Coral Springs Marriott cancels Muslim conference, organizers call move

CORAL SPRINGS –  The South Florida Muslim Federation is upset after a hotel canceled the group’s conference days before the scheduled event.  

Critics claimed that speakers at the event would spread antisemitism. Marriott management heard enough to act. However, the response triggered cries of racism.

“We didn’t think racism would prevail in South Florida in this way,” Jalal Shehadah, a member of the federation said.

“There was so much evidence against this organization,” Joe Kaufman, a former politician who complained to hotel management about the event.

The federation represents all mosques in the region to promote unity and support both Muslim and non-Muslim communities according to Shehadah.  Last year, the group partnered with the Miami Heat for “Muslim Night” at Kaseya Center during an NBA game.  The federation also hosted a forum with law enforcement in 2020.  Starting in 2023, the group began hosting a conference at the Marriott in Coral Springs.

However, Kaufman, who unsuccessfully ran for Congress three times in the past, wrote an article online that claimed the federation supports terrorism.

“We were concerned about a lot of the things the organization was promoting online and a number of the speakers who were supporting Hamas and antisemitism on social media,” Kaufman said.

The federation booked the hotel last May. The group sold 1000 tickets, hired 25 vendors, purchased airfare to bring speakers to the event and began promotion months ago.

One week before the conference, though, a petition that cites part of Kaufman’s article popped up online with thousands of signatures seeking to ban the conference.

Kaufman and four others met with the hotel’s general manager.

Then, Shehadah’s phone ran with bad news.

“(Management) described that there were undesirable circumstances and they claimed that they could not get enough security to cover the event to allow us to have the event,” Shehadah said.  “Yet we’re the ones responsible for the security.  They didn’t ask us if we could get the security.”

“Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our guests and team members,” Mark C. Cherry, General Manager of the Fort Lauderdale Marriott Coral Springs Hotel and Convention Center, said via email.  “We have determined that there is an increased risk to the safety and security of hotel guests, team members and the community with the South Florida Muslim Federation’s upcoming event at our hotel.  After careful consideration of these issues, we have made the decision not to host this event at our hotel this year.”

Shehadah said the federation and Muslims frequently use the hotel for other events.  The former member of the Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council is more than hurt.  Shehadah said the federation is scrambling to find a new home for their conference.  He feels something bigger at stake too.

“We have not been provided one credible threat that would support (the hotel canceling the conference),” he said.  “The only thing we’ve been provided are racist, baseless accusations that are built on an islamophobe’s bigoted point of view: that every Muslim is a terrorist.”

“If there were Muslims that wish to condemn Hamas and condemn this organization for having individuals speak here and promote Hamas and they’re condemning them with me I would hug them, shake their hand and want to work with them as I do many Muslims,” Kaufman said.

The federation is close to securing a new venue for the conference which begins Friday and ends Saturday, January 13th.