People saying a Muslim advocacy group has bonds with terrorists protested at the University of Oklahoma on Saturday.
As the Oklahoma Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, prepared to screen a documentary on Islam, about a dozen people with Oklahomans Against CAIR Hate assembled to protest what they said were the other group’s ties to terrorism.
“I’m not against Muslims and I’m not racist,” said protest leader Cindy Crenshaw. “I’m protesting CAIR. They have proven ties to terrorists and court cases where leaders are in jail.”
Kevin Calvey, a candidate for the 5th Congressional District, noted that the founder of the Muslim group’s Dallas chapter was sentenced to 65 years in prison for his terrorist connections.
“It galls me as a veteran that they portray themselves as a group fighting for civil rights and people buy it,” Calvey said.
Oklahoma CAIR chairman Michael Aziz Gipson said, “People who are protesting are totally doing this as a self-serving effort. It is a throwback from the ‘50s and ‘60s and is dividing instead of uniting.”
Oklahoma Chapter Executive Director Razi Hashmi said struggles for Muslims are not new.
“There are always going to be obstacles when struggling to achieve rights for all,” Hashmi said.
CAIR hosted a screening of “Inside Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really Think” at OU’s Oklahoma Memorial Union to promote dialogue and discussion as it pertains to the Muslim community, Hashmi said.
OU sophomore Jess Eddy said he attended the screening to learn more about the Islamic religion.
“I wanted to understand it from the perspective of Muslims and better understand their culture,” Eddy said.