An Indian-American professor at the University of North Florida last week won a seat in the Florida Human Rights Commission by a 13-6 City Council vote. Parvez Ahmed, associate professor of finance at the Coggin College of Business, was appointed to the Jacksonville, Florida, council after an election marked by a smear campaign by an anti-Islamic group, Act for America. The group objected to his record for his previous community activism and his political views and claimed Muslims should not be allowed to hold public office.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations filed a complaint April 8 with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, urging it to investigate allegations that the Florida-based hate group has been harassing members of that state's Muslim community.
"A vocal minority had mounted a spirited opposition against me but, as I always say, the process of democracy—although quite messy at times—usually ends on a positive note. In India we are all accustomed to this. At the end it is always positive," said Ahmed, a past national board chairman of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
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