On Monday, August 3, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, and the Islamic Society of Tulsa (IST) will hold a press conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to announce the filing of a lawsuit against the City of Broken Arrow over its denial of a rezoning request for a proposed mosque.
WHAT: Press Conference
WHEN: Monday, August 3, 1 PM CT
WHERE: Islamic Society of Tulsa, 4630 S Irvington Ave, Tulsa, OK 74135
CONTACT: Gadeir Abbas, Senior Litigation Attorney, CAIR LDF, [email protected]; CAIR Staff Attorney Veronica Laizure, [email protected], 405-430-9877
LIVESTREAM: https://www.facebook.com/istulsa
Speakers at the press conference will include representatives from IST and from the CAIR Legal Defense Fund (CAIR LDF).
BACKGROUNDER:
Earlier this week, CAIR welcomed a decision by the U.S. Department of Justice to open an investigation into the Oklahoma City of Broken Arrow’s zoning and land use practices under RLUIPA, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act.
That probe will reportedly include the city’s denial of the rezoning request for the proposed mosque in Broken Arrow.
In January, the City of Broken Arrow denied a rezoning request submitted by IST which would have allowed property near East 121st St. South and South 129th East Ave., Broken Arrow, to be developed into a community center that would include retail space, a food pantry, and a mosque.
CAIR recently said it has documented 17 incidents targeting Islamic places of worship in May, June, and July to date. The 17 incidents represent 51 percent of the previous year’s total and a 183 percent increase over the same three-month period last year, during which CAIR documented six such incidents.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
END
CONTACT: Edward Ahmed Mitchell, CAIR National Deputy Director, [email protected], 404-285-9530; Ibrahim Hooper, CAIR National Communications Director, 202-744-7726, [email protected]; Ismail Allison, CAIR National Communications Manager, 202-770-6280, [email protected]