Ragad Ahmad

While many Philadelphians are planning to celebrate the local chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) at its annual fundraising banquet tomorrow, this year marks a significant turning point in the banquet's history. After 13 years of holding the event at Springfield Country Club in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, CAIR-Philadelphia has been forced to relocate their banquet to a New Jersey venue amid relentless Islamophobic attacks.

This year, more than 500 people left Islamophobic voicemail messages demanding that the Springfield Country Club in Pennsylvania stop hosting CAIR-Philadelphia’s annual banquet.

Following last year’s fundraiser and in recent months, the Springfield Country Club received over 500 hostile voicemail messages. Anonymous callers branded CAIR-Philadelphia an “unwanted” presence.

“In the past, anti-Muslim groups have physically protested outside our banquet hall,” executive director of CAIR-Philadelphia Ahmet Selim Tekelioglu told Al-Bustan News, adding that because of the recent escalation in threats, the country club requested that CAIR-Philadelphia secure a new venue.

Ahmet Selim Tekelioglu, pictured above, is the executive director of CAIR-Philadelphia.

The sheer volume of threats underscored the intensity of anti-Muslim sentiment, according to Tekelioglu, a Turkish-American academic. While unsettling, the attacks do not catch CAIR-Philadelphia’s leadership off guard. A steadfast advocate for civil rights and a champion of empowerment for Muslim communities across the Greater Philadelphia area, the organization has faced Islamophobic attacks since its founding.

Tekelioglu noted that because of the history of threats and intimidation against CAIR’s banquet, hosting has become increasingly difficult over the years, and organizers have been repeatedly forced to discuss the possibility of relocating to a different venue. CAIR-Philadelphia has had to consistently weigh security concerns, community needs, and the broader implications of where they hold their gatherings, he said.

Pictured above, Sally Selim, Arab-American Muslim medical researcher and chair of CAIR-Philadelphia’s banquet committee.

Sally Selim, Arab-American Muslim medical researcher and chair of CAIR-Philadelphia’s banquet committee, noted that the harassment this year coincided with a global surge in Islamophobic sentiment. “The attacks are no coincidence,” she told Al-Bustan News, noting that hostility towards Muslim-led organizations is on the rise in today’s Islamophobic political climate characterized by a far-right Trump administration amplified by ongoing violence in Gaza.

CAIR-Philadelphia's annual fundraising event has been moved to Eden Gardens Banquet in NJ, pictured above.

CAIR-Philadelphia said it was disappointed by Springfield Country Club’s decision to end their longtime relationship. However, organizers said, they took the decision as an opportunity to align more closely with CAIR’s core values: CAIR-Philadelphia’s leadership opted to prioritize booking a Muslim-owned venue for the fundraiser. The organization decided to move its annual fundraiser to Eden Gardens Banquet, a Muslim Community Center in Pennsauken Township, NJ.

CAIR-Philadelphia's leadership said that they believe it’s important to support Muslim-owned businesses and spaces, and ensure CAIR events are held in environments that celebrate their mission. Ultimately, they added, the shift in venue, has been overwhelmingly supported by the local Muslim community.

This year’s banquet features a distinguished lineup of performers and speakers including Philadelphia based academic, journalist, and author Dr. Marc Lamont Hill (Except for Palestine: The Limits of Progressive Politics); Madinah Wilson-Anton, the first practicing Muslim elected to the Delaware General Assembly; and Philadelphia-raised Palestinian American comedian Amer Zahr.

Under the banner “Unstoppable: 20 Years of Defending, Empowering, and Thriving,” the program, scheduled to begin at 5PM, will spotlight the tireless work of CAIR-Philadelphia’s staff and volunteers, highlight the organization’s groundbreaking initiatives, and its mission to fight for justice.

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Ragad Ahmad is a Palestinian-American Muslim born and raised in Philadelphia. She currently studies Peace and Conflict Studies at Swarthmore College, where she explores issues of decolonization and climate justice.

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