CAIR-Philadelphia

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CAIR-Philadelphia Condemns Murders of Muslims in Virginia and England

The Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Philadelphia) today condemned the murder of 17-year-old Nabra Hassanen in Fairfax, Virginia, and the carnage caused by a motorist running down Muslim worshippers in North London, England.

CAIR-Philadelphia Executive Director Jacob Bender said: "No matter the motivation of the murderers in these two heinous crimes, these attacks come in the midst of an unprecedented anti-Muslim climate in the U.S. and Europe, spurred on by Islamophobic statements by irresponsible voices in the media and the American government."

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Help Secure the Muslim-American Community This Ramadan

Once again, the nights and days are filled with an aura of sacredness and spirituality. We welcome both the challenge of the fast and the joy of the nightly iftar (the meal that breaks the daytime fast) with awe and wonder.

Observing Ramadan is a journey of the spirit, and fasting is the map that brings us ever closer to the presence of the Divine in our lives, as well as focusing our consciousness on our relationship and responsibility to our fellow human being.

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World Environment Day: Greening our Ramadan

Last week, President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord put the United States at odds with facts, scientific consensus, moral responsibility, and nearly every country in the world implementing the Paris Accord to limit global devastation already being caused by climate change before it's too late.

Today, CAIR-Philadelphia commemorates World Environment Day, with a call to action, reaffirming the Muslim-American commitment to local solutions that protect our earth and help the community, reflecting the Islamic principle of stewardship.

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CAIR-Philadelphia Condemns Murders in Manchester and Portland

On this Memorial Day, The Philadelphia Chapter of CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) condemns in the strongest terms recent acts of horrific violence committed in Manchester and Portland.

Jacob Bender, Executive Director of CAIR-Philadelphia, said, “Whether done in the name of a warped and distorted understanding of Islam, as in England, or as a manifestation of the vile ideology of white supremacy, as in Oregon, there can never be any justification for these evil acts of extremist violence. The Qur’an is explicit in its condemnation of murder: ‘Whoever kills a person [unjustly] … it is as though he has killed all mankind.’” (Qur’an, 5:32)

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Walk for Green Jobs and Justice

CAIR-Philadelphia has endorsed the Power Local Green Jobs campaign led by our friends at Earth Quaker Action Team and Power Interfaith.

Walking through five countries throughout the Greater Philadelphia area, this direct action encourages PECO, Pennsylvania’s largest utility company, to make a major shift to locally-generated solar power that benefits low income communities and communities of color. This addresses three critical issues locally and for humanity at large: underemployment, crumbling infrastructure, and climate change.

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In Defense of Free Speech

Last week Robert Spencer spoke at Gettysburg College, at the request of the Young Americans for Freedom, an activist group with conservative views. Robert Spencer espouses extreme anti-Islamic views. According to Southern Poverty Law Center, his work was cited numerous times by the Norwegian terrorist that murdered over seventy people, and he has been deemed an extremist by the U.K. and thus barred from entering the country.

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March on Harrisburg: #endPAcorruption

Last spring was the beginning of a historic movement to end political corruption and restore democracy in the United States. The Democracy Spring movement began at Liberty Bell in Philadelphia and led a ten-night march to Washington, DC. Tens of thousands of people participated in non-violent direct action, garnering the support of over a hundred national lawmakers.

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