CAIR-Philly is teaching Muslim youth how to advocate for our community’s rights
Salaam Friends,
My name is Asiyah Jones. As CAIR-Philadelphia’s Advocacy Projects Director, this year I’ve seen our Muslim youth get activated like never before. I’m honored to help them take that energy and channel into advocacy. When I see your Muslim youth speak truth to power, I know we’re doing life-changing work.
One experience from the past year that stayed with me involved a 16-year-old hijabi lifeguard. After graduating high school early and being hired for her summer job, she arrived on her first day wearing a modest, safety-conscious coverup her mother had made for her—only to be sent home. That morning, a community member reached out to me asking if CAIR could help. I immediately connected with the family, because reflecting on my own hijab journey, I knew how defining moments like this can be. While this wasn’t the first time Muslim girls have faced something similar, staying silent would ensure it wouldn’t be the last. Our legal and advocacy team supported her and her family in securing reasonable accommodations. Watching her courageously advocate for herself in a room full of adults reminded me exactly why CAIR-Philadelphia’s youth advocacy work is so essential.
For CAIR Philadelphia our youth advocacy starts with our School Climate Listening Sessions. In these sessions, Muslim kids see that they are not alone, and they are not powerless. We create a safe space where they can talk openly about their experiences, both positive and negative, and how it makes them feel. When one person speaks, others feel empowered, and soon everyone is raising their hands. We learn what issues are affecting kids most, encourage them to report incidents of discrimination, and allow for a space where they can practice responding to difficult situations in a respectful and agentive way. And when they’re ready, CAIR helps them use their advocacy skills in the public sphere.
Friend, I’ve seen our youth advocacy trainings achieve remarkable things. At high schools in Bucks, Philadelphia and Montgomery Counties, our Listening Sessions revealed that the Muslim Students Associations were facing harassment both in and out of school. CAIR helped the students find their voices and stood by them as they continuously testified at school board meetings. We’ve also trained students how to advocate for themselves when they face bullying from students or teachers. And we’ve positively impacted individuals’ lives, like the boy who first attended our Muslim Youth Leadership Summit three years ago, kept coming back, implemented the leadership and advocacy skills he learned, and is now planning to study law. I hope soon we’ll be able to take him on as an intern with our legal program.
When I walk into a classroom and share a moment with a shy-looking hijabi teen, I know I’m where I need to be. But I also know how much more we could do with greater resources. CAIR has built a reputation as an organization that individuals who want to build up their communities can rely on. Nothing feels more powerful to me than representing my community in these spaces and empowering Muslim kids to do the same. But our work is limited by our budget.
That’s why we’ve set a goal of raising $70,000 by December 31. Can we count on you to help us empower Muslim youth in Greater Philadelphia?
In solidarity,
Asiyah Jones, Advocacy Projects Director
CAIR-Philadelphia
