CAIR holds second “Muslim Day” at Capitol in Oklahoma

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Sunday 28 Feb 2016 - 13:19 Makkah mean time-19-5-1437 Oklahoma Muslims listen to the National Anthem in the rotunda of the State Capitol building in Oklahoma City, during “Muslim Day at the Capitol,” on Friday. Image from The Oklahoman via AP Oklahoma, (IINA) - The Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) held its second Muslim Day at the Capitol, where an estimated 200 Muslims discussed religious policy, law enforcement issues and political advocacy with at least eight lawmakers, The Philadelphia Tribune online news reported. The advocacy group and Oklahoma lawmakers welcomed the group of Muslims at the state Capitol on Friday. “We wanted to bring people to the Capitol here today to show them this is your state Capitol building; this is where government happens,” said Anna Facci, operations and events coordinator for CAIR. The group paused for prayer throughout the day and heard messages from Jewish, Christian and Muslim faith leaders. Outside the Capitol, protesters held signs disparaging Islam and shouted down its supporters. The Interfaith Alliance of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Conference of Churches drew more than 60 people to welcome Muslims as they passed the protesters. William Tabbernee, executive director for the Oklahoma Conference of Churches, looked on and shook his head. It made him sad, he said, to see the protesters tell Muslims they weren’t welcome to participate in public discourse. “Muslims have the right, as everybody else has the right, to exercise their political and civic duties, and to learn about what the Legislature is doing,” Tabbernee said. Several of the anti-Islam protesters were street preachers who came from out of state, said Jim Gilles, a protester from Evansville, Indiana. A group of them planned to hold anti-Muslim signs outside the Donald Trump presidential rally later that day in Oklahoma City, he said. “It’s sad to see Americans supporting that which would destroy their lives,” Gilles said of Islam as interfaith supporters sang “God Bless America” a few feet away. After a call to prayer, Imam John Ederer of the Islamic Society of Tulsa defended Islam from attacks. “We were intended to be different and that will enable us to learn from each other,” Ederer said. “The more humble we are in recognizing God’s beauty in each other, the more godly we become.” SM/IINA