Mariott to Pay $115K and Issue Formal Apology

[achtungbaby]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Justice Department reached a settlement agreement today with Marriott International and one of the Iowa hotels it manages to resolve allegations of discrimination against Arab, Muslim Sikh or South Asian Americans on the afternoon of Sept. 11, 2002.

The Department alleges that Marriott revoked its offer, in violation of Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, to the Midwest Federation, because the group's members are Arab American. The settlement agreement, seeks to resolve allegations that the Des Moines, Iowa Marriott, which is managed by Marriott International, revoked its previous offer to host the annual convention of the Midwest Federation of American Syrian-Lebanese Clubs. As part of the settlement agreement, Marriott International will pay $115,000 to the Midwest Federation and issue a formal apology to resolve allegations that it discriminated against the Midwest Federation.

On Sept. 5, 2001, Marriott had faxed a signed contract to the Midwest Federation for its signature agreeing to host the Midwest Federation's 2002 convention at the Des Moines Marriott from Aug. 8 through Aug. 10, 2002. In addition to using at least 60 sleeping rooms during the three-day convention, the contract also stated that the Midwest Federation would use the hotel's meeting rooms, restaurants and hold two dinner-dances in the hotel ballroom. On Sept. 11, 2001, Marriott revoked its offer to the Midwest Federation and repeatedly refused to reconsider its decision in the week following Sept. 11th.

full story (http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2002/August/02_crt_471.htm)

[angel nympho]

Wow. They're buuuusted...

It was wrong of them to discriminate like that... but I have to admit that after September 11th, when I saw a mean looking Muslim guy in the airport in Canada, I kept an extra eye on him. But since I was in Canada, nobody else seemed to care. *Scratches head* Hehehe...

[kasia]

isn't that a small-ass settlement considering the pscyhological effects of the muslim, etc. as a result of the discrimination?

[angel nympho]

^-- It's KINDA a lot.... Isn't it? I don't know how big settlements usually are. Bad publicity, too.

[kimpossible]

Originally posted by angel nympho@Aug 30 2002, 03:41 PM
Wow.  They're buuuusted...  

It was wrong of them to discriminate like that... but I have to admit that after September 11th, when I saw a mean looking Muslim guy in the airport in Canada, I kept an extra eye on him.  But since I was in Canada, nobody else seemed to care.  *Scratches head*  Hehehe...
Other than dress or name, how can you tell that someone is Muslim? I'm not trying to knock on you angel, it's just that most people could mistake a Hindu or Sikh for a Muslim by skin color/ethnicity. Putting aside the issue that being Muslim doesn't = terrorist.

Don't hurt me :unsure: It's just kind of a scary time for identifying people. It wasn't that long ago that people of Japanese ancestry were locked up.

[SunWuKong]

Originally posted by Hello_Hapa@Aug 30 2002, 09:13 PM
Originally posted by angel nympho@Aug 30 2002, 03:41 PM
Wow. They're buuuusted...

It was wrong of them to discriminate like that... but I have to admit that after September 11th, when I saw a mean looking Muslim guy in the airport in Canada, I kept an extra eye on him. But since I was in Canada, nobody else seemed to care. *Scratches head* Hehehe...
Other than dress or name, how can you tell that someone is Muslim? I'm not trying to knock on you angel, it's just that most people could mistake a Hindu or Sikh for a Muslim by skin color/ethnicity. Putting aside the issue that being Muslim doesn't = terrorist.

Don't hurt me :unsure: It's just kind of a scary time for identifying people. It wasn't that long ago that people of Japanese ancestry were locked up.
i will be the first to admit that i can't tell them apart. :lol:

but it's pretty ironic that hindu people got discriminated against considering the beef that hindu people and muslim people have with each other in south asia.

[angel nympho]

Originally posted by Hello_Hapa@Aug 31 2002, 02:13 AM
Other than dress or name, how can you tell that someone is Muslim? I'm not trying to knock on you angel, it's just that most people could mistake a Hindu or Sikh for a Muslim by skin color/ethnicity. Putting aside the issue that being Muslim doesn't = terrorist.

Don't hurt me  :unsure: It's just kind of a scary time for identifying people. It wasn't that long ago that people of Japanese ancestry were locked up.
Yeah, I wasn't saying the dood at the airport was a terrorist. As an American, I can't help but be angry at what happened last year. And when some guy with a grimace bumps into me at the airport, I'll admit I that my heart started beating a little faster. Okok, so I have no idea what the hell ethnicity this guy was... but you know what I mean. I see a turban, I can't help but be reminded of Osama Bin Laden. And THAT guy is fucking SICK.

But I'll have you KNOWWWW... that I'm not all... "DOWN WITH AFGHANS!" or anything at all. But it scares me that what happened then could happen again. And it wasn't THAT long after Sept. 11th. I didn't think he was a terrorist, but I think all of us Americans were just totally scarred for life. Just one of those little side-effects.

Seriously though. I know Muslim doesnt = terrorist. And in contrast to what happened last year and Pearl Harbor.... No Muslims got hunted down and locked up. There might have been bit of fear going around, but all in all, I think the situation was handled well (Public Service Ads on almost every station, statements by authority figures, etc)...



<!--EDIT|angel nympho|Aug 31 2002, 02:38 AM-->

[kimpossible]

I know what you meant angel. :D I live in a high Indian-American population area. Many were afraid to leave their houses or have trouble flying because people thought they were Muslim. Then that poor Sikh guy got blown away.

