EVENT DETAILS
 
Each year, CAIR Oklahoma's Annual Awards banquet proudly hosts leading voices and scholars in the academic, civil rights, and Muslim communities. Stay tuned as we announce and celebrate our line-up of esteemed speakers and special guests for 2012. KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Author of Ghazali and the Poetics of Imagination and Duke University Professsor of Religion and Islamic Studies:
EBRAHIM MOOSA
Considered to be among the foremost figures of a new generation of progressive Muslim thinkers, Professor Moosa is an expert on Islamic law, ethics, and theology. He is currently working on a book that explores the major ethical questions Islam experiences in a rapidly changing world, where Muslims face new and extraordinary challenges. Moosa also has extensive experience with human rights causes in the anti-apartheid struggle in his native South Africa.
Professor Moosa is the author of Ghazali and the Poetics of Imagination, which received an award from the American Academy of Religion. He has also received awards from the Ford Foundation, and the Carnegie Corporation of New York for his studies in Philanthropy and Social Justice in Muslim societies.
COMEDIAN
Co-Creator of the New York Arab-American Comedy Festival and Co-Producer of The Muslims Are Coming Tour:
DEAN OBIEDALLAH
Obeidullah is an award winning comedian who has appeared on Comedy Central's "Axis of Evil" and co-created ComedyCentral.com's internet series "The Watch List." He has performed comedy throughout the United States and across the Middle East, and is a regular contributor on numerous news networks.
MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER
Imam of the Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City and Professor of Religion at Oklahoma City University:
IMAD ENCHASSI
Dr. Enchassi is the founder and Executive Director of the Mercy Education Foundation, as well as the founder, Imam and President of the Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City. He received degrees from American universities in pursuit of a successful career in the private sector before becoming an Imam, and then studying overseas at the Daawa University Institute and the University Institute of Vocation for Islamic Studies in Beirut Lebanon, where he received his Bachelors, Masters, and two Doctorate Degrees in Islamic Studies.
Among his many recognitions, Dr. Enchassi was featured in the 2011 Progress Edition of the Daily Oklahoman, where he was named a Visionary in Religious & Education Outreach. Dr. Enchassi is the first Muslim to provide invocations at both the Oklahoma State Capitol, and before the Mayor and City Council of Oklahoma City.
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AWARD
2012 Freedom of Expression Award Recipient
SAMANTHA ELAUF
Elauf was the plaintiff in a landmark case against Abercrombie and Fitch (Abercrombie) in 2009. The lawsuit was filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in response to Abercrombie's decision to deny Elauf a job based on her choice to wear a headscarf in accordance with her religious expression.
The lawsuit revealed that Abercrombie was guilty of discrimination against Elauf based solely on her choice to wear religious headwear and her identification as a Muslim woman. In court proceedings, Abercrombie argued that the discrimination was justified because a Muslim woman wearing a headscarf in their retail stores would have a negative impact on the shopping experience of its customers.
Elauf's stand for her rights and her religious expression was a stand on behalf of all Muslims and all women. Her commitment and efforts paved the way for countless individuals to not only know their rights, but also to stand for their rights in the face of discrimination and unfair treatment.
COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT AWARD
2012 Community Empowerment Award Recipient
MALAKA ELYAZGI
A longtime Oklahoma resident, Mrs. Elyazgi has maintained a remarkable commitment to her local and religious communities. She has long served as a role model and ambassador to her community, creating a space for Oklahomans to embrace their Muslims neighbors, and local Muslims to feel comfortable and contribute to their communities as well. Her devoted volunteerism has drawn countless people to bridge cultural and religious gaps, as well as serve people in need.
Mrs. Elyazgi is the former Chair of the Governor’s Ethnic American Advisory Council, and currently serves on the Oklahoma City Police Department’s Citizens Advisory Board and on the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women.
Mrs. Elyazgi is a proud mother of six children and a recent grandmother. She resides in Norman where she attended the University of Oklahoma and received her Bachelors in Women Studies and minor in Sociology.
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