Muslim Civil Rights Group Calls For Termination Of Officer Over Islamophobic Social Media Submit

A Muslim civil rights group has asked the Connecticut Justice Department to end the employment of an official who allegedly posted Islamophobic content on social media.

The Connecticut chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) posted a video on Sunday setting out the request made by DOC resigning officer Anthony Marlak.

CAIR first found out about Marlak’s offensive post in 2019. It shows five Muslim men hanging from a noose and bearing the headline “Islamic Greyhounds”. CAIR says that Marlak added the comment, “I think I found the best meme on the planet !!”

The post was originally reported by a Muslim correctional officer. The DOC conducted an internal investigation and CAIR subsequently learned from a freedom of information request that it was still deployed.

Farhan Memon, chairman of CAIR-CT, said the post was obviously bigoted and in violation of the DOC’s social media policies “because it undermines public confidence in the DOC’s commitment to racial equality and religious tolerance.”

In a statement, the DOC said the commissioner had directed its legal and security teams to review the information in order to identify appropriate action.

The agency added that it does not condone discrimination or hatred against any individual or group based on their religion, race, color, national origin, age, disability or gender.

Ali Oshinskie is a corps member of Report for America, a national utility that places journalists in local newsrooms. Ali covers the Naugatuck River Valley for Connecticut Public Radio. Email her at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter at @ahleeoh.