Communications Intern Titilayo Rasaki explores the network of misinformation experts and political figures that have created a national rhetoric of Islamophobia and hate.

CAIR-Chicago’s Executive Director, Ahmed Rehab, will be included as part of a panel to discuss religious bigotry at the American Islamic College on February 23rd.

Matthew Barry, contributor for the Chicago Monitor, responds to Pamela Geller’s recent attack on his piece in the Monitor about the #MyJihad campaign.

Jan 11, 2013 marks 11 years since US detention center at Guantanamo was opened. Over 700 men have been released while some remain detained despite being cleared for release.

With nationwide ads and a social media movement, the #MyJihad campaign is promoting peace, tolerance, and understanding; who could possibly object?

Ahmed Rehab and Rabya Khan participated in a commemoration for Illinois House Resolution 1193 which addresses hate crimes against minorities including Sikh and Muslim Americans.

An organization calling itself Indian Americans for Freedom (IAF) has placed ads in this paper defaming CAIR-Chicago, a 10 year old reputable non-partisan Muslim American civil rights organization that has a voluminous and transparent record of exemplary service in the Chicagoland community.

CAIR-Chicago Staff Attorney Rabya Khan will be speaking at the Advancing Justice Conference this Friday, September 28, 2012 in Chicago.

Are the portrayals of Muslim Americans by some elected officials and members of the media accurate? Are non-Muslim Americans the only victims of extremism? Should Muslim Americans be obligated to apologize for the actions of a few that distort the true meaning of the Qur’an?

A city council resolution aimed at reducing violent and discriminatory acts against the Sikh and Muslim communities will create greater awareness and promote acceptance of these groups, said an Asian American community leader on Wednesday.

On September 14, 2012, nearly 150 Chicago Libyans and Muslims gathered on the corner of Congress and Michigan to hold a candlelight vigil for the late Ambassador Christopher Stevens.

Though eleven years have lapsed since the fall of the Twin Towers, American Muslims still seem to have targets on their backs.

Today, the City Council of Chicago approved a resolution drafted by Alderman Ameya Pawar of the 47th ward that condemns attacks of violence and hate against minority community and helps initiate measures to promote tolerance.

Although the hysteria regarding Peter King’s hearings has died down, the Rep. from New York still poses a threat to the American Muslim community.

That skewed ratio reveals the ultimate Orwellian truth in all of this: in the United States, all terrorists get equal attention, but some get more equal attention than others.

CAIR-Chicago held a protest downtown condemning hate and Islamophobia and it’s media department gave numerous interviews addressing the recent desecration of a Muslim man’s grave in Evergreen Park, IL.

On Friday, August 17th, CAIR-Chicago along with an interfaith and interethnic coalition of diverse community organizations united to protest hate and Islamophobia in downtown Chicago.

“How long are we going to go pretending like there is no relationship between this acquiescence of hatred and politics and the inclination of violence on the ground?” asked Ahmed Rehab, executive director of CAIR-Chicago. “You cannot demonize a community and then be surprised when they’re under attack.”

CAIR-Chicago gave numerous interviews on different media venues addressing the recent anti-Muslim attacks in Morton Grove and Lombard, Ill., while also receiving a statement from governor Pat Quinn, condemning the attacks.

CAIR-Chicago’s media department gave over 20 interviews on 16 different media venues calling out Congressman Joe Walsh’s bigoted comments on Islam and Muslims. The following digest includes a selection of these interviews.

On Friday, August 10th, the Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago), along with members of Chicago’s Muslim and interfaith communities, will hold a press conference to respond to Congressman Joe Walsh’s anti-Muslim statements made at a recent town hall meeting.

Some two dozen states have recently either passed or considered laws that would ban the use of sharia law in their court systems.

The Chicago office of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) said today that their thoughts and prayers are with the Sikh community following a deadly shooting attack targeting members of a Sikh house of worship early Sunday morning in Wisconsin.

Zuhdi Jasser claims to be a reliable representative of the American Muslim community, but a closer look tells us he is very far from it.

Michele Bachmann and other Republican representatives claim they have “evidence” of a “deep penetration” of U.S. government by affiliates of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Who is behind the anti-Sharia movement? David Yerushalmi, the director for the Society of Americans for National Existence, is quietly leading a campaign to demonize Islam and Muslims.

The recent Huffington Post opinion piece by Joyce Dubensky entitled “The Real Muslim Problem,” is a great example of what we need in mainstream media – new, and often overlooked perspectives regarding Islam and Muslims.

