CAIR-Texas, Howard Alumni and community partners are rethinking candidate access for voters who don’t typically attend political events

No driving across town after work. No searching for parking. No sitting through hours of candidates in races that may not even appear on your ballot. 

CAIR-Texas — partnered with the Urban League and The Howard University Alumni Club of Houston (HUAC-Houston) — is rethinking the traditional candidate forum with “Meet Your Candidates: A VIRTUAL Candidate Open House,” a free, interactive engagement event on Thursday, Oct. 15. (Registration: bit.ly/novcandidates2026) 

“We chose to do this together because our communities have much more in common than we sometimes realize,” said Imran Ghani, Director of CAIR-Houston. “There is strength in numbers, but there is also strength in knowing one another and our shared causes. Bringing our organizations and communities together around civic engagement creates an opportunity to build relationships, learn from each other and demonstrate what is possible when we participate together.”

“We keep asking people to become more civically engaged, but then we build civic engagement around people who are already engaged,” said Cris Wright, president of HUAC – Houston.  

Instead of watching candidates from an audience, Harris County voters will enter The FAM Hows, an interactive virtual venue designed to create the comfort and connection of gathering in someone’s home. Visitors will move among conversations, listen, ask questions directly and move on whenever they choose. 

“Somebody may not drive across town after work for an in-person forum. But they might click a link while cooking — or ordering — dinner to have a quick chat,” Wright said.  

In 2013, Wright, a former journalist and community strategist, organized what was likely the first virtual candidate forum in Georgia  and has continued producing online civic-engagement experiences since.  

For the Oct. 15 experience, CAIR Texas is partnering with the Urban League of Texas, Houston Area Urban League, HUAC-Houston, CAIR Action, LULAC Council 60 and the Greater Houston Coalition of Justice. 

The evening begins with a brief Civics 101, before, an organic mingle with candidates. Every candidate in Harris County races is invited, with no participation fees, fundraising requirements, endorsements or ideological screenings. 

“People are busy. People are tired. And plenty of intelligent people will tell you, ‘I don’t do politics,’” Wright said. “Really, they don’t understand it, nor do they have the capacity to jump through hoops to gain understanding.” 

MEET YOUR CANDIDATES: A VIRTUAL CANDIDATE OPEN HOUSE: Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026 | 6–8:30 p.m. CT | Online at The FAM Hows | Free and open to the public 

MEDIA CONTACT: CAIR-Houston Director, Imran Ghani, ighani@cair.com, 713-922-5270; CAIR Texas Government Affairs and Legislative Manager, Sameeha Rizvi, srizvi@cair.com, 512-893-1371; HUAC-Houston Corresponding Secretary, Chelsea Nichols, corsec.houstonbison@gmail.com 

CAIR-TX’s annual gala is themed “Overcoming the Politics of Hatred” featuring the organization’s grassroots impact, speakers, and entertainment

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, Texas (CAIR-TX), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today announced Cenk Uygur as the keynote speakers at CAIR-TX’s Annual Gala, which is scheduled to occur on the evening of Sunday, November 8, in Houston, TX.

REGISTER HERE

In a statement, CAIR-TX said:

“Across Texas, our community continues to face challenges, but together, we have the power to protect our rights, guard our youth, and grow a unified movement. With a critical election right around the corner, the stakes for our community have never been higher. Decisions made at the ballot box and in our local institutions shape the future of our civil liberties, our schools, and our safety. That is why showing up—both at the polls and in supporting our civil rights advocacy work —is our greatest defense. We invite you to join CAIR-Texas End of the Year Banquet: Overcoming the Politics of Hate.”

CAIR-TX invites supporters to hear inspiring speakers, connect with local leaders, and stand alongside changemakers dedicated to building a stronger, more inclusive Texas. 

Cenk Uygur is the CEO and founder of TYT, host of The Young Turks – the largest online news show in the world – and also co-founded the Justice Democrats. Cenk is also the bestselling author of Justice is Coming, available wherever books and audiobooks are sold. Uygur launched The Young Turks as a talk show on Sirius Satellite Radio in 2002 and started uploading videos on YouTube in 2005. Since then, The Young Turks has become the longest running daily stream online, as the leading news and politics show for young, progressive viewers.

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.        

La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.  

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CONTACT: CAIR-Houston Operations Director, Imran Ghani, 713-922-5270, ighani@cair.com; CAIR-TX Director of Development, Kiran Qureshi, kqureshi@cair.com

The Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR Texas) today condemned the State Board of Education member Brandon Hall’s call to bar Muslim Student Associations from public universities.

In a Sept. 28 interview with The Dallas Express, Hall repeated various anti-Muslim conspiracy theories, falsely labeling the MSA a “front organization for the Muslim Brotherhood” and urging Texans to demand that public universities stop the groups from operating.

The Dallas Express acknowledged that it had not independently established any evidence of foreign control of, or ties to, the MSA chapters targeted by Hall. 

Muslim Student Associations have served college students across the United States since 1963. North Texas universities including the University of North Texas, Texas Christian University, Southern Methodist University and the University of Texas at Dallas describe their chapters as offering religious, educational, social and charitable programming.

The U.S. Supreme Court has held that public colleges may not deny recognition to student groups because officials disagree with their views and may not shut religious student groups out of campus spaces open to others.

The State Board of Education oversees K-12 public education. It has no authority over Texas universities or their student organizations.

