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Oklahoma Muslim Group Highlights Work, Discrimination In Civil Rights Report

A copy of the Qu'ran displayed in the Asian Civilizations Museum, Singapore.
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Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
A copy of the Qu'ran displayed in the Asian Civilizations Museum, Singapore.

The Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations released a civil rights report on Wednesday examining issues they've identified over the past year, and the advocacy group's response.

CAIR-OK says about half of the complaints and incidents its Civil Rights Department received did show evidence of discrimination or anti-Muslim bias.

"In particular, as we've seen increasing Islamophobia due to recent world events, our report tracks the discrimination and harassment that our Muslim community members face,” CAIR-OK Civil Rights Director Veronica Laizure said in a statement. “We also hope that it will help our leaders and community services address the needs of their Muslim constituents."

The organization says it successfully mediated a discrimination complaint at an elementary school that led to diversity training for teachers and staff, and highlighted the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of Tulsa teenager Samantha Elauf, who said the retailer Abercrombie & Fitch did not hire her because she wore a headscarf during her interview.

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Brian Hardzinski is from Flower Mound, Texas and a graduate of the University of Oklahoma. He began his career at KGOU as a student intern, joining KGOU full time in 2009 as Operations and Public Service Announcement Director. He began regularly hosting Morning Edition in 2014, and became the station's first Digital News Editor in 2015-16. Brian’s work at KGOU has been honored by Public Radio News Directors Incorporated (PRNDI), the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters, the Oklahoma Associated Press Broadcasters, and local and regional chapters of the Society of Professional Journalists. Brian enjoys competing in triathlons, distance running, playing tennis, and entertaining his rambunctious Boston Terrier, Bucky.
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