Michigan Court Dismisses Challenge To Islamic Association Election

In Syed v. Islamic Association of Michigan, (MI Ct. App., Feb. 1, 2007), a Michigan state court of appeals dismissed a challenge by a member of an Islamic religious-charitable-educational organization to the procedures used to replace the organization's trustees who had resigned. Relying on the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine, the court held that it lacked jurisdiction because determining whether the election process was improper would also require determining whether the organization violated it own policies and procedures. the trial court had ruled in favor of the defendants on different grounds.