CAIR-Cleveland & Northern Ohio

Tag: Interfaith Event

  • More Than 400 Guests Attend CAIR-Cleveland Ramadan Iftar and Benefit

    More Than 400 Guests Attend CAIR-Cleveland Ramadan Iftar and Benefit

    (CLEVELAND, OH, 4/1/23) – On Saturday, April 1 the Cleveland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-OHIO) held its 14th Annual Ramadan Iftar Banquet with members of the Muslim and interfaith communities.

    More than 400 guests attended the iftar, which was held at LaVilla Conference and Banquet Center in Cleveland, Ohio. (“Iftar” is the meal eaten after sunset each day during Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting.)

    The guest speaker was CAIR National’s Board Chair Dr. Manal Fakhoury. Dr. Fakhoury is also the president and CEO of Fakhoury Leadership International. The CAIR-Cleveland & Northern Ohio chapter was honored to be the first chapter Dr. Fakhoury visited since becoming CAIR National’s board chair.

    Alauddin Alauddin, Vice President of Muslim Family Services of Ohio (MFSOH) and the evening’s inspirational speaker, urged attendees to continue to support CAIR’s work to challenge Islamophobia and protect civil rights.  

    Tessa Xuan, statewide co-director of OPAWL, shared information about the Multiracial Curriculum Campaign, which CAIR-Ohio is a coalition steering team member.

    In addition, CAIR presented their I-CAIR Volunteer of the Year Award to volunteers Nur and Zayna Makupson, the Social Justice Award to Dr. Shereen Naser, the Generosity Award to Holyland International Imports, and the Community Service Award to Dr. Simee & Masroor Malik. Outgoing Executive Director Julia Shearson was presented with the Above & Beyond Award for 20 years of her selfless dedication and service to the community.

    CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

    La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.

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    – END –

    CONTACT:  CAIR-Ohio, Cleveland Chapter Interim Executive Director Faten Odeh, 216.830.2247, fodeh@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202.744.7726, ihooper@cair.com

  • CAIR-Ohio Hosts World-Renowned Anti-Apartheid Leaders and International Peacebuilders  

    CAIR-Ohio Hosts World-Renowned Anti-Apartheid Leaders and International Peacebuilders  

    (CLEVELAND, OH, 2/1/2023) – The Cleveland Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Cleveland), along with members of Teatime for Peace, hosted a forum and dinner for two world-renowned anti-apartheid leaders and international peacebuilders on Friday, January 27.

    The two leaders, Mohammed Bhabha and Roelf Meyer and their delegation were visiting Cleveland as part of a lecture circuit hosted by organizations Civic Genius, Beyond Conflict and YOUnify. Both Bhabha and Meyer played significant roles in “ending conflict in South Africa – and are eager to help Americans apply their lessons learned to our current political crisis.”

    More than 20 guests from across faiths and backgrounds joined the intimate gathering at Rumi’s Market and Grill to ask questions and gain insight from the two leaders.

    CAIR-Ohio, Cleveland Co-Founder and Board Member Isam Zaiem stated:

    “It was inspiring to learn about the experiences and successes of these two leaders from South Africa in their struggle to end apartheid. With America increasingly divided along racial and political lines, I gained hope that we, too, can heal our nation if people of opposing views can learn to look beyond their differences and put the common good and interests of future generations first and foremost.”

    “In addition to sharing their experiences at peacebuilding, the South African leaders also took a keen interest in the mission of our Teatime for Peace program,” said Humera Khan, CAIR Board Member and Teatime for Peace Steering Committee Co-Chair.

    Khan added: “Our mission is to bring together people of diverse belief systems and ethnic and racial backgrounds to engage in honest dialogue in order to counter the tendency toward ‘othering’ those who we perceive as being different. Our South African speakers felt they could gain from hosting Teatime for Peace events in their home country. The hope is if we share peace-building ideas and efforts across continents, we truly can make a difference.”

    In addition to attending our gathering, Bhabha and Meyer spoke at events hosted by Case Western Reserve University’s Social Justice Institute, the Cleveland City Club, and the Palestine Breakfast Club.

    SEE: “Bridging the Divide in Greater University Circle: Lessons from South Africa” 

    SEE: Lessons from South Africa: Moving Past Polarization and Intense Division in America 

    Roelf Meyer is known for his role as the South African government’s chief representative in the 1993 negotiations to end apartheid and establish a democratic country. He served in the cabinet of former President Nelson Mandela, and later became secretary-general of the National Party. In 1997 he co-founded the United Democratic Movement. Meyer consulted on international peace processes in Kosovo, Myanmar, Northern Ireland, and Rwanda, among others.

