Faith and community leaders joined together Tuesday to condemn the president’s recent ban on immigrants and refugees from seven predominately Muslim nations.
Many praised local officials — Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum, Tulsa Police Chief Chuck Jordan, Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado, TU President Gerry Clancy, OU President Dan Boren, OSU President Burns Hargis and Sen. James Lankford — for their responses to the ban.
Aliye Shimi with Tulsa Metropolitan Ministries said it's no different from previous bans on immigrants from Ireland, China and Japan.
"These previous acts, while technically legal at the time, have been perceived in hindsight as being disrespectful, dehumanizing, mean-spirited and, most of all, nothing but discrimination," Shimi said.
Islamic Council of Oklahoma Chair Sheryl Siddiqui said American Muslims are familiar with this sort of treatment.
"Imam Imad Enchassi from Oklahoma City, you know, he's always said that he was very special. He's never been through an airport that he didn't get special treatment," Siddiqui said. "And some of the rest of us get special treatment probably much more often than others do."
Siddiqui said the overwhelming response to the ban has been support for the Muslim community, with Tulsans bringing gifts and encouragement.
Rabbi Dan Kaiman of B’Nai Emunah said everyone concerned right now should speak up, not just Muslims.
"I do not know when this darkness will be lifted, but until light comes, I will continue to cry out, 'Are we not all siblings? Are we not all children of the same mother? Are we not all children of the same mother?'" Kaiman said.
Kaiman said he’s the son of immigrants, and the values they came to America for seem to be threatened right now.
Fellowship United Church of Christ, NAACP of Tulsa, Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice, the Compassionate Tulsa Committee of the City of Tulsa Human Rights Commission, Tulsa Interfaith Alliance, Oklahomans for Equality, and Phillips Theological Seminary all had a representative speak at Tuesday's news conference.
