The Council on American-Islamic Relations Oklahoma chapter has launched a campaign to educate Oklahomans about the legacy of the Prophet Muhammad.
In a news release issued Wednesday, CAIR-OK said the campaign is being launched in the wake of an anti-Islam film that gained notoriety on the Internet last week sparking violence and protests in the Middle East.
Through the campaign, CAIR-OK will distribute complimentary copies of the award-winning PBS documentary “Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet” to Oklahomans, the group stated. CAIR-OK will also launch a website dedicated to educating individuals about the life of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad.
“We find that now, more than ever, we must reach out to our fellow Oklahomans and build bridges of mutual understanding,” said Adam Soltani, CAIR-OK executive director. “Through this campaign we hope more Oklahomans will learn about the beautiful legacy of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and dispel myths and misunderstandings.”
It is customary for Muslims to say the words “peace be upon him” every time they mention or write the name of Muhammad.
Jenell Mapp-Maynard, operations coordinator for CAIR-OK, said, “We want our fellow Oklahomans to know that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) stood for justice, mercy and compassion. It is unfortunate that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was slandered in this recent video, however, through this we invite our neighbors to learn more about the legacy of this influential human being.”
Last week, CAIR-OK, the Interfaith Alliance of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Conference of Churches condemned both the killing of the U.S. ambassador to Libya and the attacks on diplomatic facilities and personnel in that nation and in Egypt.
At the time, Rev. Jeff Hamilton, president of the Interfaith Alliance of Oklahoma, said his organization encourages respect for the traditions of others, including their scriptures and leadership.
“We are shocked and saddened by these incidents and the inflammatory film that led to them, and strongly encourage non-violent solutions in these situations,” Hamilton said.
Rev. William Tabbernee, executive director of the Oklahoma Conference of Churches, called on all Christians to respect and learn more about Mohammed himself and to reach out to their Muslim brothers and sisters in light of this flagrantly anti-Muslim character assassination of their prophet.
A number of other additional reasons for the unrest have since been reported by various media outlets.