    Mohammed Bhabha is a former Member of Parliament, qualified attorney, and experienced negotiator. He was part of the African National Congress (ANC) team at the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA), and later as part of the agreements on the final South African Constitution. Mohammed has worked on transitional and constitutional support projects in Kenya, South Sudan, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Yemen, Palestine, Bahrain, and Zimbabwe.

    CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

    La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.

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    – END –

    CONTACT:  CAIR-Ohio, Cleveland & Northern Ohio Chapter Interim Executive Director Faten Odeh, 216.830.2247, fodeh@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202.744.7726, ihooper@cair.com

  • TONIGHT: CAIR-Ohio Co-Sponsors Film Screening, Panel Discussion of BDS Documentary, ‘Boycott’

    TONIGHT: CAIR-Ohio Co-Sponsors Film Screening, Panel Discussion of BDS Documentary, ‘Boycott’

    (CLEVELAND, OHIO – 11/18/2022) – Tonight, the Cleveland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Ohio is cosponsoring a film screening and panel discussion of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) Documentary, Boycott, with Cleveland Peace Action, Cleveland State University’s Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights, Jewish Voice for Peace Cleveland, and the Council on Peace in the Middle East.

    [NOTE: The term “BDS” refers to the growing international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. The nonviolent protest movement’s stated goal is to pressure the Israeli government to end its occupation of Palestinian territory.]

    WHAT: Film Screening and Panel Discussion of Boycott

    WHEN: TODAY, Friday, November 18, from 6-9 p.m.

    WHERE: Cleveland State University, Berkman Hall, 1899 E. 22nd Street, Cleveland, Ohio, 44115, Room BH 201 

    CONTACT:  CAIR-Ohio, Cleveland Chapter Executive Director Julia Shearson, 216.830.2247, jshearson@cair.com

    The panelists are:

    • Chance Emad, CSU Law School Graduate and Leader of the Palestinian Youth Movement
    • Terry Lodge, Cleveland Peace Action Board Member and longtime environmental and civil rights attorney
    • Faten Odeh, CAIR-Ohio Board Member and Founder of the Misada Family Literacy Organization
    • Eric Resnick, Jewish Voice for Peace, Human Rights Activist

    For more information on the panelists, click here.

    For more information about this event, visit bit.ly/boycottmovie.

    CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

    La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.

    – END –

  • CAIR-Ohio and Area Muslim Leaders Attend Interfaith Forum at Cuyahoga Community College

    CAIR-Ohio and Area Muslim Leaders Attend Interfaith Forum at Cuyahoga Community College

    (CLEVELAND, OHIO, 11-1-2022) – The Cleveland Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Ohio and members of Muslim leadership in greater Cleveland recently joined an interfaith luncheon forum hosted by the new President of Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C), Dr. Michael A. Baston.   Dr. Baston, a national thought leader in the fields of education, workforce development, and economic advancement, sought to leverage the voices of faith leaders in advancing social and economic justice in our region through promoting access to affordable high-quality education offered at community colleges such as Tri-C.

    At the forum, Dr. Baston, an inspirational faith leader in his own right, issued a clarion call to clergy and leaders of diverse faiths to center the message of education as a means to help congregants fulfill their human potential. He emphasized the centrality of education as a tool to promote sustainable and equitable regional development and as a means to prepare people for good paying jobs with benefits that allow them to build economic security and achieve lasting prosperity for their families.

    “Dr. Baston’s exemplary servant leadership and compassion are evident in his care and concern for the entire community and his insistence on leaving no one trapped behind the barriers of multi-generational poverty,” said Julia Shearson, CAIR-Ohio Cleveland Chapter Executive Director, who helped coordinate attendance of Muslim leaders at the event. “His message of inclusion and the need to lift all boats is especially critical in the Cleveland metropolitan area which faces stubborn disparities in terms of access to economic resources, high-quality education, and affordable childcare, housing, and healthcare.”

    To Learn more about the new Tri-C President, Dr. Michael A. Baston, click here.

    Click here to learn more about the breath of Tri-C’s educational services including more than 1,000 courses offered and more than 200 programs covering areas from career readiness and workforce development programs for high school students to their life-long learners and senior citizen programs.

