(OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, 2/25/2020) – The Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-OK), Oklahoma’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, today calls on members of the Oklahoma House to vote down HB 3967, an anti-free speech bill that penalizes Oklahoma citizens engaging in the growing Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. CAIR-OK is also calling on all Oklahomans to urge their elected representatives in the state legislature to oppose the bill.
[NOTE: The BDS movement to protect Palestinian human rights is modeled on the global South African anti-apartheid movement.]
Action Alert: Urge Oklahoma Legislature to Oppose Anti-Free Speech Bill (HB 3967)
https://www.votervoice.net/CAIR/campaigns/71676/respond
SEE: Text of House Bill 3967
http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2019-20%20FLR/HFLR/HB3967%20HFLR.PDF
“This law sets a dangerous precedent by penalizing Oklahomans who participate in political boycotts and sends a message that our state will take action against speech it doesn’t like, even if that speech is protected by the Constitution,” said CAIR-OK Government Affairs Director Lani R. Habrock. “This bill is unconstitutional and was written in an election year to divide Oklahomans over the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, when in reality HB 3967 is about free speech. Supporting human rights abroad should not come at the expense of each other’s personal freedoms and rights.”
CAIR, the American Civil Liberties Union, and other civil rights organizations have filed free speech lawsuits against anti-BDS laws in Georgia, Arkansas, Arizona, Maryland, and Texas, where CAIR won a landmark legal victory last year.
SEE: Civil Rights Groups Announce Free Speech Lawsuit Against Georgia’s Unconstitutional ‘Israel Boycott’ Law
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/civil-rights-groups-announce-free-speech-lawsuit-against-georgias-unconstitutional-israel-boycott-law/
SEE: Texas Judge Blocks Law Banning Contractors from Engaging in Boycotts of Israel
https://www.texastribune.org/2019/04/25/judge-blocks-texas-law-banning-contractors-boycotting-israel/
CAIR-OK urges all members of the Oklahoma State Legislature to support free speech and oppose all legislation aimed at diminishing Constitutional rights.
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.