OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, 2/26/2018) – On Wednesday, February 28, the Oklahoma Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-OK) and the OU Muslim Students Association (OUMSA) will host noted activist, public speaker and community organizer Linda Sarsour on Wednesday, February 28, 2018, at the University of Oklahoma. Sarsour was co-chair of the 2017 Women’s March on D.C.
WHAT: Islam Awareness Week featuring Linda Sarsour, “Unapologetically Muslim: The Struggle to Embrace Our Diversity”
WHERE: University of Oklahoma Meacham Auditorium, 900 Asp Ave., Norman, OK 73069
WHEN: Wednesday, February 28, 7:00pm
TICKETS: http://conta.cc/2CiI0fX; OU Students, Staff, and Faculty free, others $20
Natasha Saya, former president of the OUMSA and current Community Outreach Fellow at CAIR-OK, said Sarsour would “talk about Muslim identity to help those Muslim students embrace it confidently and unapologetically.” Additionally, she will “help “students of other faiths and backgrounds to understand the struggle of being Muslim and to bring awareness of our faith of Islam.”
Sarsour is widely known as a community activist for women’s and minority rights. During her time as the Executive Director of the Arab American Association of New York, Sarsour defended the civil rights of Muslims targeted following 9/11 and expanded the scope of the organization to include advocacy in areas such as immigration policy, mass incarceration, stop-and-frisk policing in minority communities, and racial justice. She was recognized as a “champion of change” during the presidency of Barack Obama, although mention of her has been removed from the website under Donald Trump’s presidency. Sarsour’s outspoken role in challenging the Trump administration’s discriminatory policies have earned her vitriolic criticism on social media and conservative news outlets.
SEE: March catapults Muslim American into national spotlight and social-media crosshairs, http://wapo.st/2ol3Erg
As a co-chair of the Women’s March, Sarsour drew on her experience in activism and her ties with other advocates from around the country to rally a diverse crowd, aiming at building an intersectional movement in resistance to the Trump administration’s inflammatory positions on women’s rights, immigration policy, LGBTQ+ rights, and racial justice. The Women’s March in Washington, D.C., drew nearly 500,000 to the capitol; nationwide, over 5 million participated in corresponding marches, and global marches also drew nearly 5 million participants to 81 other countries on all seven continents.
SEE: Sister Marches, https://www.womensmarch.com/sisters
Sarsour was the lead plaintiff in Sarsour v. Trump, a challenge to the “Muslim ban” executive orders barring immigration from 6 Muslim-majority countries. The lawsuit, filed by the Council on American-Islamic Relations National Chapter, argues that the travel ban existed only to keep Muslims out of the United States. The case is currently stayed pending the resolution of two other legal challenges to the travel ban executive order.
SEE: Sarsour v. Trump, http://bit.ly/2ori9sM
CAIR-Oklahoma is a chapter of 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.
La misión de CAIR es mejorar la comprensión del Islam, fomentar el diálogo, proteger las libertades civiles, capacitar a los musulmanes estadounidenses, y construir coaliciones que promuevan la justicia y la comprensión mutua.
– END –
CONTACT: Adam Soltani, CAIR-OK Executive Director, 405-248-5853, aSoltani@cair.com; Natasha Saya, CAIR-OK Outreach and Events Fellow, 405-887-8354, nSaya@cair.com