CAIR-Chicago’s Litigation Director, Kevin Vodak, comments on the struggles of the Irshad Learning Center and the opposition to proposed mosques in the U.S.

Racial profiling in the U.S. has led to thousands of people being stopped, interrogated, and discriminated against simply based on their race, ethnicity, national origin, and religion. Today we’re asking you to take a moment to help end racial profiling by law enforcement agencies in America.

On Tuesday, April 3rd, CAIR-Chicago’s Executive Director, Ahmed Rehab and Staff Attorney, Rabya Khan, presented “Understanding Islamophobia: Free Speech and Bigotry ” at Purdue University in Calumet, Illinois. Rehab engaged students with a discussion about dispelling stereotypes Islam and Muslims, highlighting the problems of hate and racism.

As the investigation continues into the brutal killing of American-Muslim Shaima Alawadi, Americans from all backgrounds stand in solidarity with the victims of crimes fueled by hate.

As more and more Americans use the Internet, anti-Muslim sentiment has found a new platform to spread hate and bigotry. As a result, Muslims have taken to the web to combat this prejudice, and present a more fair, accurate and diverse image of Islam.

CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab talks to WGN Radio’s Jonathon Brandmeier about how the home improvement chain, Lowe’s, gave in to anti-Muslim bigotry when it decided to pull its ads off the show ‘All-American Muslim’.

“It’s a stupid decision morally and a stupid decision economically,” said Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Council on Islamic-American Relations Chicago. “They need to acknowledge their error and that they got duped by right-wing bigots, apologize and resume their ads.”

Ahmed Rehab discusses the ridiculous decision by the chain store Lowe’s to pull it advertisements from the show ‘All-American Muslim.’ “Imagine if a major American advertiser were to pull its ads off of ‘Jersey Shore’ because they received objections that the show, while portraying a group of Italian-Americans, made the glaring error of excluding Mafiosi,” writes Rehab.

“It’s one thing for bigots and nuts to be bigots and nuts. It’s another thing for a mainstream company to embrace that. This is the mainstreaming of bigotry,” said Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago.

“We were really disappointed and stunned that Lowe’s, a major corporation, would take such a stupid decision to side with bigotry,” said Ahmed Rehab, executive director of CAIR-Chicago. Rehab called the group’s action a step in the wrong direction and an insult to the Muslim community.

Chicago activist, Ahmed Rehab, said a conference call was planned with Muslim groups and other groups to craft a response. He said it is not too late, however, for Lowe’s to fix things. “There will be room for reconciliation,” he said. “We would call on Lowe’s to do the right thing and apologize for their really insane action and to reverse the decision to pull out.”

It’s hardly breaking news: the far-right Anti-Muslim website FrontPageMag today did what it was created to do: lie about Muslims. Now they are claiming that Illinois Governor Pat Quinn supposedly appointed the “Muslim Brotherhood” to his newly created Muslim Advisory Council.

“Frontpagemag is a joke,” said Ahmed Rehab. “No one I know takes it seriously. It’s a tool of David Horowitz, the Grand Wizard of Islamophobia, the purveyor of other anti-Muslim platforms as the notorious JihadWatch run by his minion, Robert Spencer.

On November 15, 2011, CAIR-Chicago’s Communications Coordinator Amina Sharif joined a panel discussion on the Constitutionality of legislation, proposed in 25 states, banning Sharia law. The panel included Chicago-Kent Constitutional Law Professors Steven J. Heyman and Mark Rosen.

Ahmed Rehab, CAIR-Chicago executive director commended the TSA for Egan’s firing. “We made it clear that Egan’s discourse was as much an embarrassment to the agency and the values it stands for, as it was an affront against Muslims and other minorities,” Rehab said in a statement.

CAIR-Chicago commends the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for taking decisive action against an employee who publically spewed racist and bigoted rants against Muslims, African Americans, Latinos, and Homosexuals. Roy Egan had worked at O’Hare airport for nine years where he checked passenger baggage.

A veteran officer with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in Chicago is being disciplined after posting hundreds of racist and derogatory comments on Facebook. Not only were Officer Roy Egan’s racial and religious rants open for anyone to see, for years he openly identified himself by name on Facebook and listed his employer as U.S. Homeland Security-TSA, the Transportation Security Administration.

