Ethnic council sends holiday greetings

Ethnic council sends holiday greetings

Published: December 11, 2007

The group that gave legislators Qurans to commemorate the Oklahoma Centennial is sending out holiday greeting cards that shouldn't bother even the most thin-skinned legislator.

No sayings from the Quran. No pictures of the Muslim prophet Muhammad. No mention of Christmas or of Jesus Christ.

"The friendship of those we serve is the foundation of our progress,” reads the cover of the card, which is decorated with an illustration of ribbon and holly and pine branches.

"Greetings of the Season and Best Wishes for the New Year” reads the inside of the card sent by members of the Governor's Ethnic American Advisory Council. No state money was used to buy the cards or mail them. Individual council members paid the expenses.

Council Chairman Marjan Seirafi-Pour said about 800 of the holiday cards will be mailed to legislators, public officials and people in the Middle Eastern community.

"Christmas is a very special time for us, too, for Muslims,” she said. "This is a special time of the year with the new year coming and people celebrating the birth of Jesus and also the holiday season for the kids home from school.”

Nearly 30 of the state's 149 legislators asked not to receive a Quran, the Islamic holy book, from the Governor's Ethnic American Advisory Council.

The idea for the centennial Qurans came from centennial Bibles, which the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma gave to every lawmaker earlier this year, Seirafi-Pour said.

Money for the books was raised from the Muslim community, which numbers about 30,000 to 50,000 in the state, she said.

By Michael McNutt, Capitol Bureau

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