Students and faculty participated in the 2017 Muslim Day at the Capitol to meet with elected representatives.
The event was open to the public and began with a breakfast and opening prayer at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church.
Community leaders then discussed such issues as the state of education and medicine, the approach to strengthening laws against hate crime, the legacy of former President Barack Obama, minority voices in local government, civic engagement, Islamophobia, freedom of speech under the Trump presidency, and how to encourage young people in the Muslim community to run for office.
Representative Scott Inman led a keynote speech, and Adam Soltani, executive director for the Oklahoma Chapter of the American Council on American-Islamic Relations, spoke on issues of advocacy.
Later on in the evening, participants met with state legislators.
The Imam Dr. Imad Enchassi, assistant professor of Islamic Studies, led the group in a prayer.
Enchassi said it’s important that Oklahoma’s representatives meet with the Muslim community.
“For us, as American Muslims, we really wanted our elected officials to meet us and see that we are – and I mean this in all sincerity – humans, because we have been demonized and dehumanized in the eyes of many elected officials, and, at the same time, we wanted to empower our youth to run for office, to be proud public servants and to understand what civic engagement is and how the political process works,” Enchassi said.
When leaders in the faith community met with elected representatives, they spoke about some issues directly relating to their faith, and also about clean water, clean air, education, and equal rights.
Enchassi said there was a large representation of people of other faiths supporting the Muslim community.
However, there were still some voices against the interfaith message.
Jim Gilles, an evangelist from Indiana, has preached at more than 300 college campuses in 49 states and six countries. Gilles demonstrated at the Oklahoma State Capitol March 3.
“He has a sign that says, ‘Jesus is Alive. Muhammad[CW3] is dead. Jesus has a pressure cooker for each dead Muslim,” Enchassi said.
He said Gilles called Enchassi the devil.
“I’ve been called a terrorist, a Jihadi in a suit, but never was I called the devil himself,” Enchassi said. “I smiled at him, and I said, ‘I love you.’ He said, ‘No you don’t.’ I said, ‘No, I really love you.’
“It bothers me not because he called me the devil, but because he’s using Jesus’ name in the context of his hateful rhetoric.”
Enchassi said his nonviolent treatment of anti-Semites stems from his faith.
“This is a formula that we inherited from our faith and our prophet and all the prophets before him,” Enchassi said. “You cannot fight an ideology of hate with hate. Only love can beat hate.”
Enchassi said the most important part of the Muslim Day at the Capitol is the meetings they have with elected representatives.
“Part of love is to be acquainted with one another,” Enchassi said. “Unfortunately, some of our elected officials don’t know who we are, and they start making laws as if we’re invisible. Showing them that we’re moms and dads, professors, engineers, doctors, shopkeepers, busboys, busgirls, humanizes us.”
Enchassi said he wants elected representatives to understand Muslim concerns, which involve civil liberties, women’s rights, education, and taxes.
“We’re not asking to be treated any differently,” Enchassi said. “We’re just asking to be treated equally under our constitution.”
Enchassi said organizations like CAIR are partnering with American Civil Liberties Union and the League of United Latin American Citizens.
“There’s a collaboration there that is stemming from the political atmosphere that we’ve never seen before,” Enchassi said.
Enchassi said he’s thankful for OCU students and their involvement with interfaith dialogue.
OCU is home to an interfaith prayer room in the west wing of Kramer School of Nursing, and an Interfaith Studies minor is offered to interested students. Plans are currently in place to turn Smith Hall into an interfaith dorm. The dorm should be open by Fall of 2018.
“It’s powerful when people on our campus use whatever power they have to speak up for the weak,” Enchassi said.
Morgan Mitchell, youth ministry senior, attended the Muslim Day last year and said she enjoyed being around people with different ideas.
“It’s so important,” Mitchell said. “Interfaith is the best way to learn about the world around you and learn about yourself to see what you have in common and embrace what’s great about your differences.”
Mitchell said she challenges students to get involved with interfaith dialogue.
“If interfaith scares you, ask yourself why,” Mitchell said. “If it’s rooted in hate or if it’s rooted in fear, interfaith is the best way to uproot that.”
There will be a World Religions exposition 2 – 5 p.m. March 26 on the first floor of Gold Star Memorial Building.
OCUTalks will continue their conversation series April 5 with a discussion on Islamophobia hosted by Enchassi and Russ Tallchief.
For more information, students can contact Tallchief at 405-208-6288 or trtallchief@okcu.edu.
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