Mike Quigley knows about cheap shots on ice. Now he’s an expert on being blindsided on the Internet and cable TV. Mr. Quigley, a Democratic Chicago congressman, had a relatively light Saturday recently. He played ice hockey in the morning, did a beach cleanup with the Sierra Club and hit four block parties in the 32nd, 43rd and 44th Wards. Along the way he surfaced at a conference held by the American Islamic College. It was a quick in-and-out, with remarks to perhaps 100 attendees about the strengths of American pluralism, the sort he makes to many groups.

CAIR-Chicago Litigation Director Kevin Vodak presented the “Hate Crime and Bias Awareness” conference on September 15th, 2011 to discuss the ways in which law enforcement agencies can improve their procedures and techniques in addressing hate crimes.

CAIR-Chicago’s Ahmed Rehab and Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly discuss Congressmen Mike Quigley’s apology for Islamophobia in the U.S. as O’Reilly goes on to deny that Muslim Americans face discrimination. Rehab provides several statistics and examples that prove O’Reilly is blatantly wrong.

For Muslim Americans… Sunday wasn’t just the anniversary of a terrorist attack on their country. It was also the anniversary of the day public opinion of the community changed. The Council of American-Islamic Relations in Chicago wants to erase the link between the Muslim faith and the terrorist attacks. CAIR-Chicago’s Amina Sharif spoke with WDCB News reporter Brian O’Keefe.

Muslim, Jewish and Christians leaders gathered to honor the victims of 9/11 and to address the increase in anti-Muslim discrimination post-9/11.

Members of the Council on American-Islamic Relations joined leaders from different faiths and backgrounds to reflect on 9/11 and call for an end to the fear and discrimination against the Muslim community in the wake of those attacks.

CAIR-Chicago staff members look back on the 9/11 terrorist attacks, share their stories, and explain how we as a nation can move forward after 10 years.

Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of the Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, joins CBS 2′s Jim Williams to talk about the effect of 9/11 on American Muslims

In the wake of the 10th anniversary of 9/11, the Vocalo Overdrive team, Luis Perez and Shantell Jamison, asked Amina Sharif of the Council on American-Islamic Relations about the perception of Muslims in America. Check out what she had to say.

CAIR-Chicago intern, Becky Fogel, created this audio documentary for Vocalo and Chicago Public Media on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks to share perspectives on the media’s role in harboring Islamophobia. Becky interviewed civil rights activists in the Muslim community and had them share their thoughts on how public perception of Muslims has changed since 9/11.

As the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 tragedy approaches, Wayne Bell, publisher of Really Big Coloring Books, Inc. of Clayton, Missouri, US, has released what he calls a “memorial tribute” coloring book. “We shall never forget: The kids’ book of freedom,” is being described by Bell as a “graphic coloring novel on the events of Sept. 11, 2001.” According to ABC 7 News in Chicago, the coloring book contains the phrase “radical Islamic Muslim extremists,” at least 10 times.

Communications Coordinator Amina Sharif says she was very offended by the sometimes subtle and sometimes overt anti-Muslim imagery displayed in the book, “it’s dangerous to put it in the hands of children,” she says, “this book gives them the false impression that Muslims are terrorists or paranoid conspiracy theorists.”

As many Americans gear up to mark the tenth anniversary of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, one Chicago-based Muslim group warns people should be careful not to give all Muslims a bad rap for the attacks. In the days following 9/11 there were reports across the U.S. of violence toward Muslim-Americans. The group American-Islamic Relations hopes the public has learned more about the Islamic faith’s message of peace since that time.

Amina Sharif, communications director for the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, told the Chicago Tribune that the book fails to separate extremist radicals from the majority of Muslims.

The book allows children to color scenes like Navy SEALs raiding the Bin Laden’s compound, Osama bin Laden using a veiled woman as a human shield, and the World Trade Center Towers burning. The Chicago communications director of CAIR told the Tribune that the book shows 9/11 and its aftermath “in a ‘slanted’ manner,” painting Muslims in broad strokes and failing to distinguish extremist radicals from the majority of Muslims.

Government Affairs Intern Clement Yu discusses the controversial Secure Communities program, enforced by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

In the wake of the abhorrent events that occurred last Friday in Norway, information has come to light revealing connections between the terrorist suspect, Anders Brehing Breivik, to the anti-Islam movement in England, as well as to prominent Islamophobes in the US.

Communications Intern Jenn Schanz reflects on the tragedy in Norway and the tendency of terrorists to hide behind religious ideology to further political agendas.

Communications Intern Ben Small discusses the rise of the EDL in England and compares it with Islamophobia in the U.S.

