(OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 9/9/14) – – On Wednesday, September 10, the Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-OK), along with other civil rights and interfaith groups, will hold a news conference at the State Capitol to make a public call on the Republican National Committee (RNC) to repudiate Rep. John Bennett’s and Oklahoma Republican Party Chairman Dave Weston’s recent anti-Muslim statements.”
WHEN: Wednesday, September 10, 11 a.m.
WHERE: Oklahoma State Capitol Broadcast Press Room (room 432B)
CONTACT: CAIR-OK Executive Director Adam Soltani, 405-248-5853, asoltani@cair.com
Participants in the news conference will include representatives of CAIR-OK, the Oklahoma Conference of Churches, Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City, the Islamic Council of Oklahoma, ACLU of Oklahoma, Oklahoma NAACP, Respect Diversity Foundation, and the Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice.
Speakers will repeat the Muslim community’s condemnation of terror falsely linked to Islam, reiterate the commitment of all represented groups to work for peace and mutual understanding and emphasize the positive relationship Muslims and Christians have had in Oklahoma.
In a Facebook post last week, Bennett called on Oklahomans to be “wary” of “Muslim Americans” and falsely claimed that the Quran says people of other faiths “should be killed.”
SEE: Representative John Bennett’s Anti-Muslim Facebook Post
http://www.cair.com/images/islamophobia/Rep-John-Bennett-FB-post.jpg
In response, CAIR’s Oklahoma chapter (CAIR-OK) called on state Republican Party leaders to denounce the anti-Muslim comments and asked for an apology from Bennett.
Weston supported Bennett’s comments while adding his own anti-Muslim remarks. He told state media outlets: “There is so much overwhelming evidence around the world that the fundamental beliefs of Islam authorize anything but peace until they become dominant.”
Video: Oklahoma Republican Party Leader Smears Islam (CAIR-OK)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6atQd08H2U
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
– END –
CONTACT: CAIR-OK Executive Director Adam Soltani, 405-248-5853, asoltani@cair.com; CAIR Department to Monitor and Combat Islamophobia Director Corey Saylor, 202-384-8857, Email: csaylor@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, Email: ihooper@cair.com