Executive Director’s Message
Dear friends and supporters, As salaam alaykum and Ramadan Mubarak:
The “official” end of summer has arrived, and the last 10 days of Ramadan are fast approaching. Soon we will be celebrating Eid and beginning the first session of our Muslim Youth Leadership Program (MYLP). To that end, on behalf of our Executive Committee and Staff, I want to take a moment to welcome all of our young people, future leaders and scholars, back to school.
The Prophet Muhammad, prayers and peace be upon him, said: The acquisition of knowledge is incumbent upon every Muslim, male and female. This certainly encompasses all aspects of education and reinforces it’s importance. I encourage you to take advantage of this last chance to apply for the MYLP; this is an excellent opportunity to learn new and valuable skills that will be an asset both now and in the future.
Apply online today at https://pa.cair.com/activism/mylp/.
Also, please continue to join us for Sharing Ramadan events. In the past few weeks, over 60 people have visited the Foundation for Islamic Education in Villanova for prayer, dinner and company.
Q. Amin Nathari
Executive Director
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Donate to CAIR-PA this Ramadan
Your generous support of CAIR-Philadelphia in helping us reach our goal of $25,000 during this Blessed Month will allow these activities and initiatives empowering American Muslims to continue and increase.
Your contributions are both tax-deductible (Tax ID #542174614) and Zakat-eligible. (http://cair.com/Zakat.aspx)
Please donate today via check/money order, credit card or automatic deduction.
TO DONATE ONLINE, go to: https://pa.cair.com/donate/
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Focus Article: De-mystifying the Middle East
by Jennifer Hayes
Sitting in my Tokyo apartment two years ago and planning a worldwide trip, I only considered travelling through Lebanon, Syria and Jordan as a means to get from Turkey to Egypt. The thought of travelling through the Middle East both terrified and intrigued me.
The majority of the news I heard from Tel Aviv, Damascus or Beirut concerned terrorism, civil war, kidnappings and suicide bombings. I couldn’t help but wonder if it really was an angry sandbox full of radical Muslims, repressed women and terror like it appeared on television. I was sure that I was going to experience hatred, whether towards my country or myself as an American.
So, why go?
I wanted to see what life was really like in the Middle East and grasp the regional politics that affect us all. In my own naïve and idealistic way, I wanted to build a greater understanding between the Western and Muslim worlds. Read more…
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World Commentary
- Healthcare vs. Warfare: The Future Costs of the Afghanistan War by Jeff Leys
- Caught in the Crossfire: The Forgotten Casualties of War in Afghanistan by Jon Boone in Lashkar Gah
- What Happened to Mohamed al-Hanashi? by Naomi Wolf
- Men with Guns, in Kabul and Washington by Norman Solomon
