On Saturday April 1, the Cleveland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-OHIO) will hold its 15th Annual Civil Rights Banquet, with the theme “Uniting America: Building Bridges, Not Walls!” at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Independence.

Banquet speakers include Nihad Awad, CAIR-National Co-Founder and Executive Director; Imam Johari Abdul Malik of the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center in Virginia, and keynote speaker Dr. Daniel P. Tokaji, a constitutional scholar from The Ohio State University.

At the event, CAIR will present the I-CAIR Solidarity Award to April Stoltz, long-time Lakewood community activist, for her pioneering work on the “Teatime for Peace” program, which helps breakdown stereotypes and builds friends and allies across traditional divides. Originally conceived in 2015 in response to the hateful rhetoric against Muslims during the presidential campaign, the program encourages one-on-one conversations in a group “teatime” setting and can be used to build bonds of compassion and understanding with those communities who have often been treated as the “other” by the larger society.

WHAT: CAIR-OHIO, Cleveland Chapter, 15th Annual Civil Rights Banquet

WHEN: Saturday, April 1, 2017, 5:00p.m. – 8:30 p.m. (Reception 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.)

WHERE: Embassy Suites Hotel, 5800 Rockside Woods Blvd., Independence, Ohio 44131

TO RESERVE TICKETS CALL 216.830.2247; E-Mail: events@cleveland.cair.com; or go on-line at www.cairohio.com

CONTACT: Julia A. Shearson, 216.830.2247 or 216.440.2247, E-Mail:

jshearson@cair.com or Isam Zaiem, 216.337.7928 or isamzaiem@gmail.com

CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.