Muslim students in Texas face hostility on campuses. On Oct. 30, 2025, a man disrupted a University of Houston MSA prayer gathering, shouted anti-Islamic remarks and threw a Quran into a bonfire. The same individual reportedly had targeted Muslim student groups at other Texas universities. CAIR-Houston called on law enforcement to investigate the incident as a possible hate crime.

Words like Hall’s follow students onto campus by emboldening that hostility. Families sending their children to college have concerns centered around, harassment and hazing to drugs and sexual assault. Students gathering for prayers and feeding thousands of Houstonians are not of concern. 

“From organizing food distributions and charitable initiatives to creating opportunities for interfaith dialogue and civic engagement, Muslim students contribute to the well-being of their entire campus communities,” said Nimrah Riaz, chair of MSA National. “These students are not outsiders to campus life. They are leaders, volunteers and classmates who are helping shape a more connected and compassionate future. Their work deserves recognition and support, not suspicion based on their religious identity.”

La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos. 

CONTACT: CAIR-Houston Director, Imran Ghani, ighani@cair.com, 713-922-5270; CAIR Texas Government Affairs and Legislative Manager, Sameeha Rizvi, srizvi@cair.com, 512-893-1371; CAIR-Houston Outreach Coordinator, Aliyan Hashmani, ahashmani@cair.com, 713-254-9476 

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The national headquarters and Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on the White House and members of Congress to demand the release of Abdalkareem Issa Ahmed Safi, a 19-year-old American citizen with roots in Texas who has been held hostage in an Israeli prison known for torture for almost four months without facing any criminal charges.

“It should be unacceptable to the White House and Congress for the Israeli government to continue kidnapping Americans and disappearing them into prisons known for torture, all without any criminal charges or other due process,” said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. “The Trump administration has a legal and moral obligation to protect American citizens overseas, especially from rogue governments funded by American taxpayer dollars. We urge Congress to exercise its oversight authority and demand that the State Department secure Abdalkareem’s swift and safe release.”

According to a report published by Zeteo, then-18-year-old Safi was kidnapped from his family home in the occupied West Bank in June by the Israeli military is being held under “secret evidence” as part of Israel’s administrative detention policies:

“Days after snatching Safi, Israeli authorities issued an administrative detention order against him, based on information not disclosed to his lawyer or family. Administrative detention is a mechanism under which Israel imprisons people without charge or trial, typically based on secret evidence. Now, Safi is being held at Ofer prison, where Palestinians have been subject to regular beatings, massively overcrowded cells, humiliation, constant shackling, and severe hunger. In August, Safi was moved from the children’s section to an adult area. His detention order expires on Oct. 28 – which would be a more than four-month stint in prison, with no allegations made public. His family fears Israel could renew the detention indefinitely, as it does for many prisoners.”

CAIR noted that earlier this week, CAIR welcomed the historic support from nearly half of the United States Senate for a resolution introduced by Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) that would have required the U.S. Department of State to produce a comprehensive report investigating the killings of American citizens in the occupied West Bank and detailing human rights practices by Israeli forces and government-backed illegal settlers.

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.      

La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.           

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CONTACT: CAIR-Texas, Austin Director Shaimaa Zayan, info@cairtx.org; Sameeha Rizvi, CAIR-Texas Government Affairs and Legislative Manager, srizvi@cair.com; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com

The Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-TX) today condemned statements and proposals by Texas lawmakers and political activists at Texas Faith Fest calling for restrictions on Muslim religious practices, including halal food, Islamic schools, and the public call to prayer.

According to the Houston Chronicle, Rep. Keresa Richardson, R-McKinney, said of making Muslims uncomfortable: “The more uncomfortable they are, the better.” Rep. Andy Hopper, R-Wise County, described Islam as a “hostile alien civilization” and called for students to learn “how awful Islam is.” Rep. Brent Money, R-Greenville, questioned whether Islam is a religion and proposed banning public institutions from providing religiously required food.

In a statement, CAIR-Texas said:

“Muslim Texans should not have to defend their right to practice a religion that the Constitution already protects. Halal food is not a threat. A call to prayer is not a threat. Muslim children attending Islamic schools is not a threat.

“Religious freedom does not mean the government decides which religions are legitimate. Nor should the government claim its allegiance to one religious tradition. The First Amendment protects Americans precisely because the government is not supposed to make theological determinations about which faiths deserve protection.

“Texas lawmakers should stop trying to make Muslim Texans feel unwelcome and start defending the constitutional freedoms they swore to uphold.”

The Houston Chronicle also reported that one Texas Values board member said his ultimate goal was to make Muslims feel so unwelcome that they would want to leave Texas. 

In a statement, CAIR-Texas said:

“Texas Muslims are Americans. This is our home, and we are here to stay. We work, raise families, build businesses, serve our communities, and participate in the civic life of this state. We should not have to prove that our faith deserves the same constitutional protections as everyone else’s.

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.

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CONTACT: CAIR-Houston Director, Imran Ghani, ighani@cair.com, 713-922-5270; CAIR-Austin Director, Shaimaa Zayan, szayan@cair.com, 512-785-7105; CAIR-DFW Executive Director, Mustafaa Carroll, mcarroll@cair.com, 832-549-1042; CAIR Texas Government Affairs and Legislative Manager, Sameeha Rizvi, srizvi@cair.com, 512-893-1371; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com