Students and faculty organized an event on Friday, Oct. 24, to show support of Oklahoma City’s Muslim community.
During the Friday afternoon service at the Grand Mosque of Oklahoma City, Christians and Jews from across the state gathered outside. When the Muslim service goers left their prayer meeting, they were greeted and thanked by those standing outside.
The event was organized in response to a Facebook post from Oklahoma State Representative John Bennett last month, who commented that “people should be wary of American Muslims.” The post went viral, and sparked a discussion of religion and the role of the Muslim community in Oklahoma City. Bennett refused to apologize.
Janet Boone, an administrative assistant in the Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office, helped organize the event after hearing about the negativity against Muslims in the area.
“We were getting so tired of all the negative and all the hateful things that were being said to and about our Muslim friends,” she said in an interview for News9.
In the weeks leading up to the event, students and campus community members wore buttons that declared the wearer a “Friend to our Muslim neighbors.” Students and staff (including President Robert Henry) signed a document and large poster encouraging solidarity with the OKC Muslim community that was displayed outside the caf.
OCU has plans to continue these events, promoting relationships between members of all religious affiliations in the community.
For video from the event, visit the News 9 site.
Image from Brett Dickerson, Red Dirt Report
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