Southern Methodist University has blocked a Muslim civil rights group from hosting a youth leadership event on campus, citing the governor’s designation of it as a terrorist organization.
The Texas chapter of the Council of American-Islamic Relations, one of the country’s largest Muslim advocacy groups, sought to host its annual Muslim youth leadership symposium at the private university in September. The SMU Muslim Law Students Association planned to co-host the event, which teaches high schoolers about civic engagement.
But this week, university officials determined that allowing the event on campus would be “inconsistent with our mission and related university policies,” according to SMU spokesperson Megan Jacob.
Abdul-Rehman Asif, outreach coordinator for CAIR’s D-FW chapter, described SMU’s cancellation as the result of a “broader anti-Muslim push that is coming out from certain groups trying to otherize us.”
“SMU has the right to do whatever they want,” Asif said. “It’s their campus at the end of the day. At the same time, it is unfortunate because our only goal is to train the next generation of youth and a lot of these students look up to SMU.”
SMU’s decision comes as Texas leaders have increasingly scrutinized Muslim groups — and opened investigations into institutions hosting their events. In January, Paxton launched a probe into a Dallas-area school district after an Islamic athletics competition was scheduled to be held at its facilities. The city of Grand Prairie recently canceled a private Muslim pool party at a city-owned water park after Abbott threatened its state funding.
Jacob, the SMU spokesperson, maintained that SMU “welcomes a wide range of organizations and perspectives to campus as part of our commitment to open inquiry and the free exchange of ideas.”
CAIR’s youth leadership symposium aims to teach students how to be more engaged citizens. Elected officials, city leaders and police officers have attended past symposiums, Asif said. At this upcoming one, students will learn how to give public testimony at government meetings.
Asif said the event, which has occurred for at least 20 years, has been held on college campuses in the past. The location has allowed other students, many of whom might not feel comfortable coming to a mosque or who do not identify as Muslim, to take part in the event, Asif said.
“It shows everybody that we’re simply here to contribute to the rest of what society has going on,” he said.
Organizers are now looking for another space to hold the symposium, Asif said. It likely won’t be a college campus.
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