CAIR-Philadelphia

"Muslim Americans feel so muted today, drowned out by the hysteria in the mainstream media," lamented Moein Khawaja, director of the Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations(CAIR), at a special iftar, or meal breaking the Ramadan fast, last week. "We're only about six million people in the U.S., and for the past nine years we've been on the defensive. We have to be proactive and produce our own media that's more representative of our experiences: media that's more positive; that shows the multitude of Islamic voices."

Local Philadelphia Muslims and CAIR-PA discuss Quran burning plans

Nationwide, CAIR is launching a series of public service announcements designed to highlight the bonds and similarities between American Muslims and other religions. One features a New York City firefighter who responded to the World Trade Center and is a Muslim. Another features pastors of various faiths. "We were all a part of 9/11. I have family in New York, and we were scared," said Conteh.

CAIR-PA Outreach and Communications Director Rugiatu Conteh discusses current Islamophobia and CAIR's public service announcements.

He was a 25-year-old South Asian Muslim working in a pharmacy in the Philadelphia suburbs with vivid memories of getting pushed around and even bullied in high school after the 9/11 attacks - but he thought that era was all in the past. That thought changed one afternoon in summer 2009, when he was working a long line at the pharmacy counter and two middle-aged white women accused him of being too slow - then told his manager to "watch this kid, otherwise he's going to blow up the store."

In the Philadelphia region, the local chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations has called on media outlets to run a series of public-service videos. One shows Muslims were among the firefighters who responded to the attacks on the World Trade Center. Another shows that Muslim, Jewish and Christian leaders share a version of the golden rule. "We have more in common than we think," the video says. "There are only 6 million Muslims in the United States and we have to reach out to others in the majority," said Moein Khawaja, executive director of the Philadelphia office of the Council on American Islamic Relations.

Several local Muslims said fasting reminds them of the suffering of the poor and teaches them about humility, patience and spirituality. It's also a time to ask forgiveness for sins. "To me, it's that spiritual element, where you look at the fact that there are poor people in Philadelphia and around the world, and you start to feel what they feel," said Rugiatu Conteh, a spokeswoman for the Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations.