The recent announcement that the Vatican has officially recognized Palestine should be welcome news to those who support peace and justice for all in the Middle East. The Holy See's recognition of the rights of the Palestinian people follows the historic meeting last summer when Pope Francis brought Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas together at the Vatican for a "Prayer Summit for Peace."
As the Executive Director of the Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, I believe your readers should be aware that many Muslim organizations, including ours, have condemned the recent brutal murders in the Jerusalem synagogue. CAIR's national statement reads in-part, "We condemn this and any other attack on a house of worship and urge all parties in that holy city to refrain from actions that further inflame religious tensions."
Dear Friends and Supporters of CAIR-Philadelphia, As-salam Alaikum, CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, is the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization. Our primary concern is to defend the rights of Muslim Americans, as well as to challenge…
Although it might seem unusual for a Jew to lead a Muslim organization, it was a natural next step for Jacob Bender. In October, he became executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Philadelphia chapter — and the first non-Muslim to head up any of the 30 chapters. The organization focuses on civil rights protection for Muslims and counteracting negative stereotypes about Islam through education and advocacy. Continue reading (subscription required) ...
3 Ramadan 1435 / 30 June 2014 A Letter from Jacob Bender, Executive Director, CAIR-Philadelphia Dear Friends, Assalamu Alaikum. I am writing to thank you for your past support of the Philadelphia Chapter of CAIR, the nation’s leading Muslim civil…
The essence of xenophobia is to extend to an entire group the actions of the few. Prof. Ira Sharkansky of Hebrew University, in his article “Muslims, Jews, See the World Differently” (San Diego Jewish World, Feb. 24) follows this simplistic and bigoted line of discourse to conclude that valuing “human life” and opposing “bloodshed as a means of settling disputes” are just not “Muslim ways or perspectives.”
[This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending an interfaith banquet in Atlanta, Georgia, sponsored by MACE (Muslim American Community Enhancement), a largely African American Muslim organization. I was honored to receive MACE’s “Bridge Builder of the Year Award”…
Member, CAIR-Philadelphia Advisory BoardFormer Executive Director and Former Creative Director, CAIR-Philadelphia Jacob Bender brings to CAIR-PA decades of activism promoting mutual respect and understanding between Muslims, Christians, and Jews around the world, and on behalf of peace and justice movements…
Penn. governor-elect urged to ban surveillance by Jon Hurdle in Philadelphia at Reuters.com Civil rights activists on Wednesday urged Pennsylvania Governor-elect Tom Corbett to order State Police and state Homeland Security officials to halt any surveillance of protest groups deemed…
