(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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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
