The real threat to American democracy was on full display yesterday, as it is woven into the very fabric of this nation by the “peculiar institution” of chattel slavery and buttressed and justified by the ideology of white supremacy.
The Philadelphia Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation's largest Muslim civil rights organization, today condemned the ongoing attack on the U.S. Capitol as an act of "violent insurrection" and called on the government to do more to protect those in harm's way.
Too often we take things for granted. Our Democracy is just one example. As an American Muslim who witnessed the changes in the last four years in our country, I came to realize that I needed to act if I was to help continue to preserve and strengthen the democracy in the country that I idealize so much.
Organizing for civic engagement, protecting the civil rights of community members, promoting understanding of Islam and the Muslim community, building interfaith coalitions for social justice: these are the foundations upon which we stand.
One hundred years ago, 680,000 Americans died in the Spanish Flu Pandemic that ravaged the United States, with Philadelphia being the worst hit city in the nation. Among the dead was my grandfather Yitzhak Bendersky, who had emigrated from Russia to America only a few years before in search of a better life for his family and himself.
American Muslim civic engagement is the foundation upon which we can secure our community's long-term interests and make our contributions to the broader community. Our many successes could not have happened but for your generous support that sustained CAIR-Philadelphia even throughout this pandemic-infected year.
CAIR-Philadelphia welcomes the arbitration decision against former Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) officer Daniel Farrelly. Farrelly was one of 16 officers fired by or received other penalties from the PPD since the 2019 revelations by Plain View Project. Farrelly challenged the City of Philadelphia's decision to fire him in response to his anti-Muslim and bigoted posts.
Science, critical thinking, and skepticism is the cornerstone of any developed nation and our success lies in disseminating a scientific way of thinking and analysis. Various strata of society can contribute to and reinforce scientific thinking.
Every year, CAIR-Philadelphia updates you about how our chapter organizes against Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, anti-black racism, white supremacy, and all forms of bigotry. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic imposed unique challenges for all of us, requiring greater flexibility in how we navigated.
