The Callaway Patriots Tea Party is hoping a special guest speaker can help better educate area residents about Islam.
The group is hosting a presentation by "What Every American Needs to Know About the Qur'an: A History of Islam and the United States" author William J. Federer at 7 p.m. on Jan. 17 at the Callaway Electric building.
According to James Holland, one of the main purposes of the tea party is to educate and inform; something he is hoping Federer's presentation will accomplish for area residents.
"I had heard (Federer) speak before, and he's just a wealth of information - he's written numerous books on American history," Holland said.
Holland said one of the things that has impressed him about Federer - a nationally-known speaker and author and the president of Amerisearch, Inc. - is that he does not rely upon his own opinions, focusing instead on facts.
"He's going to be addressing what every American should know from the Qur'an and he will be quoting directly from the Qur'an - there's an awful lot of disinformation out there and he tells you what it actually does say," Holland said. "He's going to be starting from the beginning of Muhammad and the history of that part of the world at that time."
Although Federer's presentation is a tea party-sponsored event, Holland said he would welcome anyone to attend what he described as an educational opportunity.
"I would encourage any and all who are curious about the topic to come," he said.
Doors for the event will open at 6 p.m., and a freewill offering of $5 is suggested.