“The leadership of CAIR owes the community an explanation as to who knew what, when, and how those complaints were handled,” Ahmed stated.

Under the condition that it not be recorded, Hassan Shibly agreed to a two-hour long extended interview with NPR. He disputes that he has ever harmed or financially isolated Sadrati, his wife.

He said that during a dispute, Sadrati injured him and presented a photo of himself with a black eye. (NPR was unable to independently confirm the incident, and police were not informed of it.) Sadrati contests this.

He said, “Her accusations are categorically and blatantly false.” Through our protracted legal separation, she is abusing my power and the court system.

He made note of the fact that a hearing was set to take place instead of issuing the temporary restraining order that Sadrati had asked for. Court documents show that Sadrati dropped her request for a restraining order, subject to the requirement that a no-contact order be added to their divorce proceedings. Hassan Shibly also made public a letter from the Florida Department of Children and Families. It claimed that there was no evidence of “intimate partner violence” endangering the kids.

According to Hassan Shibly, the couple split up more than two years ago. According to him, their Islamic-style divorce took place about eight months ago. Following Sadrati’s public accusation of domestic abuse, they officially divorced.

Hassan Shibly claimed that the other accusations of wrongdoing against him, such as workplace sexual harassment and bullying, are part of an effort to “humiliate me and hurt me” and to malign CAIR and his involvement with the group.

I’m at a loss for words, Hassan Shibly said. The majority of the accusations, he claims, “are verifiably false,” and he has “faith that the way I was misrepresented online doesn’t reflect who I am.”

Hassan Shibly said that he had entered into religious marriage contracts with women he was not legally married to, both when he and his wife were separated and earlier, with her approval, and when he thought their marriage was essentially over. He disputes that any of the interactions were aggressive or illegal, calling them courtships.

In areas where it is forbidden to have more than one wife, it is generally frowned upon to enter into a traditional Islamic marriage unless it is publicly recognized, according to the majority of religious authorities.

Sadrati refuses to do an interview with NPR other than to refute the accusations made by Hassan Shibly. She insisted that her desperate cry for help on the internet was self-explanatory.

“The GoFundMe is there for a reason, an honest reason,” she said. “I stand by what I said.”

In response to questions from NPR about the accusations against Hassan Shibly and others, CAIR’s national headquarters provided a written statement saying that they “take any allegations of misconduct against our staff or volunteers seriously.” It was also noted that the chapters operate independently.

In an online statement following the release of Sadrati’s video, the Florida chapter that Hassan Shibly once commanded explained his resignation as a part of a succession plan for a leader who wanted to prioritise his family. There was no mention of Sadrati’s alleged haunting.

Hassan Shibly told NPR of his resignation, saying, “This was my decision.” “I could have stayed,” I would reply without a doubt.

What is a Domestic Dispute? (The crime for which Hassan Shibly has been accused)

A domestic dispute is, in general, any argument between members of the same family or household, whether or not it involves violence. Local laws, which vary, control definitions, which may also include any kid, adult, or fully emancipated juvenile who is a spouse, former spouse, cohabitant, or someone with whom a suspect has or has had a dating or engagement connection. It might or might not involve criminal activity. For information on specific requirements in your location, contact local legislation.

Laws in New York against Domestic Violence (The crime for which Hassan Shibly has been accused)

Domestic abuse laws define what happens when a partner in a relationship is purposefully harmed. This article will explore the legislation passed in New York to both outlaw and prevent this kind of assault.

Common laws against domestic violence in Florida

Domestic violence refers to a pattern of violent behaviour by one partner against the other in a relationship. In this case, the individual deemed to be the abuser maintains power and influence over the partnership. All types of abuse, including financial, emotional, verbal, sexual, and physical, are included in the category of domestic violence. This group includes intimidation and threats.

Several separate criminal laws address domestic violence. In New York, the following are some of the most common charges in situations involving domestic abuse:

-Revenge porn is defined as the publication of a private or personal image (New York Penal Law 245.15).

-According to New York Penal Law 240.30, harassing and threatening a victim by repeated or threatening phone calls or texts is categorised as second-degree aggravated harassment;

-Following someone and instilling dread in them about their safety is known as stalking. As to the provisions of New York Penal Law 120.45, the offender may possess a weapon or threaten to use one against the victim.

-Attacking someone in front of a child, beating them, and using drugs in their presence are all actions that endanger their welfare (New York Penal Law 260.10);

As to the New York Penal Law 145.00, instances of criminal mischief encompass breaking a cell phone, causing damage to furniture, and totaling an automobile.

What Penalties Apply to Domestic Violence? (The crime for which Hassan Shibly has been accused)

Prison Time

Domestic violence penalties, particularly in New York, can be severe and are largely based on how serious the act was. The length of a prison sentence might range from a few years to life.

For instance, a misdemeanour domestic abuse charge carries a minimum 15-day sentence and a potential one-year sentence in jail. They could potentially receive a $1,000 fine. On the other hand, those accused of a class A felony will live their entire lives behind bars. A person accused of a class B, C, D, or E crime faces a sentence of four to 25 years in jail.

Validation

Another common punishment for domestic abuse is probation. Depending on the specifics of their case, a person accused of domestic abuse may receive a probationary sentence of up to five years. Probation is the most common result in domestic abuse cases. Probation is usually enforced in cases of domestic violence including less serious charges such as phone destruction.

Orders for Protection

In addition to being charged with a crime, a person may be mentioned in an order of protection. This is referred to as a protective order. A judge will issue a restraining order, which prohibits the abuser from harming the victim in the future.

What does the mandatory arrest law in New York mean?

What does Florida’s mandatory arrest mean?

New legislation in New York mandates that when a domestic violence call is received, law officers must make an arrest. A criminal can be arrested notwithstanding the victim’s plea not to because of new criminal law procedures and police training. Even while some victims choose not to file charges, law enforcement is not required to take them into account.

Instead of having their partner imprisoned, many victims call the police to defuse the situation. Even if the victim changes their mind or if the problem is solved, the case must still go forward.

Why are mandatory arrest laws in place?

There are laws requiring arrests because victims who report their abuser to the police may change their minds later. Typically, victims who are financially dependent, fear retaliation from their abusers, or have feelings for their spouses oppose their abusers being imprisoned.

Consequently, the law enforcement of New York is no longer dependent on the victim to make an arrest for domestic abuse. This is problematic because, despite the possibility that the victim was equally as violent, the person who was detained is being depicted as the offender. An unjustified arrest could affect a person’s criminal history and future.