Category: Event

Muslims in Northeast Ohio Celebrate End of Pilgrimage Season

What: On January 20, 2005, the local Muslim community will celebrate the end of the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca, or Hajj, with communal prayers at various mosques in the Cleveland area. The prayers and the holiday which follows, are called Eid ul-Adha (eed-al-odd-ha), or “festival of sacrifice.” Eid ul-Adha is the second of the two major Muslim holidays. It commemorates the Prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael at God’s command. The holiday is celebrated with communal prayers, small gifts for children, distribution of meat to the needy and social gatherings.

There are more than 60,000 Muslims in the Cleveland metropolitan area, an estimated six million in America and some 1.2 billion worldwide. Demographers say Islam is the fastest growing religion in this country and around the world. Each year, more than two million Muslims go on Hajj.

When: Thursday & Friday morning, January 20 & 21, 2005.

Where: Various Mosques and Islamic Centers

Contact: Contact the local mosques directly.

Julia A. Shearson, Director, CAIR-OHIO, Cleveland office 216.830.2247; 216.440.2247. E-Mail: jshearson@cair.com

Photo Opportunity: Each year, Muslims come to the prayers in colorful traditional dress. The prayers themselves are quite visual, with worshippers arranged in neat rows and bowing in prayers in unison. Participants exchange embraces at the conclusion of the prayers.

Other Events: Numerous celebrations and events will be held over the next three days. Please contact the mosques directly for further information.

Note: Because these are religious services, reporters and photographers of both sexes should dress modestly. Photographers should arrive early to get into position for the best shots. Photographers are also advised not to step directly in front of worshippers and to ask permission for close-up shots.

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January 20, 2005
Local Muslims to Celebrate Eid Ul-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice)

(Cleveland, Ohio 1/19/05) -Thousands of Muslims in Northeast Ohio and across the world are observing activities associated with the annual Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca. Hajj is one of the “five pillars” of the Islamic faith. (The other pillars include a declaration of faith, daily prayers, offering regular charity, and fasting during the month of Ramadan.) Pilgrimage is a once-in-a-lifetime obligation for those who have the physical and financial ability to undertake the journey. Cleveland area Muslims to hold communal prayers on Thursday morning, January 20, 2005.

The obligatory and optional activities of Hajj include:

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January 19, 2005
Muslim Civil Rights Organization Hosted Annual Banquet in Cleveland

Dr. David Cole, constitutional scholar, delivered keynote address on security and civil liberties in America.

(Cleveland, Ohio, 5/24/04) The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Ohio Chapter, Cleveland Office hosted its 2^nd annual dinner entitled Muslims in America:“A Defining Moment.” Dr. David Cole, constitutional scholar and immigrants’ rights attorney from Georgetown University Law Center spoke on security and civil rights in post-9/11 America. Nihad Awad, founder and Executive Director of CAIR, asked Muslims to work for a better future by becoming socially and politically active.

The event, held at the Cleveland Renaissance Hotel in Downtown Cleveland, was a sell-out with more than 400 people in attendance, including members of the Muslim community, public officials, and concerned citizens from Northern Ohio. (more…)

May 24, 2004
Scarves for Unity

In show of solidarity with Muslims, female students at Cleveland State University to wear Muslim headscarves in support of freedom of religion

(Cleveland, OH 3/11/04) – The Muslim Student Association of Cleveland State University will hold a “Scarves for Unity” event today in which non-Muslim female students at Cleveland State will wear hijabs (headscarves) in a show of solidarity with Muslims in the United States and around the world. The event will consist of a panel discussion on the significance of the hijab (headscarf) for Muslim women, as well as the impact of recent legislation passed in France to ban outward religious displays in public schools. A question-and-answer session will follow.

When: TODAY! Thursday, March 11, 2004

Time: 5:00 pm-7:00 pm

Where: Cleveland State University; University Center, 364

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March 11, 2004
U.S. MUSLIMS LEAVE FOR PILGRIMAGE TO MECCA

(CLEVELAND, OHIO, 1/28/2004) – Thousands of American Muslims will soon take part in religious observances associated with the annual Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca. Hajj is one of the “five pillars” of the Islamic faith. (The other pillars include a declaration of faith, daily prayers, offering regular charity, and fasting during the month of Ramadan.)

Pilgrimage is a once-in-a-lifetime obligation for those who have the physical and financial ability to undertake the journey. When the main portion of the pilgrimage is completed, Muslims worldwide gather for communal prayers on the first day (February 1*) of Eid ul-Adha (EED-al-ODD-ha), the second of the two major Muslim holidays. Many Muslims in the Greater Cleveland Area will gather for a city-wide Eid prayer service on Sunday morning at 8:30 am at the Metro Campus of Cuyahoga Community College.

“Participating in the Hajj, perhaps the world’s most ethnically and racially diverse religious event, is a high point of any Muslim’s life,” said Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Washington-based Islamic civil rights and advocacy group. To the Chairman of the newly opened Cleveland Office of CAIR, “Hajj is an annual spiritual journey that Muslims from all over the globe undertake to glorify one God, asking for forgiveness and mercy.”

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January 28, 2004
CAIR-OHIO HONORED WITH ACLU LIBERTY’S FLAME AWARD

(CLEVELAND, OH, 10/26/2003) – On October 25, 2003, the Ohio Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations was awarded the ACLU Liberty’s Flame Award for its civil rights work on behalf of Muslims in America. The prestigious award was given to CAIR at the ACLU of Ohio’s 30^th Annual Civil Liberties Awards Presentation. At the event, which marked the second anniversary of the passage of the USA Patriot Act, the ACLU honored CAIR-Ohio for its “action and courage defending the civil liberties of Muslims, immigrants and of all Americans in a time of national crisis.”

Accepting the award was Dr. Ahmad Al-Akhras, President of the Ohio Chapter of CAIR. “During these trying times,” Dr. Al-Akhras said, “when many of our basic rights have been trampled on, and when many voices have been intimidated to speak up, this award comes as a solace to us telling us that we are on the right path.”

Crediting his dedicated board, staff, and corps of tireless volunteers, Dr. Al-Akhras said, “Over the past five and a half years, CAIR-Ohio has been working very hard to make it a reality that Muslims, like everyone else in America, have basic rights.” He said that since 9/11, CAIR’s work has become even more challenging because the profiling and discrimination faced by Muslims in the past has now become institutionalized in measures such as the Patriot Act.

Despite the difficulties, Dr. Al-Akhras felt confident that those dedicated to CAIR’s mission would prevail. He said that CAIR-Ohio’s work reflected what Gandhi had said about bringing change: “First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win.” He thanked the ACLU for supporting CAIR and for working to ensure that the constitutional protections enshrined in the Bill of Rights apply to all.

Also honored that evening with the Liberty’s Flame Award was Community Refugee and Immigration Services (CRIS) for their “tireless dedication to improving the lives of refugees and immigrants with compassion and support for their rights, in a climate of intolerance and fear.” Professor David Harris, Balk Professor of Law and Values at the University of Toledo College of Law, gave a keynote speech on how the USA Patriot Act violates the fundamental separation of powers enshrined in the US Constitution.

CONTACT: Julia A. Shearson, 216.830.2247 or 216.440.2247, E-Mail: jshearson@cair.com; Dr. Ahmad Al-Akhras, 614.989.5916; Ibrahim Hooper, 202.488.8787 or 202.744.7726, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com

October 26, 2003