CAIR-Philadelphia in today’s Inquirer
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."
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. 
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.”