(WWJ) — Dr. Ahmed Ghanim, a Muslim Democrat, activist and former political candidate who was thrown out of a rally for Vice President Kamala Harris this fall is now suing the Oakland County venue where the rally was held.
The lawsuit filed by the Ferndale man accuses the Royal Oak Music Theatre of discrimination, based on race and religion, claiming he was asked to leave the Oct. 21 rally or he’d be arrested.
The lawsuit says Ghanim, co-founder of the Metro Detroit Political Action Network, is “dedicated to building a more inclusive and diverse society, raising the voices of minorities and underrepresented communities in Michigan and across the nation.”
While running for Michigan’s Congressional District 11 seat, he “leveraged his medical, cultural, and political experience to champion healthcare reform, civil rights, and economic equity for his community under the campaign message, ‘People First,’” according to the lawsuit.
He attended the rally on Oct. 21 — two weeks before the presidential election — after receiving a confirmed invite for the event, which included appearances by Harris, former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney and others.
The lawsuit says Ghanim “provided [Royal Oak Music Theater] positive press as the venue that hosted a presidential candidate’s discussion with a political-opponent turned-ally.”
After successfully clearing all security checkpoints, Ghanim entered the venue, took his seat and prepared to listen to the VP’s speech. While he was “patiently waiting,” according to the lawsuit, Ghanim was approached by secret service, who escorted him to the back of the venue.
He then recorded part of the interaction, the lawsuit says, beginning with him saying, “I’m going to leave but I want to know why you are kicking me out from the...” The Secret Service agent then responded “I’m not kicking you out. The venue is kicking you out,” the lawsuit says.
Ghanim claims he was then told that if he did not leave, he would be arrested, with authorities citing the venue’s directive for his forced removal, according to the lawsuit.
He was “left humiliated, confused, and distressed by the pretextual reason for his ejection from a public political event,” the lawsuit says.
After he was kicked out of the rally, the Harris campaign issued a statement saying it “regrets this action and its impact on Dr. Ghanim and the community, and he is welcome at future events,” according to the lawsuit.
Ghanim, who is a Muslim, is racially Egyptian, and is ethnically Arab, was the only attendee to be removed from the event, the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit claims public accommodation discrimination based on race and religion in violation of Title II, 42 U.S.C. § 2000a, denial of public accommodation in violation of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The lawsuit does not provide a reason as to why the venue allegedly chose to kick him out. Officials with the theater have not commented on the lawsuit.