CAIR-Philadelphia

CAIR-Philadelphia Collage

Muslim Group’s New Philly Leader: Award-Winning Filmmaker, Interfaith Activist, and Yes, a Jew

aslanmedia Talk to Jacob Bender for five minutes and you’ll get a sense that if bridges can be built between Muslims and other faith groups, he’s certainly the guy for the job. In October, the award-winning documentary filmmaker and interfaith activist was tapped to head the Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR). His appointment to the Muslim advocacy group, which protects civil liberties of Muslim Americans and aims to increase public understanding of Islam, might have passed under the radar had his own religious faith — Judaism — not become the focus of his new gig.

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CAIR-Philadelphia Collage

CAIR-Philadelphia Leads Response to Desecration of ISD Mosque

Last Friday, Oct. 25, 2013, in the early morning hours, vandals came under cover of darkness to desecrate the Islamic Society of Delaware (ISD) in Newark, the largest and most prominent mosque in the state. The alleged perpetrators destroyed a wooden fence and severely damaged an electronic sign. Damage is in the thousands of dollars. Most shockingly, the alleged culprits also fashioned the debris into a cross (Christianity’s sacred symbol for the “Prince of Peace”), thus insulting both Islam and Christianity. CAIR-Philadelphia immediately issued a Press Release condemning the attack and “urged local, state and federal law enforcement authorities to investigate this attack as a possible hate crime.” The Press Release went on to declare that the “unfortunately growing promotion of Islamophobia in our society leads to such troubling incidents.”

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CAIR-Philadelphia Collage

FBI: Juveniles charged with criminal mischief in Islamic Center vandalism (video)

Delaware Online Jeffrey A. Reising, a supervisory special agent with the FBI announced during an interfaith prayer service tonight that three juveniles have been arrested and charged with criminal mischief. Leaders at the mosque expressed gratitude for an “overwhelming” response of support from the community – police, religious leaders and elected officials. The president of the Islamic Society of Delaware said the incident showed the power of a community to push back against intolerance. “We can make our town ... our state ... a better place,” he said.

Read MoreFBI: Juveniles charged with criminal mischief in Islamic Center vandalism (video)