Schlussel

DETROIT – The Council on American Islamic Relations-Michigan (CAIR-MI) filed a lawsuit Wednesday, Jan. 5 against extremist Southfield blogger and attorney Debbie Schlussel for trademark infringement violations.  Schlussel created the website cairmichigan.com which may be confusing supporters of the group who wish to make financial donations. CAIR-Michigan Executive Director Dawud Walid says he fears donations may have been made to Schlussel by those who believe she operates CAIR. CAIR-MI’s website is cairmichigan.org. He says the big issue is not money, but the misrepresentation of CAIR.

Walid said his office has received calls from people asking whether Schlussel is the executive director of CAIR-Michigan. The federal court lawsuit encourages U.S. District Judge Avern Cohn to stop Schlussel from using similar names. Schlussel told the Detroit Free Press CAIR abandoned its name in Michigan after failing to file annual reports to the state starting in 2004. She says CAIR-Michigan received several notices, but never responded to any.  Walid responded to Schlussel’s claim arguing it isn’t legitimate because CAIR has a federal trademark.

“If we were tardy, we are one of the most recognized Islamic associations….she said on her website she did it intentionally to mess with the Muslim community,” Walid said. “She is misrepresenting one of America’s largest organizations for Muslims. We don’t want her falsely representing the interests of CAIR.”  He says Schlussel has attempted to mislead state officials. Walid said an attorney working under former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox received a letter from Schlussel claiming she represented CAIR. 

Schlussel is widely known for the anti-Muslim rhetoric she posts on her blog, debbieschlussel.com, where she refers to Dearborn as “Dearbornistan.”