Over a week ago, we witnessed the removal of the thorn in many of our sides and the inauguration of a newly elected president that, in theory, might just be what we need. An event some might consider coated in elitism and wrapped up in a tiny bow labeled “unity,” plastered across our screens while thousands of Americans mourn the deaths of loved ones...
In a statement CAIR-Philadelphia Executive Director Jacob Bender said: “We commend President Biden for immediately moving to repeal the Muslim and African Bans, which is an important first step toward undoing the anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant policies of the previous administration. It is an important fulfilment of a campaign pledge to the Muslim community and its allies. We expect the Biden administration to go further by supporting passage of the No Ban Act and addressing systemic injustices within the federal government that led to religious and racial profiling of Muslims and immigrants under multiple administrations.
As social media becomes a more integral part of our lives in terms of communication and expression, Muslim teens and young adults have turned to online spaces to engage with religious content. Social media for young Muslims is not a facetious interaction but bred from the alienation that many young Muslims feel in the U.S.
CAIR-Philadelphia advises community members throughout Pennsylvania and particularly those in Harrisburg, the state capitol, to stay vigilant from now until the end of the presidential inauguration due to threat of far-right, white supremacist violence and armed protests at all 50 state capitols leading up to and on Inauguration Day.
At the age of 95, Dr. Anis Al-Qasem returned to God in Alicante, Spain, surrounded by his wife Amal and their children. The Palestinian community around the world and its political, legal, and social leaders and institutions mourned his death, as did much of the Arab media.
Statistics show that only 18% of women attend mosques in America. With over 75% of mosques using dividers that make us invisible and only 13% of mosques allowing female participation on boards. These statistics were shared during CAIR-Philadelphia's groundbreaking Muslim Women in Sacred Spaces Symposium.
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.
