Email responses from Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, received from Clint Brewer, assistant commissioner for communications, to Richard Locker, The Commercial Appeal, received July 9, 2012. Q: Mr. Degan said that Ms. Ali was brought in to make ECD "Sharia compliant." Is this statement true? This is a false statement. Samar Ali was hired to be ECD's International Director. Her jobs duties are to manage the TNTrade export program and to supervise our four international offices in Germany, Japan, China and Canada. Here is a link to the TNTrade program description. http://www.tn.gov/ecd/tntrade/about.html There is no part of her job - or any department operations - that involves Shariah compliant finance or Shariah law. Q: Mr. Degan said that ECD is being made "Sharia compliant." Is there any effort at all to make the department "Sharia compliant." Has there been any such effort? Are there any plans to? This is also a false statement. There has not nor is there presently any such effort underway. In addition, there are no plans to do so. Furthermore, Ms. Ali is not working as an attorney for the department. She does not draft contracts nor does she practice law for the state. Q: Have there been any changes in policies, rules or regulations at ECD -- or are there any proposals or drafts -- to make them "Sharia compliant." No. None whatsoever nor will there be any.