The Texas Muslim Capitol Day event scheduled on Tuesday (31 Jan) in Austin will be a globally watched one this year after the Trump administration has banned immigration from seven Muslim countries, leading to widespread criticism and discussions.
The event which has been happening over the past several years sometimes get chaotic with activists against and supportive of Islamic activities in the US come face-to-face arguments.
A meeting called the Homeland Security Forum was held on 26 Jan, in connection with the Capitol Day event attended by several dozen people and organized by state Rep. Kyle Biedermann presented a dark view of Islam, leading to hot arguments.
The organisers of the 2017 Capitol Day, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), is already in news on Monday as it has joined the legal battle to overturn President Trump's travel ban.
The lobby group has filed a lawsuit on Monday in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, challenging Trump's executive order.
Reports show that the lawsuit said the ban as a first step in fulfilling Trump's campaign promise to impose "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States" until the government "can figure out what is going on."
Trump's order suspends immigration for citizens of the seven countries for 90 days. However, Trump has said the action is being falsely characterized as a "Muslim ban."
A judge at the Alexandria courthouse already had issued a restraining order against the administration in response to a similar lawsuit filed over the weekend.
The organisers have also said that a presentation titled "Political Science 101" will be given during lunch at the First United Methodist Church.
At Thursday's forum, argument between a media reporter and Tempers flared when a former state lawmaker unleashed a profane rant at a reporter.
Biedermann reportedly said that some Texas Muslims posed a threat to Texans' safety without substantiating the claims. One speaker linked Texas Muslims to the Muslim Brotherhood, which is a social and political organization with roots in Egypt that the Trump administration is considering labeling a terrorist organization.
After the discussions, reporters tried to ask Biedermann questions but were interrupted by a few of the invited speakers who are former Muslims and said they had received threats for leaving the religion, reports show.
According to the organisers, the Texas Muslim Capitol Day is an opportunity for community members of all ages and faiths to visit the Texas State Capitol in Austin, meet with their elected officials and learn about the political process and civic advocacy.
Their website notification about the 2017 event says that there has not been a better time for this, indicating the turbulence after Trump's order.
CAIR's Houston chapter will provide transportation to Austin and lunch is included, the notification said. General tickets are $35 and student tickets are $20.