    In keeping with the values of diversity and inclusion, Tri-C recently established a prayer space for Muslim students attending the main metropolitan campus.

    CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

    La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.

    – END –

    CONTACT:  CAIR-Ohio, Cleveland Chapter Executive Director Julia Shearson, 216.830.2247, jshearson@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202.744.7726, ihooper@cair.com

  • Join Us for Teatime for Peace at Laurel School, Lyman Campus

    Join Us for Teatime for Peace at Laurel School, Lyman Campus

    What is better than teatime? Teatime AND fellowship. Come out and experience our shared humanity over a cup of tea where we focus on our similarities and celebrate our differences!

    Event registration is at 6:00pm and program begins at 6:30pm.

    Date: Tuesday, November 19, 2019

    Time: Registration 6:00 – 6:30 | Program 6:30 – 8:00 PM

    Location: Laurel School, Lyman Campus
                        1 Lyman Circle
                        Shaker Heights, Ohio 44122

    To RSVP, contact Lauren Callg at lCallg@LaurelSchool.org

    Teatime for Peace is a chance to have tea, snacks and conversation with neighbors from diverse communities that may not otherwise get a chance to come together.

    The mission of Teatime for Peace is to host events where people of different belief systems and ethnic and racial backgrounds come together to engage in honest dialogue in a nonjudgmental, respectful environment in which each person has an opportunity to listen and be heard.

    The vision of Teatime for Peace is to create peace by building the Beloved Community by getting to know each other better, by outgrowing our conscious and unconscious biases about who the “other” is and by both accepting our differences and recognizing our shared humanity and aspirations.

    For more information, email teatime4peace@gmail.com

  • Join Us for Teatime for Peace at the Islamic Center of Cleveland

    Join Us for Teatime for Peace at the Islamic Center of Cleveland

    What is better than teatime in June? Teatime AND fellowship. Come out and experience our shared humanity over a cup of tea where we focus on our similarities and celebrate our differences!

    Event registration is at 6:30pm and program begins at 7:00pm.

    Date: Wednesday, June 19, 2019

    Time: Registration 6:30 – 7:00 | Program 7:00 – 8:45 PM

    Location: Islamic Center of Cleveland
                        6055 West 130th Street
                         Parma, Ohio 44130

    Teatime for Peace is a chance to have tea, snacks and conversation with neighbors from diverse communities that may not otherwise get a chance to come together.

    The mission of Teatime for Peace is to host events where people of different belief systems and ethnic and racial backgrounds come together to engage in honest dialogue in a nonjudgmental, respectful environment in which each person has an opportunity to listen and be heard.

    The vision of Teatime for Peace is to create peace by building the Beloved Community by getting to know each other better, by outgrowing our conscious and unconscious biases about who the “other” is and by both accepting our differences and recognizing our shared humanity and aspirations.

    For more information, email teatime4peace@gmail.com

    Information about hosts:
    The Islamic Center of Cleveland serves as a cultural and religious institution for Muslims in the larder Cleveland area. The mosque and community center offers daily prayers, youth programming and other activities which promote good-will, understanding, fellowship and tolerance.
    Salaam Cleveland serves the NE Ohio area. Their mission is to promote understanding between people of different faiths and ethnicities; to establish charitable activities such as supporting soup kitchens, health clinics etc, to guide, educate and nurture refugees in their resettlement and to arrange multi-cultural social and educational events.

  • 12th Annual Sharing Ramadan Iftar Dinner

    Please join CAIR-Cleveland at our 12th Annual Sharing Ramadan Iftar Dinner on May 18, 2019

    Join us for a Sharing Ramadan Iftar Dinner with renowned speaker Rais Bhuiyan, whose compelling story highlights one immigrant’s amazing story of surviving a hate crime in America. In his triumph over hate through the power of mercy and compassion, Rais’ life attests to the best of the human spirit. Don’t miss this wonderful event during the Holy Month of Ramadan, the Month of Mercy, Forgiveness and Compassion.

