Gun Store's 'Muslim-Free Zone' Draws Legal Fire

An Inverness gun shop owner who earlier this month declared his store a “Muslim-Free Zone” now faces a federal lawsuit.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations Florida (CAIR Florida) filed a complaint against Florida Gun Supply in the U.S. Southern District Court of Florida on Wednesday morning. That complaint contends store owner Andy Hallinan’s new anti-Muslim policy is discriminatory and violates federal law based on its segregation of “people on the basis of religion.”

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of CAIR by attorneys from Morgan & Morgan.

“The people that CAIR-FL represents include Muslims that have a right to purchase guns, browse guns, take classes on gun safety, shoot guns at the range, and visit the gun range for entertainment purposes and not be discriminated against,” the complaint states.

Hallinan instituted the “Muslim-Free Zone” at his store following the shootings in Chattanooga, Tenn., that left four Marines and one sailor dead.

Hallinan laid out his shop’s new policies in a video posted on the store’s Facebook page and on YouTube. The YouTube video posted July 18 has more than 169,000 views. In it, Hallinan explains “3 new EXTREME policy changes in response to the latest terrorist attack on our country.”

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In the video, Hallinan explains his stand on such issues as the Confederate flag, racism and terrorism. He also urges viewers to not “believe their lies.” He was referencing political leaders who are calling symbols, such as the Confederate flag and Christian cross, racist. Politicians who insist “Islam is a peaceful religion, full of tolerance and love and hope” are liars, he says.

“We’re in battle patriots, but not only with Islamic extremism, but we’re also in battle with extreme political correctness that threatens our lives, because if we can’t call evil, evil for fear of offending people then we can’t really defeat our enemies.”

“CAIR Florida has gone above and beyond to amicably reach a resolution outside of court with Florida Gun Supply regarding its discriminatory policies,” Thania Diaz Clevenger, Civil Rights Director of CAIR Florida, was quoted in a media release about the complaint as saying. “We want to make the law crystal-clear to any businesses elsewhere contemplating the implementation of such policies that religious discrimination is still illegal in the United States of America and that American Muslims are just as much entitled to their rights as every other American is.”

CIAR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties group. It has also called on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate a “possible federal civil rights violations,” according to its website. It is unclear if the DOJ intends to investigate.

Hallinan was not available at his store for comment Wednesday afternoon.

It is unclear how soon the court might take up the complaint.

YouTube screenshot