Texas mosque faces backlash for hosting local police chief at anti-racism event Despite public outcry and petition that garnered hundreds of signatures, East Plano Islamic Center Masjid went ahead with controversial webinar

June 17, 2020   

(Middle East Eye) A mosque in northern Texas is facing a backlash from the local Muslim community after it invited a local police chief as a speaker for an event on systemic racism, rejecting repeated requests for black rights scholars and activists to be invited.

East Plano Islamic Center Masjid (EPIC) held its webinar on Tuesday with officer Ed Drain, who in January became Plano’s first black police chief. Drain spoke for most of the 60-minute event, explaining problems and possible solutions to racism, and decried the recent killing of George Floyd, which has triggered nationwide protests against racism and police brutality.

Prior to the event, activists had launched a petition calling for the event to be cancelled, garnering more than 800 signatures.

(Text updated)

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