SJC Rules Somerville Landlord Must Learn About Islam, Serve Jail Time

SOMERVILLE, MA – A Somerville landlord convicted of pushing her Muslim tenant down a flight of stairs will serve six months in jail and learn about Islam as part of her probation, the Supreme Judicial Court ruled Wednesday.

First reported by the Boston Globe, the SJC upheld a judge's 2014 sentence for Daisy Obi, who was convicted of assault and battery on Gilhan Suliman. The judge in that case ordered Obi to serve six months in the Middlesex County House of Corrections, complete an introductory class on Islam and provide written proof to her probation officer once done and disclose to future tenants in writing of her prior conviction.

According to the Globe, Obi was 71 years old at the time of her conviction and had no prior criminal record. However, the SJC ruled that the punishment imposed by the original judge in the case was fair, though it did not not acknowledge the constitutionality of forcing Obi to attend a class on Islam.

"We do not address the defendant's constitutional objections to being required to attend the class on Islam as a condition of probation, which were not raised in the trial court," according to the decision.

According to court records, Suliman rented a third floor apartment from Obi for a brief time in 2012. Their issues began as typical tenant-landlord disputes - Suliman claiming there was not enough electricity or heat, Obi saying she and her family were too noisy, Obi raising the rent - but Suliman alleged that it quickly became personal, court documents show.

Suliman claimed that Obi, a Christian minister, attacked her faith on several occasions; Suliman also once reported an incident to police during which Obi allegedly screamed at Suliman's children, according to the records.

The tension culminated in a confrontation on August 28, 2012, when Suliman said Obi accused her of repeatedly ringing her doorbell. Suliman told authorities Obi shouted, "Get out of my house!" and pushed her, causing her to fall 15 to 20 feet down the stairs and hit her face on a railing, records show.

Obi's sentence has been stayed pending the resolution of her appeals.

Image via Shutterstock