Dear Friends and Supporters of CAIR-Philadelphia, Salam Alaikum,

Another year has come and gone, and as we start off 2024, we reflect on the previous year with all the good and the bad it encompassed. The last few months of 2023 into the beginning of 2024 have been particularly difficult for our community as we continue to watch our brothers and sisters in Palestine suffer unimaginable violence and trauma inflicted upon them by the Israeli government. The death toll has reached over 23,000 and continues to rise every day in this genocide being committed against the Palestinian people. We pray that God protects the Palestinian people, eases their pain and suffering, and brings an end to the illegal occupation of their land.

We also witnessed that our local community has come under immense difficulty, reminiscent of our communal struggles over the past few decades. I am proud to see our CAIR-Philadelphia chapter stand up to this challenge and provide its critical legal and advocacy services to our Pennsylvania and Delaware communities.

CAIR-Philadelphia’s annual fundraising banquet has always been a time for our community to come together and celebrate our accomplishments and activities, but this year is different, and the current situation calls for a different type of gathering. We will come together as a community on March 2, 2024, at our annual banquet to stand in solidarity with our Palestinian brothers and sisters and to express our aspiration for Palestinians and all Muslims in every corner of the world to be Safe, Seen, and Valued.

We deserve to be safe from Islamophobia and threats of violence, seen by our communities here and abroad, and our humanity and rights valued. Your CAIR-Philadelphia chapter continues to work to that end.

We are very fortunate to have Shaykh Yasir Fahmy, Religious Advisor at AlFalah Center in Bridgewater, NJ and founder of the Prophetic Living Initiative, as our keynote speaker. Nadirah Pierre will entertain us with her standup comedy which takes on sociopolitical issues in the Muslim community and beyond and Ibrahim Muhammad Heshaam Jaaber will delight us with his spoken word poetry. The evening would not be complete without our dynamic presentation highlighting CAIR-Philadelphia’s achievements narrated by members of our community. While we host you in the main hall, our children will be enjoying themselves with hands-on experiences in the childcare area.

We look forward to spending the evening with you at the Springfield Country Club on March 2, 2024, as we reflect on last year, share our dreams and aspirations for the coming year, and raise much needed funds to support CAIR-Philadelphia’s services to our community.

Sincerely,

Sally Selim
CAIR-Philadelphia Executive Committee Banquet Chair