Islamophobia existed here and throughout the world long before Sept. 11, historians tell us.
In general, though, Philadelphia is a “hospitable place for American Muslims, both African American and immigrants,” said Jacob Bender, executive director of CAIR Philadelphia, the Council on American Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil liberties and advocacy group. “Perhaps it’s the city’s Quaker background, opening it to different religious minorities.”
On the anniversary of Sept. 11, local Muslims contemplate what they’ve endured the last 20 years
