As 2018 dawns, it is once again time to invite you to CAIR-Philadelphia’s Annual Banquet; this year will be our 12th!
This year’s banquet promises to be another stellar event, with keynote speaker Dalia Mogahed (Muslim scholar, author, and activist), entertainer Mo Amer (Palestinian-American comedian), and all the way from California, our Mistress of Ceremonies, Zahra Billoo (Executive Director of the Bay Area Chapter of CAIR and civil rights attorney).
CAIR-Philadelphia, together with Islamic Society of Delaware (ISD) and ICNA Relief Delaware, invites you to the Peace at Home symposium. This FREE event will take place on Sunday, January 14th from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm. at ISD (28 Salem Church Road, Newark, DE).
“Some people in the community feel that when an act of violence is committed by someone in the community—even someone with a tangential connection—that there is a need to separate the community from the voices of extremism,” Jacob Bender said.
CAIR-Philadelphia is offering—all free of charge—numerous courses, seminars, and workshops to educational, religious, and social institutions in and around the Philadelphia region. Many of these exciting and timely educational offerings are suitable for both Muslim and general audiences, and to a range of age groups, and are organized into four tracks:
1) Understanding Islam
2) American Muslims
3) Youth and Parents
4) Civil Rights
Calling all Muslim teens, ages 13-18! Join us for the very first CAIR-PA Muslim Youth Leadership Program at MYCP! Space is limited, so reserve your spot now! Program is free of charge.
Back on January 21, 2017, the day after Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States of America, I marched with CAIR National Director Nihad Awad and perhaps a million other people through the streets of Washington, DC, to protest Trump’s election and his policies of division, fear, and open bigotry...
Jacob Bender, the executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations, believes Trump’s formal acknowledgement of Jerusalem as the capital may stall the ongoing peace process and bring more volatility to the region.
“The final status of Jerusalem should be negotiated. You don’t make unilateral moves on such an important, crucial issue,” said Bender, a Jewish American who lived in Jerusalem for seven years.
Ahmet Selim Tekelioglu, director of outreach and education for the Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, said Trump’s decision jeopardizes the peace process. “This makes a peace solution all the more problematic,” he said.
CAIR-Philadelphia Staff Attorney Timothy Welbeck said: "We strongly oppose this ban as it is inherently bigoted, xenophobic, and ultimately rooted in utter contempt for Islam. President Trump has made his discriminatory motivations clear since the campaign trail. Since becoming president, Mr. Trump has repeatedly attempted to ban Muslims from entering the United States, and yesterday the Supreme Court allowed the federal government to allow for this abhorrent discrimination. We find this deeply disappointing, but will continue our fight against hatred and discrimination."
