Islamic organization in Birmingham working for the marginalized

Rasa - Saturday the Council on American Islamic Relations of Alabama (CAIR) held their first ever banquet.

News ID: 425532

Date: 04 December 2016 - 22:36

RNA - Guests and members say the Muslim faith is sometimes stigmatized in the U.S., and the organization helps protect the rights of Muslims across the nation from intolerance.

A violent knife attack late last month hospitalized eleven people at Ohio State University.

The man police believe to be behind it, claimed to be a Muslim.

It's those attacks that some say lead to the stigmatization of the Islamic faith.

"When it comes to diseases, prevention is always better than the cure," CAIR guest Jameel Syed said.

Syed is working to ease the minds of people, Muslims and non-Muslims, alike.

"We are one America, we are one Birmingham, we are one Alabama. If something happens to you, we stand with you, just like we would expect you to stand with us."Syed said.

Syed recently turned 40, and went through a sort of mid life crisis.

He says he wanted to leave his mark.

"The way I tackled my mid life crisis was to actually navigate the 50 states, so all 50 states in 35 days and decided to leave a little bit of flavor of mine behind," Syed said.

He visited mosque's in each state leading the prayer, his message.

"There is no right that a white man has over a black, or a black man over a white except by piety and good action," Syed said.

And that's what Non-Muslim Chair of the Board for CAIR Alabama David Gespass says they work to do on a daily basis.

"CAIR is a human rights organization, it acts in coalition with others who are marginalized and oppressed," Gespass said.

Helping all people overcome and strengthen the nation made up by many.

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