    About Our Keynote Speaker, Rais Bhuiyan

    Ten days after 9/11, Rais was the victim of a horrific hate crime in Dallas, Texas. Shot from point blank range by a white supremacist, Mark Stroman, Rais barely survived. Sadly, two others were killed. Stroman was sentenced to death; ten years later, Rais led an international campaign fighting to save Stroman’s life, petitioning for clemency for his attacker on death row. Rais’ amazing story of one immigrant’s experience overcoming hate in America has been chronicled in the award-winning book entitled The True American: Murder & Mercy in Texas by Anand Giridharadas, a 2014 New York Times Book Review Notable Book. Rais’ efforts have been widely recognized. He received the Excellence for Human Service Award, United for Change; 2011 American of the Year, Esquire Magazine; 2014 Human Relations Award, Muslim Public Affairs Council Foundation, among others. He worked with the Obama Administration’s Domestic Policy Council and currently represents the U.S. Department of State as part of their speakers’ bureau, supporting federal efforts for peace and understanding.  Rais travels globally, speaking about his experiences of forgiveness, compassion, empathy, understanding and acceptance, as well as hate-crimes, race relations, equity and social justice, intolerance, faith and leadership. Hollywood’s feature film, based on The True American, is currently in production.

    WHAT: CAIR-OHIO, Cleveland Chapter, 12th Annual Sharing Ramadan Iftar Dinner

    WHEN: Saturday, May 18, 2019, 6:30 Registration | 7:00 Program Starts

    WHERE: LaVilla Banquet Center, 11500 Brookpark Road, Cleveland, Ohio, 44130

    Ticket Costs: $15 per person; complimentary tickets for interfaith guests.

    Please RSVP by May 11, 2019.

    For more information or to RSVP, call 216.830.2247, visit caircleveland.com, or email events@cleveland.cair.com

    Note: Event sponsorships are available; please let us know if your family or business would like to help sponsor the program.




  • Join us for Teatime for Peace at First Lutheran Church

    Join us for Teatime for Peace at First Lutheran Church

    What is better than teatime in November? Teatime AND fellowship. Come out on November 8, 2018 and experience our shared humanity over a cup of tea where we focus on our similarities and celebrate our differences! 

    Date: Thursday, November 8, 2018

    Time: Registration 6:30 – 7:00 | Program 7:00 – 8:30 PM

    Location: First Lutheran Church
                         1019 West 5th Street
                         Lorain, Ohio 44052

    Teatime for Peace is a chance to have tea, snacks and conversation with neighbors from diverse communities that may not otherwise get a chance to come together.

    The mission of Teatime for Peace is to host events where people of different belief systems and ethnic and racial backgrounds come together to engage in honest dialogue in a nonjudgmental, respectful environment in which each person has an opportunity to listen and be heard.

    The vision of Teatime for Peace is to create peace by building the Beloved Community by getting to know each other better, by outgrowing our conscious and unconscious biases about who the “other” is and by both accepting our differences and recognizing our shared humanity and aspirations.

  • Teatime for Peace: An Interfaith Dialogue

    Teatime for Peace: An Interfaith Dialogue

    Are you interested in being a catalyst for PEACE?

    Join Us For:

    Teatime for Peace: An Interfaith Dialogue

    WHERE: Advent Lutheran Church, 7985 Munson Rd., Mentor, Ohio, 44060

    (more…)

  • CHURCH HOSTS RAMADAN IFTAR WITH CLEVELAND AREA MUSLIMS

    CHURCH HOSTS RAMADAN IFTAR WITH CLEVELAND AREA MUSLIMS

    Interfaith program counters Islamophobia stoked by controversy over NYC Islamic center

    (CLEVELAND, OH, 8/26/2010) – On August 26, the Cleveland Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-OHIO) co-hosted a Sharing Ramadan Interfaith Iftar event at the West Shore Unitarian Universalist Church in Rocky River.  The program was designed to promote interfaith harmony in light of the anti-Islamic rhetoric surrounding the New York City Islamic center expansion project near Ground Zero.

    Churches and synagogues in other parts of the country have hosted Ramadan Iftar events, but this was the first such event in the Cleveland area. Imam Ramez Islambouli of Case Western Reserve University and Uqbah Mosque Foundation spoke on the meaning of Ramadan.

    Dr. Mansoor Ahmed spoke on flood relief efforts in Pakistan. More than 150 guests shared a traditional Ramadan Iftar dinner and then stayed for an interfaith dialogue.

    “In the midst of the bigotry being stoked around the country against Muslims, it is comforting to know that here in Cuyahoga County, Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus, and others are breaking bread in the spirit of friendship and mutual respect,” said Isam Zaiem, CAIR-Cleveland Board President.

    CAIR, America’s largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 35 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. 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.

    – END –

    CONTACT: CAIR-Ohio Cleveland Chapter Executive Director Julia A. Shearson, 216.830.2247 or 216.440.2247, E-Mail: jshearson@cair.com