January 10, 2002	Thursday	Shawwal 25, 1422

WASHINGTON, Jan 9: A mosque in New Jersey has filed a lawsuit against Marriot International for discrimination against their members.

The president of the Darul Islah mosque, Mr Waheed Khalid, has stated that he had contacted the Marriot hotel at Teaneck, New Jersey, late last year with the intention of renting the grand ballroom to host Eid prayers, but was informed that the room was not available for the dates required.

However, Mr Khalid said, when he went to the Marriot on the dates of the Eid, he found the hall empty and not being used.

Darul Islah has previously also experienced problems with renting the ballroom at the Marriot at Teaneck. According to Mr. Khalid, he tried to rent the hall for Eid in 2000, but was refused by the hotel management.

The group complained to the state’s attorney-general as well as state assembly member Loretta Weinburg, who “pressured the hotel to rent the room to Darul Islah”, according to a press release by the Washington-headquartered Islamic Institute on Tuesday. Conditions were then applied by Marriot that no shoes should be removed in the hall.