Excerpt:
A Christian organization in Maine has filed a lawsuit to challenge a bureaucratic decision to impose a $4,000 fine for its "criticism" of Islam, expressed in a mailing to supporters.
The action was taken on behalf of the Christian Action Network by Liberty Counsel, where founder Mathew Staver said the state is out of line.
"The chief purpose of the First Amendment was to prevent the government from licensing the press," Staver said. "Citizens do not need permission to petition government officials or to protest government policies."
The issue developed following a Christian Action Network fundraising letter several months ago. The letter exposed "how some public schools were promoting Islam by providing instruction on the Five Pillars of Islam and the Quran," according to the complaint against the state.