A South Florida Marriott Hotel canceled a Muslim group’s conference at the last minute after a protest group claimed the coalition was promoting Hamas, terrorism and antisemitism.
The South Florida Muslim Federation, a coalition of about 30 mosques and Islamic groups, said Friday that it was told by the Marriott Coral Springs Hotel and Convention Center that its conference was being canceled because of security concerns after it received 100 calls demanding it bars the group. This weekend’s second annual conference was expected to draw more than a thousand people.
Kakli said that even before Marriott raised security concerns, his group hired Coral Springs police officers and private guards for protection. He said he told Marriott that the federation would hire more, but was rebuffed.
Kakli denied that he or his group supports terrorism or antisemitism. He said those accusations are often made against Muslims who criticize Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and its treatment of Gaza to strip them and their arguments of legitimacy.
I don’t fault the hotel for wanting to stay out of any controversy. They are a business that offers a safe place to stay. I wouldn’t want to endanger my other guests or cause concern over any possible protests.
They didn’t stay out of controversy - they sided with the terrorists and cancelled the conference.
I don’t think a private institution canceling a conference constitutes “siding with terrorists”.
But hey if you want to use inflammatory language for fake internet clout be my guest.