A Letter from the CAIR-Philadelphia Staff

An Important Message from CAIR-Philadelphia

This was an eventful year at CAIR-Philadelphia. We in the office went through many ups and downs in 2019, experiencing loss as well as joy, happiness as well as heartache: Ahmet Selim Tekelioglu, our Outreach Director, and his wife welcomed their first child into the world; Timothy Welbeck, Esq., our Staff Attorney, took his first trip to the continent of Africa to visit his extended family; and Jacob Bender, our Executive Director, lost his mother, who passed away after many years of painfully declining health.

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Just Mercy Faith Summit

On Tuesday December 10, 2019, Jacob and I attended a film screening and faith summit entitled Just Mercy Faith Summit. The summit, hosted by Eastern University, convened faith leaders, civil servants, and elected officials who desire to address inequities in the nation’s criminal justice system. It was inspired by the film Just Mercy (a film adaptation of the best-selling book by Bryan Stevenson of the same name)…

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MCD Attendees at Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg

MCD IV Brings Scores of Muslims to State Capitol Building in Harrisburg​

On Wednesday, October 30, more than 80 American Muslim leaders from all over Pennsylvania traveled to Harrisburg for the 4th Annual Muslim Capitol Day.

Sponsored by CAIR-Philadelphia and Emgage, MCD IV brought dozens of American Muslims into direct contact with their elected officials and state officials. In private meetings, the MCD participants had an unrivaled opportunity to speak first-hand to their state representatives and senators, letting them know in no uncertain terms what the impact of anti-Muslim bigotry has had upon them and their children.

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The Exonerated

On Wednesday October 9, 2019, Timothy Welbeck, CAIR-Philadelphia Staff Attorney, moderated a discussion at Temple University with Dr. Yusuf Salaam and Mr. Raymond Santana, Jr. of the “Exonerated 5” (formerly known as the “Central Park 5”). Joining them on the panel was Mr. Jharrel Jerome, who recently won an Emmy for his portrayal of Mr. Korey Wise in Ava DuVernay’s Netflix Series When They See Us.

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