Plus, be paranoid of EVERYONE, girl.

[angel nympho]

Originally posted by Hello_Hapa@Aug 31 2002, 02:47 AM
I know what you meant angel. :D I live in a high Indian-American population area. Many were afraid to leave their houses or have trouble flying because people thought they were Muslim. Then that poor Sikh guy got blown away.

Plus, be paranoid of EVERYONE, girl.
Mm.. i felt really bad for the Sikh kids at my high school. Although our school was REALLY REALLY good about being tolerant toward others, I think they were scared of getting hated on. It was reallllly nice, though, how the other kids were totally there to make them chage their minds.

[achtungbaby]

Originally posted by kasia@Aug 30 2002, 03:45 PM
isn't that a small-ass settlement considering the pscyhological effects of the muslim, etc. as a result of the discrimination?
It's peanuts, but on the bright side, it is a symbolic victory.

[SunWuKong]

Originally posted by angel nympho@Aug 30 2002, 09:37 PM
No Muslims got hunted down and locked up.
not to sound paranoid, but we don't know that for certain. there is a little thing called the Patriot Act which allows the attorney general to indefinitely lock up aliens on mere suspicion and without going to any court establishing the necessity.

[angel nympho]

Originally posted by SunWuKung@Aug 31 2002, 04:12 AM
Originally posted by angel nympho@Aug 30 2002, 09:37 PM
No Muslims got hunted down and locked up.
not to sound paranoid, but we don't know that for certain. there is a little thing called the Patriot Act which allows the attorney general to indefinitely lock up aliens on mere suspicion and without going to any court establishing the necessity.
Wow, that's a crappy ass act. =T Maybe it's a bit outdated...? I don't know.

I'm sure if somebody got locked up or something, there'd have been a huge public controversy over it... ya think?

[SunWuKong]

Originally posted by angel nympho@Aug 30 2002, 11:50 PM
Originally posted by SunWuKung@Aug 31 2002, 04:12 AM
Originally posted by angel nympho@Aug 30 2002, 09:37 PM
No Muslims got hunted down and locked up.
not to sound paranoid, but we don't know that for certain. there is a little thing called the Patriot Act which allows the attorney general to indefinitely lock up aliens on mere suspicion and without going to any court establishing the necessity.
Wow, that's a crappy ass act. =T Maybe it's a bit outdated...? I don't know.

I'm sure if somebody got locked up or something, there'd have been a huge public controversy over it... ya think?
well it was drawn and passed just a few weeks after 9-11.
i'd like to think that there would be alot of controversy if anybody was actually suddenly taken away and locked up because of the powers granted by the Patriot Act, but honestly, if the government wants to cover up something like that, i don't think it would be difficult to do. perhaps members of the muslim american community would know more about this.

[angel nympho]

Originally posted by SunWuKung@Aug 31 2002, 05:01 AM
well it was drawn and passed just a few weeks after 9-11.
i'd like to think that there would be alot of controversy if anybody was actually suddenly taken away and locked up because of the powers granted by the Patriot Act, but honestly, if the government wants to cover up something like that, i don't think it would be difficult to do. &nbsp;perhaps members of the muslim american community would know more about this.
:o
If somebody was taken away and locked up, wouldn't people notice that they went missing?!

Shit, that's a fucked up act.



<!--EDIT|angel nympho|Aug 31 2002, 05:48 AM-->

[SunWuKong]

Originally posted by angel nympho@Aug 31 2002, 12:48 AM
Originally posted by SunWuKung@Aug 31 2002, 05:01 AM
well it was drawn and passed just a few weeks after 9-11.
i'd like to think that there would be alot of controversy if anybody was actually suddenly taken away and locked up because of the powers granted by the Patriot Act, but honestly, if the government wants to cover up something like that, i don't think it would be difficult to do. perhaps members of the muslim american community would know more about this.
:o
If somebody was taken away and locked up, wouldn't people notice that they went missing?!

Shit, that's a fucked up act.
well since it would be government agents that would be doing the taking away and locking up, the person's family might not know what to do. or the person's family might not even speak enough english. or heck, maybe the person doesn't have family here. and i don't think we should underestimate US intelligence's ability to suppress information to the public.

[angel nympho]

Originally posted by SunWuKung@Aug 31 2002, 07:50 AM
Originally posted by angel nympho@Aug 31 2002, 12:48 AM
Originally posted by SunWuKung@Aug 31 2002, 05:01 AM
well it was drawn and passed just a few weeks after 9-11.
i'd like to think that there would be alot of controversy if anybody was actually suddenly taken away and locked up because of the powers granted by the Patriot Act, but honestly, if the government wants to cover up something like that, i don't think it would be difficult to do. perhaps members of the muslim american community would know more about this.
:o
If somebody was taken away and locked up, wouldn't people notice that they went missing?!

Shit, that's a fucked up act.
well since it would be government agents that would be doing the taking away and locking up, the person's family might not know what to do. or the person's family might not even speak enough english. or heck, maybe the person doesn't have family here. and i don't think we should underestimate US intelligence's ability to suppress information to the public.
That reminds me of that book.... 1984? I think it was that one. Or maybe Brave New World, I can't remember. When they totally erased people from history. How scary.