So establish regular Prayer and give regular Charity;
and obey the Messenger; that you may receive mercy.
(Qur’an 24:56)
As-Salaam-Alaikum! As many of you know, I began work on Oct. 1st as CAIR-Philadelphia’s Executive Director. As I begin my first year on the job, I am asking for your financial support to help implement the vital programs that I describe in this letter.
I was honored to have been chosen to lead this chapter of America’s largest and most important Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, and have been overwhelmed by the warm reception I received from the Muslim community in and around Philadelphia. This is proof not only of CAIR’s support of diversity, but also of Islam’s centuries-long tradition of inclusiveness.
My appointment—as CAIR’s first non-Muslim and Jewish Executive Director—has generated over 10,000 internet postings,as well as dozens of articles and interviews on TV, radio, and in newspapers and magazines worldwide.
Tens of thousands heard about CAIR-Philadelphia, many undoubtedly for the first time. Visits to CAIR-Philadelphia’s website have more than doubled in the past two months! This surge of publicity enables us to address biased media coverage and the sharp rise in anti-Muslim attitudes.
A Mosque is Attacked
Just two weeks into my tenure, the Islamic Society of Delaware (ISD), the largest mosque in that state, was vandalized in the middle of the night, resulting in thousands of dollars of damage. The attackers destroyed an electronic sign and a picket fence, the remains of which they used to erect a cross, thus managing to insult two religions with one act of hate. CAIR took the lead in responding to this hate crime, holding a widely-covered press conference, and ISD organized an interfaith solidarity vigil where speakers included one of Delaware’s US Senators, the Lt. Governor of Delaware, two rabbis, several ministers, and me. This interfaith coalition sent a powerful message that our community will not tolerate anti-Muslim hate crimes.
U.S. Senator (DE) Christopher A. Coons (left) with Jacob Bender, CAIR-Philadelphia Executive Director, and members of ISD at interfaith vigil on Oct. 28 in response to mosque vandalism.
Responding to Hate
The attack on ISD, however, was not an isolated incident, but one in a series of hate crimes directed against Muslim Americans. No matter their economic success, Muslim Americans live under a cloud of suspicion, fueled by the hate-mongering Islamophobic network. Add to this the abuse of federal and local governmental power leading to illegal surveillance, profiling, intimidation, and entrapment, rendering millions of law-abiding Muslim Americans as dangerous foreigners in the eyes of their American neighbors.
CAIR is unique in the whole country in responding to these attacks, servicing the needs of the Muslim community with a multi-dimensional approach that employs legal work, public advocacy and educational resources.
Our Legal Department’s Stellar Year
And it is precisely in the legal arena that our CAIR chapter has, once again, excelled. Under the direction of Amara Chaudhry-Kravitz, our chapter’s brilliant Legal Director,CAIR-Philadelphia scored several successes and charted new paths in the legal landscape:
• CAIR-Philadelphia put the Islamophobic network on notice that we would not tolerate a new introduction in Pennsylvania of another piece of anti-Shariah legislation, even one redesigned as a so-called “neutral” version introduced by the right-wing in other states. Exploring new legal territory, Amara published a lengthy scholarly article that unmasked this so-called “neutral” law for the anti-Muslim legislation it was.
• Government-sanctioned anti-Muslim discrimination has become the main legal concern of the Muslim community. While the overall intakes (i.e., requests for legal assistance) at our office have increased 50% since 2010, the number of intakes from claims of law enforcement abuses has increased 300%! Most of these complaints have involved early morning FBI visits to Muslim homes requesting “voluntary” interviews about “other” Muslims the FBI states they are investigating as “possible national security threats.” In other cases, the FBI asked the people they visit—who are not considered security risks—to become informants for the Government.
• In our largest ongoing legal case, CAIR-Philadelphia represents two Muslim Uzbek nationals. We believe that the government manipulated immigration and criminal law proceedings in order to coerce our clients into becoming informants. As a result of our litigation, one of these men received his green card (right) after a 7-year delay in immigration proceedings.
• Our concern for the fair treatment of Muslims in the US has led to our awareness that the most vulnerable among us—our children—are facing an epidemic of bullying because of their Muslim faith. CAIR initially responded by providing direct legal assistance to children who had been bullied at school. We also designed a legal education course, “How to Litigate a School Bullying Case,” which we presented to the Pennsylvania Bar Association.
• Finally, our Legal Department educates the larger legal community about the civil rights issues which affect the Muslim community. We provide lawyers with the tools needed to address these issues. We also provide direct vital information to policy makers on matters which impact the lives of Muslim Americans.
OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS DURING 2013 INCLUDE:
• The release and public screening (through the Office of Mayor Michael Nutter) of “Brown Skin Funny Names,” a documentary produced by CAIR-Philadelphia.
• Muslim Youth Leadership Programs conducted at several area mosques, informing Muslim youth on how they can successfully respond to anti-Muslim bullying.
• We sponsored several “Sharing Ramadan” events across our region, where people from all faith backgrounds were invited to mosques and Islamic centers to learn about the Muslim month of fasting.
A Vision for the Future
My vision for the future of CAIR-Philadelphia includes expanding our chapter’s presence in Philadelphia’s vibrant and growing network of interfaith organizations, enabling the community to be more effective in combating Islamophobia by building coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
We also plan to offer training sessions for the Muslim community on learning to understand, acquire and utilize the levers of political power on both a local and national level.
Finally, we are planning a city-wide screening in early 2014 of my award-winning documentary film “Out of Cordoba,” to be sponsored by CAIR-Philadelphia together with other Muslim, Christian, and Jewish organizations.
The film tells the inspiring story of Al-Andalus, when the Spanish city of Cordoba was the most advanced metropolis in all of Europe. During this time, Muslim scholars helped lay the foundation for Western Civilization. The film also tackles the so-called “Clash of Civilizations” theory, by dramatizing a time when Muslims, Jews, and Christians lived together in peace.
How Does Your Investment in CAIR Contribute to the Philadelphia Muslim Community?
The Islamophobia network has already spent $119.6 million attempting to incite fear of Islam, arguing that Islam is inherently violent and should even be banned.
CAIR is the Muslim community’s best and last line of defense, utilizing First Amendment rights to defend the observance of Islam in the United States.
By employing and expanding all the programs described above, CAIR is the most effective organization defending the Muslim community from mosque oppositions and vandalism, anti-Shariah bills, hate crimes, youth bullying, government intimidation, and discrimination against our businesses.
To successfully address these on-going challenges we once again turn to you and ask for your support. Our budget for 2014 is $350,000.Your 2013 / 2014 tax-deductible and zakat-eligible donations will allow CAIR-Philadelphia to continue and expand our multi-dimensional work.
As a non-Muslim, and one who has studied and interacted with dozens of faith-based organizations since Sept. 11, 2001, I believe CAIR is unique: in its mission, the professionalism of its staff, and the passion, dedication, and commitment of its activists and generous supporters.
How to Donate
Please contribute through our website at pa.cair.com/donate/. Help us expand our services to the Muslim community, our city, and our country by contributing this year as much as you can.
Jazak Allah Khair,
Jacob Bender
Executive Director
CAIR-Philadelphia
