CAIR-TX is pleased to announce that our annual banquet will be held Saturday, June 14, 2014 at 6 pm at the Crowne Plaza Hotel-River Oaks. Tickets are $50 per person and $500 for a table of 10.
Our keynote speaker will be Dr. Denise Spellberg, professor of Islamic history at UT-Austin and author of the recently-published Thomas Jefferson’s Qur’an: Islam and the Founders. Her talk will explore the American founding fathers’ perception of Islam and Muslims and how they compare with modern day attitudes towards Muslims. As Dr. Spellberg puts it:
I will document from my research how, despite negative views of Islam inherited from Europe, Thomas Jefferson and other Founders also promoted an ideal of “civil rights” that has included Muslims since the 18th century. I detail the roots of that idea, and why it also embraced Jews and Catholics, who together with Muslims, were then considered marginal, despised believers at the country’s inception. I also outline how race, tragically, obscured from view the first American Muslims, who were slaves of West African origin, some actually owned by the Founders. Finally, I suggest why these principles about Muslim civil rights continue to matter for all Americans.
We look forward to seeing our friends and supporters at this event. Purchase your ticket today by registering online or calling the CAIR-TX office at 713-838-2247.
