Dear CAIR Supporter,

Salaam Alaikum: (Peace be to you)

More than 13 years ago, I looked around and saw that, although the American Muslim community was successful in establishing mosques and Islamic schools, there was little or no effort to ensure that Islam was being portrayed accurately in the media or was being properly understood by policy-makers.

A simple idea came to me. Why not establish an organization dedicated to promoting an accurate portrayal of Islam? Why should demonization of Islam remain one of the last bastions of bigotry in America – a nation I adopted and now love as my homeland?

In championing the cause of mutual understanding, I never wavered in my belief that dialogue and diplomacy offer the real solutions to today’s conflicts.

With this dream and an unwavering faith in God Almighty, the Council on American-Islamic Relations was born. Today you and much of the world know us simply as “CAIR.”

CAIR has come a long way from its humble origins, with a modest budget. In a short span of time, we have grown to become a household name in the American Muslim community, a success story in the all-American tradition of an underdog rising to overcome great odds, and of course a source of irritation for those who choose the path of conflict over mutual understanding.

After serving as the founding chairman of CAIR for more than a decade, I stepped down from that position in 2005. I stepped down as a new generation took the lead, while I continued to provide guidance by remaining on the board.

New Leadership, 33 Chapters, 80+ Employees, 200 Active Board Members

CAIR today has grown to 33 chapters across the United States and Canada. Each chapter is independently-managed by its own team of dedicated board members. More than 80 CAIR employees and more than 200 national and local board members work to empower the American Muslim community. The overwhelming majority of our operating budget comes from donations from grassroots supporters like you.

However, your continued vigilance is necessary if our success it to be sustained. The forces of division and discord are hard at work to bring about a clash of civilizations. While they have branded Islam as their enemy, we need to recommit ourselves to mutual understanding and dialogue.

Join the new civil rights movement for the 21st century. Don’t rest until all Americans, including Muslims, are judged by the content of their character, not the scarves on their heads or the beards on their faces.

In the past, we asked for your support and you responded. Today, I am asking for your help again. Our challenges continue to mount. Just a few days, ago presidential candidate Sen. John McCain fanned the flames of Islamophobia by saying that America is a “Christian” nation and that he is not comfortable with a Muslim in the Oval Office. Such divisiveness requires the response of greater education and sustained civic engagement.

Zakat-Eligible and Tax-Deductible

Prominent Islamic scholars have confirmed that your Zakat can be paid to organizations that exist to serve the Muslim community by protecting their rights. Work done by CAIR can be classified as fi-sabilillah, one of the eight categories of Zakat recipients detailed in Chapter 9, Verse 60 of the Holy Quran.

Sheikh Ahmed Kutty of Toronto, Canada states: "I think it is not only permissible, rather it is also imperative that we do give our zakah to organizations like CAIR…" Your donations to CAIR are also tax-deductible.

CAIR is a not-for-profit organization recognized as tax-exempt under U.S. Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3).

Additionally, if you donate more than $100 before the end of Ramadan, we will send you a copy of the new book Islamophobia and Anti-Americanism: Causes and Remedies, edited by CAIR Research Director Dr. Mohamed Nimer.

We Rely on Your Support

In this blessed month of Ramadan, I appeal to you to help CAIR continue its mission. We have made progress and yet the road ahead remains difficult.

If you donated in the past, please consider increasing that donation.

If you have not yet joined CAIR as a member or never contributed, do not let this blessed month pass without making an effort to do the noble deed of supporting those who defend the rights of others.

This is not the time to back off. The times require renewed commitment and your generous support.

Do not delay. Act now.

To learn more about us, visit our new website to see our vision, mission and core principles as well as CAIR at-a-glance detailing information about CAIR. You can also read about CAIR national board and key staff and see the leaders of each of our 33 chapters.

Sincerely,



Omar Ahmad
Founder & Chairman Emeritus

PS: If you need to contact us about the new website, please send an e-mail to info@cair.com. We take your privacy concerns very seriously and provide a link to our privacy policy at the bottom of every page of the website.