(OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, 3/9/2022) – On Thursday, March 10, the Oklahoma Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-OK) will host its 8th Annual Oklahoma Muslim Day at the Capitol. This is the first in-person Capitol event CAIR-OK will be hosting since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
More than 100 Oklahoma Muslims and their interfaith supporters are expected to take part in a day of education, engagement, and advocacy. Highlights of the program include opening remarks at 9:30 am on the 2nd-floor rotunda and a keynote speech by Senator Carri Hicks at 11 am in room 100.
WHAT: Oklahoma Muslim Day at the Capitol
WHEN: Thursday, March 10, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
CONTACT: CAIR-OK Executive Director Adam Soltani, 405-248-5853, asoltani@cair.com
SEE EVENT LISTING HERE: https://www.cairoklahoma.com/event/mdac2022/
“After a little more than two years away from the Capitol due to the COVID pandemic, the Oklahoma Muslim community is eager to return and engage with our elected officials ensuring our community is seen and heard,” said CAIR-OK Executive Director Adam Soltani. “We truly believe that in order for our legislators to represent the diversity of their community, they must know their community first and this is our way of providing them with that opportunity.”
This year’s Oklahoma Muslim Day at the Capitol focuses on reconnecting with elected leaders in a post-pandemic world and ensuring the voice of the Muslim community is heard in the halls of our Capitol building. The program will feature presentations from Oklahoma Progress Now, the ACLU of Oklahoma, Senator George E. Young, Sr., Representative Mauree Turner, and a keynote speech from Senator Carri Hicks.
“Every member of our community, but especially those who face prejudice and marginalization, should make their voices heard at the legislature,” said CAIR-OK Civil Rights Director Veronica Laizure. “The only way for us to make an impact on our state policy is to participate in every step of the process.”
In earlier years, CAIR-OK’s Muslim Day at the Capitol brought hundreds of attendees — as well as dozens of protestors — to its Capitol Day event. In response, the Interfaith Alliance of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Conference of Churches have volunteered to escort participants to and from the Capitol building, providing a “human shield” against demonstrators and forming a corridor of love to welcome attendees.
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.
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CONTACT: CAIR Oklahoma Executive Director Adam Soltani, 405-248-5853, asoltani@cair.com; CAIR Oklahoma Civil Rights Director Veronica Laizure, 405-430-9877, vlaizure@cair.com