“Some people in the community feel that when an act of violence is committed by someone in the community—even someone with a tangential connection—that there is a need to separate the community from the voices of extremism,” Jacob Bender said.
CAIR-Philadelphia is offering—all free of charge—numerous courses, seminars, and workshops to educational, religious, and social institutions in and around the Philadelphia region. Many of these exciting and timely educational offerings are suitable for both Muslim and general audiences, and to a range of age groups, and are organized into four tracks:
1) Understanding Islam
2) American Muslims
3) Youth and Parents
4) Civil Rights
Calling all Muslim teens, ages 13-18! Join us for the very first CAIR-PA Muslim Youth Leadership Program at MYCP! Space is limited, so reserve your spot now! Program is free of charge.
Back on January 21, 2017, the day after Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States of America, I marched with CAIR National Director Nihad Awad and perhaps a million other people through the streets of Washington, DC, to protest Trump’s election and his policies of division, fear, and open bigotry...
For American Jews of my generation, the June 1967 Arab-Israeli War was a seminal event. In the official narrative propagandized by the mainstream Jewish community, the beleaguered Jewish State, surrounded by millions of fanatical Arabs bent on “pushing the Jews into the sea,” beat back a surprise attack by the combined armies of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria only to emerge victorious. The Sinai, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights were conquered the Israeli Army. That such a seemingly miraculous victory was even possible confirmed, in Jewish eyes, the righteousness of the entire Zionist endeavor.
It would take many years to learn that this official Jewish narrative was built upon a foundation of lies and injustice.
Jacob Bender, the executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations, believes Trump’s formal acknowledgement of Jerusalem as the capital may stall the ongoing peace process and bring more volatility to the region.
“The final status of Jerusalem should be negotiated. You don’t make unilateral moves on such an important, crucial issue,” said Bender, a Jewish American who lived in Jerusalem for seven years.
Ahmet Selim Tekelioglu, director of outreach and education for the Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, said Trump’s decision jeopardizes the peace process. “This makes a peace solution all the more problematic,” he said.
CAIR-Philadelphia Staff Attorney Timothy Welbeck said: "We strongly oppose this ban as it is inherently bigoted, xenophobic, and ultimately rooted in utter contempt for Islam. President Trump has made his discriminatory motivations clear since the campaign trail. Since becoming president, Mr. Trump has repeatedly attempted to ban Muslims from entering the United States, and yesterday the Supreme Court allowed the federal government to allow for this abhorrent discrimination. We find this deeply disappointing, but will continue our fight against hatred and discrimination."
White supremacists and neo-Nazis have lauded President Trump as a champion of their causes, and have regularly celebrated his vile stances. Indeed, President Trump has made his worldview clear both as a private citizen, and as the occupant of the nation’s highest office. He did so again earlier this week with a series of inflammatory tweets meant to disparage Islam.
