CAIR-Philadelphia

8 Days to Go – There is still time to donate to CAIR-Philadelphia

Alhamdulillah, CAIR-Philadelphia has four very talented individuals working for us: Jacob Bender our executive director, Timothy Welbeck, Esq., our staff attorney, Dr. Ahmet Selim Tekelioglu, our outreach and education director, and Leena Jaffer, our operations manager. They have been able, due to your continuous and generous support, to provide our community and the general public with an unprecedented level of services, all the more important in these perilous times.

Read More8 Days to Go – There is still time to donate to CAIR-Philadelphia
Photo by Natalie Pedigo on Unsplash

A Letter from Jacob Bender About His Colleagues

There can be no doubt that Islam, viewed as a systematic and religiously-based physiological guide for human behavior, frowns upon extravagant displays of arrogance on the micro-level (“The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: No one who has the weight of a seed of arrogance in his heart will enter Paradise…” Sahih Muslim), as it eschews extremism on the macro level (“Oh People of the Book, don’t go to the extreme in your religion…” [Qur’an, An-Nisa’ 4: 171]).

It is best, therefore, to praise others than to heap acclaim and acclamation upon oneself. It is in this spirit (especially prescribed during Ramadan) that I take this opportunity to write about my two colleagues: Dr. Ahmet Selim Tekelioglu and Timothy N. Welbeck, Esq., respectively, CAIR-Philadelphia’s Education and Outreach Director, and our Civil Rights Attorney...

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Victory! CAIR-Philadelphia Helps Secure the Right to Wear the Hijab for Student Athletes

In what is widely heralded as a victory for religious freedom, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (“PIAA”) recently voted to amend its policy requiring a waiver for student athletes to wear religious head coverings during athletic competitions. CAIR-Philadelphia and other civil rights groups and elected officials, pushed for this change in support of Nasihah Thompson-King, who could not play in a playoff game for her school’s basketball team earlier this year because she refused to remove her hijab.

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Heal Thyself, Heal The World

Now is not the time for silence or lethargy, but of activism and commitment. Let CAIR be your voice, from the public arena to the courthouse, from the pulpit to the halls of power. So please help CAIR help you. This Ramadan, give generously to CAIR-Philadelphia; your donations are tax-deductible and zakah-eligible. You will be making an investment in the future of the Philadelphia Muslim community and the healing of our nation.

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CAIR-Philadelphia Condemns Israeli Massacre of Palestinian Civilians Protesting Embassy Move to Jerusalem

The Philadelphia Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Philadelphia) today condemned the Israeli massacre of dozens of Palestinian civilians protesting both the unilateral move of the US embassy to Jerusalem and the 70th anniversary of “The Nakba,” the expulsion by Israel of hundreds of thousands of Arabs out of Palestine during the 1948-49 Arab-Israeli war.

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The Legacies of Malcolm X – Free Event

Join CAIR-Philadelphia and the New Africa Center/ICPIC as we honor the life and legacy of slain civil rights icon and Black liberation leader Malcolm X. Malcolm Little, Detroit Red, Malcolm X, El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, whom many affectionately called “Brother Malcolm,” would have celebrated his 93rd birthday next month had he not been brought “too soon to death” at the hail of the assassin’s bullets.

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In Pa., hate crime convictions continue to be an afterthought

Timothy Welbeck, a civil rights attorney for the Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said victims are sometimes afraid to come forward. Some might have questionable immigration status; others have had unfavorable encounters with law enforcement or fear retaliation if they were to speak out. "Many are fearful of coming forward," Welbeck said. "Even with the increased reports we receive, I would argue it's only a fraction of what is happening across the state and country."

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New CAIR Report: Trump’s Muslim Bans Increased Anti-Muslim Discrimination, Violence

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today released a one-of-its-kind report offering data on the impact and legal pushback against anti-Muslim bias across the United States in the past year. CAIR’s 2018 civil rights report finds that federal government agencies have instigated more than a third of all anti-Muslim bias incidents in 2017

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Third Annual Muslim Capitol Day in Harrisburg a Huge Success

Scores of American Muslims, together with their Jewish and Muslim allies, descended on Harrisburg on Tuesday, March 17, for the Third Annual Muslim Capitol Day (MCD III) in Harrisburg, PA. Muslim Capitol Day was co-sponsored by CAIR-Pennsylvania and Emgage Pennsylvania, and two Philadelphia mosques: Masjidullah and Philadelphia Masjid. Close to 100 Muslim Americans held 35 meetings with Pennsylvania legislators and government officials.?

Read MoreThird Annual Muslim Capitol Day in Harrisburg a Huge Success