SOUTHFIELD — The Michigan State House has yet to vote on a proposed anti-bullying bill, but the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Michigan is telling residents to ask their state reps to oppose the bill because it allows bullying of children based on religious beliefs and moral convictions. 

The Michigan State Senate recently passed the SB 137 “anti-bullying” bill but the House has yet to do so. A clause allows bullying through statements based on “a sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction of a school employee, school volunteer, pupil, or pupil’s parent or guardian.”

“While we believe in freedom of religious expression, the anti-bullying legislation set forth gives students and school employees leeway to bully Muslim children under the guise of stating religious beliefs and moral convictions,” said CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid.