I was on the way home from school when I heard on the radio about the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Memphis. Walking into our family home, I found my father sitting in front of the television, watching news of the assassination, his body already racked by the spreading cancer that would kill him exactly one year later. He was crying. It was the only time I ever saw my father cry.
CAIR-Philadelphia wishes you and your families a Sweet Passover, a Blessed Easter, and a Ramadan Mubarak. May the children of Ibrahim, Sarah, and Hajar know only good health and peace in the coming year.
The State Department issued a statement providing some information on next steps for those impacted by the Muslim and African bans. While the statement does not provide much detail, here’s what we know...
Since CAIR-Philadelphia's inception, supporters like you have helped us be the leading advocate for justice and mutual understanding. You make possible every effort that empowers American Muslims. So now, we’ve got to ask… Will you be a Champion of Justice for CAIR-Philadelphia before the start of Ramadan?
The rise of Islamophobia, antisemitism, and racism over the last couple of years have been a very worrying trend. To combat these, interfaith dialogue and action are more relevant and urgent now than ever before. Too much time has been wasted in presiding over our differences and it is time now to focus on attributes that bind and unite us.
Shortly before we started observing Black History Month, we celebrated the Biden administration's repeal of the Muslim and African bans. As we noted, CAIR, alongside its partners and leaders from impacted communities worked diligently against the Trump administration's efforts to take America's immigration system back to an ugly past. We are recognizing everyone today and including a video message from Congresswoman Susan Wild who lent us her voice in support and worked to repeal the bans.
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.
