HELP A FATHER DEFEND HIS FAMILY & THEIR RIGHT TO PRAY

HELP ME DEFEND MY FAMILY’S RIGHT TO PRAY

Asalaam alaykum. My name is David “Daoud” Norman. For years, I was a student of Arabic and the Qur’an, but I worried that if I practiced Islam, I would be rejected by Muslim society and persecuted by American society.

In 2021, Allah SWT gave me the guidance to begin openly praying and following the Sunnah of Rasoolullah, SAWS. I earned a General Diploma in Islamic Studies and traveled to several Islamic countries, including Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. I even made it to Mecca and Medina, may Allah accept it.

But in 2022, Monterey County Family Court Judge Timothy P. Roberts took custody of my son away from me, explicitly stating that my practice of Islam was the main reason for the removal of custody. They will later try to claim they took custody for some other reason, but we know they are lying because we have the judge’s words, from his own mouth.

Here is the record of those orders: LINK TO RECORD

Since then, that ruling has been used like a wedge to further divide and destroy my family. As of now (almost May 2025), we haven’t seen my 7-year-old son since January 2025.

Despite the blatant violation of our constitutional rights, the court has refused to correct its actions. For years, I have been unable to secure legal representation. Organizations like CAIR and the ACLU have refused to help. The local Islamic community has been reluctant to speak up for us either. It seems that my fears of being rejected by Muslim society and persecuted by American society were not that far-fetched after all.

After years of searching, Alhamdulillah, I finally have an attorney. But the legal fees are very, very high.

Please, if you can spare anything, we are zakat eligible, and your support will directly fund legal efforts to restore our family, our rights, and to defend the right of all families to practice their faith without fear.

Jazzakumallahu Khayran, and thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for standing with us.

Sincerely,

David “Daoud” Norman