“It really comes down to how identifiably Muslim you look,” Khawaja said. “I think women who choose to cover might be more prone to verbal assaults and comments, whereas a man who might not be visibly Muslim will just blend in with the crowd.”
Vic Compher, Rugiatu Conteh and Peter Handler from the Interfaith Walk for Peace and Reconciliation explain what the walk aims to accomplish and how anyone can get involved.
CAIR-PA Executive Director Moein Khawaja discusses the death of Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, Obama and Bush policies and much more with conservative radio host Jesse Lee Peterson, Tuesday, May 10, 2011Play Audio:
Echoing this sentiment is Moein Khawaja, executive director of the Philadelphia office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which works to promote understanding of the religion and dialogue between Muslims and everyone else. "What happened on 9/11 was an attack not just on America, but on the Islamic faith as well," Khawaja said.
I’ve conducted youth workshops over the course of a few months and parents always seem to ask about topics and discussions. Inquisitive parents sometimes listen to what’s being presented and have their own questions. CAIR-Philadelphia’s model is that youth workshops must educate, empower, and inspire. We’ve prepared the best hands-on, interactive activities for MYLP students. Participants receive practical information that they can use daily, and most importantly, they get their voices heard. We teach young American Muslims that what they contribute is equally as valuable as any other religious group.
Moein Khawaja, executive director of the Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said that as an American and a Muslim, he cheered when he heard of bin Laden's demise. "My wife and I were watching the Phillies game where they announced his death," Khawaja said. "As people at the game chanted, 'U.S.A.,' we yelled, 'We got him!'"
"As we stated during the original attack on 9/11,” says Khawaja, “Osama Bin Laden never represented Islam or Muslims. In fact, in addition to killing thousands of Americans on 9/11, he and al Qaeda caused the deaths of thousands of Muslims worldwide."