CAIR-Philadelphia

Moein Khawaja, executive director of the Philadelphia chapter of the Council of American-Islamic Relations, also has seen an uptick in anti-Muslim sentiment. Twenty-five percent of federal employment discrimination cases are from Muslim-Americans, he said. He also said the council has heard from Muslim students in eastern Pennsylvania who said they were made uncomfortable at school. In one case, a teacher made an anti-Islam remark and the student did not want to go back to class, Khawaja said.

"I kept thinking 'Please, please don't let it be Muslims, because if it is, this changes everything.' And sure enough, it did,'" remembers Moein Khawaja. Today, Khawaja is the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations' Philadelphia chapter. He says the initial shock, pain and anger he felt when the terrorists turned out to be Muslim extremists has stayed with him. "To this day, I feel like al-Qaida attacked me twice, once by murdering so many fellow citizens, but the second time by smearing my faith," he said.

“9/11 impacted the American Muslim community in two ways. The attacks were on our country and faith. As we grieved for the lives of the innocent, we had to deal with our faith being tarnished. It has been a challenge for many Muslims; however, 9/11 did start a national conversation about Islam’s place in America. After 10 years, I am confident that the conversation has reinforced our nation’s pluralism.” - Rugiatu Conteh, Outreach and Communications Director, Council on American-Islamic Relations, Philadelphia Chapter

"... 9/11 hit us twice. First of all, our country was attacked. Muslim-Americans also died in the towers. Also, our faith was tarnished. We've always wanted to share in the loss [of the people who died in the attacks] with fellow citizens, but we've always encountered doubt and suspicion. My organization started in 2005 precisely because community leaders had seen an increase in backlash - in school bullying, workplace backlash."

Moein Khawaja appears on the Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coane to discuss 9/11’s impact on American Muslims - WHYY (90.9 FM) - Philadelphia's NPR station.

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The burn of hunger, giving one's money to others, and performing extra prayers can be painful, and the temptation to go the easy road is always there. But by taking the hard road, I hope to end up with a healthier body, better relationships, and ultimately a satisfied conscience. It takes individual willpower and being different from everyone else for a little while. But these are short-term sacrifices for enduring gains.

Moein Khawaja, executive director of the Philadelphia branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said when teaching religion, schools should cover basic beliefs and history. Talking about the small percentage of Muslims who are extremists is best saved for advanced politics and history classes, he said. He points to the terrorist attacks in Norway executed by Anders Behring Breivik, who identifies himself as a Christian.

"An in-depth discussion of him during a basic lesson on Christianity would be inappropriate," he said. "They should learn about it in the proper context."