Former speechwriter for the Bush Administration Joshua Treviño tweeted to his 5,716 followers a message encouraging the IDF to shoot flotilla activists. Such careless and pro-violence remarks made by an individual who represents American leadership ought to be called into question.

Contact Dave Syverson’s office and tell him that as a public servant what he posted was unacceptable and he cannot defend racist sentiments – even jokes. Request that he make an immediate apology to anyone that he offended.

Becky Fogel, CAIR-Chicago intern, discusses State Senator Syverson’s hateful sense of humor and disdain for political correctness.

CAIR and the University of California, Berkeley’s Center for Race and Gender today released “Same Hate, New Target,” the first-of-its-kind annual report outlining the disturbing growth of Islamophobia in the United States during 2009-2010.

“It’s a very timely and much needed initiative,” Ahmed Rehab said. “There has been a very one-sided conversation from Congress on Muslim rights and the Durbin hearing promises to balance the conversation… There have been a lot of politicians who are in denial as to the growing threat of Islamaphobians to the U.S. itself, this fear mongering, paranoid approach to anything Muslim.”

CAIR-Chicago denounced a vote by the DuPage County board to reject a requested height variance that would have allowed the construction of a minaret and dome at a proposed mosque on 91st Street in unincorporated Willowbrook. A decision on whether to allow the construction of the Muslim Educational Cultural Center of America (MECCA) has still not been made.

CAIR-Chicago participated in an interfaith press conference held on behalf of the Muslim Education and Cultural Center of America (MECCA), the third mosque denied a permit in DuPage County in the past year.

“Islamophobia is the last form of racism that is tolerated in mainstream America,” said Amina Sharif, CAIR-Chicago’s Communications Coordinator. “You won’t see Fox News go out of its way to defend anti-black or anti-Semitic comments but they went out of their way to defend an Islamophobic statement.”

Faux liberal and pro-occupation advocate, New Republic editor Martin Peretz is back at it again. Last fall, he caused a firestorm with his racist comments that “Muslim life is cheap”. On Monday, he dished out some raw Islamophobia-denial in a gullible column entitled “The Invention of Islamophobia.”

Ahmed Rehab, CAIR-Chicago Executive Director, discusses the tragic bombing of a Coptic church in Egypt and the strong response of everyday Egyptians – Muslims and Copts.

Ahmed Rehab talks to Red Eye Radio’s Marc Germain about a Muslim woman who was denied service at a convenience store because she refused to remove her hijab.

CAIR-Chicago staff and interns participated in a rally alongside the Assyrian community of Chicago to condemn violence against Iraqi Christians. The rally was organized in response to the massacre of dozens of Assyrians Christians in Baghdad on October 31st.



Read CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab’s reflections on the rally at his blog, www.ahmedrehab.com.

Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago said, “We feel sickened by this attack, and will not be silent. Those who perpetrated these cowardly murders cannot purport to call themselves men of God or men of faith.”

“We appreciate Judge Bernthal’s bold and principled decision and his acknowledgment that such threats are acts of terror,” said CAIR-Chicago Communications Coordinator Amina Sharif. “We hope this sends a clear message to Islamophobes who try to threaten and intimidate Muslim Americans – that we will not live in fear.”

Christina Abraham, CAIR-Chicago Civil Rights Director, appeared as a live guest today on Fox Chicago’s morning show, Good Day Chicago. Abraham spoke with hosts Anna Davlantes and Corey McPherrin regarding the controversy over political analyst Juan Williams’ Islamophobic statements on Fox News.

Ahmed Rehab challenges Bill O’Reilly’s notion that there is a “Muslim Problem” in the world, and that mainstream Muslims are not doing enough to fight extremism.

CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab discusses the Juan Williams/NPR controversy on CNN’s The Situation with Wolf Blitzer. Rehab debates conservative pundit Cliff May, of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, on the irrationality of William’s comment.

Ahmed Rehab, CAIR-Chicago Executive Director, discusses the Juan Williams controversy with conservative political commentator Michael Medved.

“I thought that NPR did the right thing,” Ahmed Rehab said. “They have a reputation to protect, and clearly his unobjective and sensational characterizations were not a good fit for their objective standards of journalism.”

Rehab says comments like those made by Williams encourage the stereotypes that generate fear of Muslims.

“There seems to be a refusal and willful ignorance when it comes to the simple notion that Muslims are not one in the same with terrorists,” he said.

