By Thomas Monnay

Staff Writer, Posted August 12 2004 HOLLYWOOD ·

Sofian Abdelaziz Zakkout was in disbelief when his wife was denied the right to renew her driver’s license last March because she would not remove her headscarf. After protesting to state officials in Tallahassee, the Palestinian-American couple received both an apology and an opportunity for Abeer Omar Abu Shehadeh to get a new license. Abdelaziz, director of the American Muslim Association of North America, said educational programs could help prevent similar incidents and hate crimes against Muslims, Arab-Americans and Middle Eastern nationals. “We keep having discrimination against us,” said Abdelaziz, ofMiamiLakes. “We want to show the public we’re all Americans, and we love our country as well as anybody else. “Sofian Abdelaziz Zakkout attended a cultural awareness forum organized Wednesday in Hollywood by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Relations Service. The goal was to help law enforcement officials, first responders and community leaders learn more about Arabs, Muslims and Sikhs. The department has conducted hundreds of similar workshops nationwide since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
“Thomas Monnay can be reached at: tmonnay@sun-sentinel.com or 954-385-7924.

Source: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-seducate12aug12,0,5184652,print.story