ADC to Represent Poetica Coffee Owner Targeted by DOJ After Criticizing Rep. Dan Goldman

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 2, 2026

Washington, D.C. | The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), alongside co-counsel Jonathan Wallace, are representing Parviz Mukhamadkulov, owner of Poetica Coffee in New York City, after the U.S. Department of Justice launched a frivolous civil rights investigation in response to his social media post criticizing Rep. Dan Goldman’s pro-Israel voting record.

The investigation, initiated by the DOJ Civil Rights Division under Harmeet Dhillon, is a gross overreaction and an evident effort to chill constitutionally protected political speech. Rep. Goldman himself has publicly said he does not believe the coffee shop should be investigated.

“This is precisely the sort of government abuse that ADC is fighting against,” said Jenin Younes, ADC President and Legal Director. “When the government punishes speech critical of Israel and in defense of Palestinian rights , everyone’s free speech is threatened. The public has a right to dissent, to criticize elected officials, and to speak out against U.S. policy and foreign governments without fear of federal retaliation. This is another case of criticism of Israel being falsely conflated with antisemitism, a dangerous tactic used to justify stripping Americans of their constitutional rights. The DOJ cannot use civil rights law and investigations as a weapon to punish criticism of Israel or of a powerful elected official. That is constitutional overreach.”

Goldman was not denied service. A Poetica employee refused Goldman’s tip after he and his family were respectfully served. The owner later refunded the purchase and wrote a post criticizing Goldman’s support for Israel’s genocide in Palestine. That is protected free speech.

What should have been a simple interaction, followed by a free expression of dissent, was politicized by Goldman and his campaign, who repeatedly emphasized that the staffer who served him was wearing a hijab. Since then, Parviz, his family, and Poetica staff have faced escalating harassment, including death threats. NYPD is currently investigating numerous credible threats.

“Everyone has always been welcomed at Poetica, and, as Mr. Goldman himself experienced, everyone is treated with kindness at the door,” said Parviz Mukhamadkulov, owner of Poetica Coffee. “Poetica has served many Jewish customers over the years, because being against Israel’s genocide does not mean being against Jews. The issue was not who Mr. Goldman is, but what he has done as an elected official. I will not apologize for opposing his support for Israel’s genocide in Palestine and its violence throughout the region. That is my right as his constituent, as a business owner, and as an American.”

Laws exist to prevent discrimination based on protected characteristics; however, they do not insulate elected officials from criticism of their voting records, nor do they transform political disagreement into unlawful discrimination. 

ADC rejects the dangerous conflation of anti-Zionism with antisemitism. That false conflation has been used to silence Palestinians, Arabs, Muslims, Jews, students, workers, educators, business owners, and ordinary Americans who oppose Israel’s actions and U.S. support for them. The weaponization of DOJ is dangerous, destructive, and raises serious constitutional concerns. It must end.

About ADC

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is the largest Arab American grassroots organization in the United States, founded in 1980 by former Senator James Abourezk.  ADC’s mission is to defend and promote the human rights, civil rights, and liberties of at least 3.7 million Arab Americans residing in the United States. Through its work, ADC fights discrimination, enhances public understanding of Arab history and culture, and partners with marginalized communities globally to advance social justice.