OKLAHOMA CO., Okla. – Critical comments about the Muslim community.
Now, local leaders are demand a meeting with the Oklahoma County Assessor.
Officials with CAIR say they don’t want County Assessor Larry Stein to lose his job, yet, but they’re tired of getting the runaround.
“The Muslim community deserves better and our state deserves better than this,” said Adam Soltani, the Executive Director of the Council on American Islamic Relations.
Adam Soltani ‘s referring to comments made by County Assessor Larry Stein on social media in years past.
One we told you about in 2014 refers to the Ferguson protests.
“There hasn’t been this great of a racial divide in America since the 1850’s,” said Stein. “Congrats to the thugs and animals in Ferguson.”
Another Facebook post read,
“No shirt, no shoes, no service,” said Stein. “Which Islamic halal restaurant can I go to and demand they cook a pig for me?”
In 2014 he said when referring to Islamic extremists, “This is a religion of peace is the biggest lie.”
CAIR says it’s disrespectful and anti-Muslim.
“It not only hurts me personally, but it hurts our community and it makes me worry about the safety and security of the Muslim community,” said Soltani.
Stein defends his words in a statement to News 4 saying, the posts “Decried the act of murder by extremists and violent destructive mobs,” said Stein. “I have been and always will be opposed to anyone who enacts violence on others, no matter what race or religion.”
Stein went on to say, “As a Christian, I pray for peace each day. I hope people in all faith communities will join me in doing the same.”
Also, according to e-mail records, Stein told CAIR, he didn’t have time to sit down with them.
“Even though we understand he’s a busy individual, this should be something of a priority, especially in this day in age, when hate rhetoric has an impact on marginalized communities,” said Soltani.
Stein previously told News4 after removing the post about Ferguson, he has a right to say whatever he wants under the first amendment.
Soltani says Stein should be held to a higher standard as an official.
“It is irresponsible to abuse the freedom of speech in promoting rhetoric that would only cause hate,” said Soltani.
Stein ‘s full statement regarding the Facebook post about Ferguson is as follows:
“I have removed my private personal thoughts, shared on a webpage, that proves some people have very thin skin and may try to bully those who speak things they don’t like to hear. The First Amendment, the freedom of speech and religion, is for everyone. National radio talk show hosts and many others used the same word to reference the lawless, Ferguson rioters and law breakers. Great thinkers have written, ‘Without laws, men are just animals.’ This type of lawless behavior is terrible and the same term would apply to everyone who is lawlessly rioting and destroying personal property, it’s the lack of character, just as Dr. King warned. Lawlessness, rioting and mob rule are always wrong. If someone was offended by the use of the term, do they support the rioters actions and oppose the First Amendment? If someone wants to deny my Free Speech rights guaranteed in the constitution, that is appalling. When can we expect Dr. King’s dream to become a reality, judging people by the content of their character, not the color of their skin?”
Stein’s full statement regarding the multiple post about the Muslim community is as follows:
“I have been and always will be opposed to anyone who enacts violence on others, no matter what race or religion. I feel our friends at CAIR-OK have misled the media about demanding to meet with me within a certain time frame and also have misled the media and others about my social media posts of several years ago that decried the act of murder by extremists and violent destructive mobs. As a Christian, I pray for peace each day. I hope people in all faith communities will join me in doing the same.”