CAIR-Philadelphia

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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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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)
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Executive Director Jacob Bender on The Marc Steiner Show, WEAA Baltimore (audio)

CAIR-Philadelphia Executive Director Jacob Bender appeared yesterday morning on The Marc Steiner Show (WEAA 88.9 AM Baltimore). Jacob discussed his appointment and the reactions to it, and answered questions about CAIR’s mission and activities, the perception of Muslims and Islam in American society, as well as commenting upon his own background promoting interfaith understanding between Muslims, Jews, and Christians.

Listen to the show:

Director Jacob Bender on WEAA (The Marc Steiner Show), October 24, 2013

Read MoreExecutive Director Jacob Bender on The Marc Steiner Show, WEAA Baltimore (audio)
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Philadelphia Chapter Of Muslim Advocacy Group Sparks Controversy With Appointment Of New Leader

CBS Philly There’s a new leader of the Philadelphia chapter of the country’s largest Muslim advocacy group, and he’s Jewish. Jacob Bender, a documentary filmmaker and writer, has been appointed Executive Director of the Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR. Bender, who introduces himself via a lengthy letter on the CAIR Philadelphia site, cites his extensive background in “Muslim-West relations,” including writing op-eds for magazines and newspapers and giving speeches at mosques, conferences and universities around the world.

Read MorePhiladelphia Chapter Of Muslim Advocacy Group Sparks Controversy With Appointment Of New Leader
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CAIR taps Jewish filmmaker to lead Philadelphia chapter

Religion News Service “Many Muslims face daily suspicion, not unlike other immigrant groups throughout history,” said Bender, explaining that he felt people had a responsibility to confront bigotry. “When one group of Americans is attacked, it lessens the quality of democracy for all of us.” Bender acknowledged it will be challenging to represent Muslims as a non-Muslim, but said his Jewish background had some advantages. “As part of a community that has historically faced persecution in Europe and the United States as well, I hope that I would bring a certain amount of sensitivity.”

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