The Anti-Defamation League, which describes itself as the premier civil rights organization fighting anti-Semitism, recently published list of the “top ten most influential anti-Israel groups in America.” Ahmed Rehab discusses what this move says about the real mission of the organization. “The ADL is slowly but surely shifting its focus from fighting real bigotry to doing public relations work for the government of Israel, including shilling for its illegal occupation of Palestinian territories,” says Rehab.
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“We’re tired of candidates who take us for granted — or worse yet, insult our intelligence — instead of doing the leg work to earn our votes on the merit of their character and track record,” said Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Chicago.

Ahmed Rehab deconstructs Pamela Geller’s fear mongering misinformation campaign against the Park51 community center in New York and exposes her anti-Muslim bigotry.

“The reprehensible attack against this Jewish congregation is an insult to all of us,” said Ahmed Rehab, executive director of CAIR-Chicago. “An attack against one house of worship is an attack against every house of worship.”

“We have one simple question for Harvard that we’d like to pose publicly,” CAIR-Chicago’s Ahmed Rehab told The Daily Beast. “That is, simply: Would they invite a speaker who writes that ‘Jewish life is cheap, especially for Jews’ and/or that we should ban First Amendment rights for Irish Americans or African Americans or any other group?”

In inviting Peretz, said Rehab, “Harvard seems to be confirming that Islamophobia is the last accepted form of bigotry.”

“I expect police and federal investigators to thoroughly examine the incident and remain vigilant as there has been a significant rise in these sorts of hateful, Islamophobic incidents across the country,” said Abraham. “We will not let hatemongers spread fear and intimidate Muslims.”

With Pastor Terry Jones’ “Burn A Koran Day” fiasco and the ongoing Park51 debate taking center stage in the media, CAIR-Chicago is taking action. We are challenging misinformation and anti-Muslim rhetoric through interfaith and outreach efforts to educate the public. You may have also seen us in the news recently, adding balanced and informed perspectives to public discourse.

Ahmed Rehab talks to France 24′s Mark Owen and various panelists about the proposed Qur’an burning. They also discuss the state of Islamophobia in America.

“This might be the first time many people get to hear exactly what the Quran says. Hopefully it’ll lead to asking more questions about Islam and reaching out to Muslims in the area,” said CAIR-Chicago Outreach Coordinator, Gerald Hankerson.

“We are at a crossroads. Today we see that an expression of Islamophobia was underlying all long,” said Ahmed Rehab. “Americans realize that there is Islamophobia at home, and we hope they will address it as we attack a disease.”

“There’s a problem with Islamophobia in this country and that’s a bad thing. But the good news is that it’s bubbling to the surface and we’re going to deal with it,” said Ahmed Rehab. “There needs to be a conversation that’s not being had. To be quite specific, where do we stand on American Muslims and their role in this country? Do they belong?”

“This pastor is not exactly an example of honesty and integrity. He’s a radical, an extremist, and my take on him is that every faith unfortunately has its bad apples.” –Ahmed Rehab

In response to the proposed Qur’an burning on 9-11: “Our statement is in the form of the proactive work that we do especially now with 9-11 coming up which includes outreach, interfaith work, and dialogue. Essentially representing who we truly are, which is patriotic, freedom loving Muslims and Americans. That’s really our response to this sort-of hate mongering and campaign of misinformation.” –Ahmed Rehab

Initial reaction to the cancellation was more relief than happiness. “God works in wonderful ways, and it’s gotten people to talk about Islamophobia,” said Ahmed Rehab, spokesperson with the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Mr. Rehab added: “The burning of the Koran is a serious offense…. You won’t find a Muslim burning a Bible or a Torah.” The spokesman said, “Frankly, there’s no good reason to burn anybody’s sacred text. If you don’t like it, then debate it, but don’t burn it.”

“There are radicals in every community as we can see with this guy. He obviously doesn’t represent the Christian base, and we have people who don’t represent our faith but claim to as well,” said Ahmed Rehab. “More and more, we are seeing extremists from both sides hijacking the discourse.”

CAIR-Chicago’s Ahmed Rehab talks to CBS news about “Burn A Koran Day.”

“When somebody does something that is this insane, the best response is to ignore them. Except the problem is that he is getting so much media attention that it is now a point of national debate,” says Rehab.

Ahmed Rehab debates guests on Fox Business’ Money Rocks regarding the rise of Islamophobia in America as seen by recent attacks against several mosques. Rehab and conservative commentator Bo Dietel also debate the merits of building a mosque in lower Manhattan, near Ground Zero.

“The fear is that Muslims cannot take their place in American life without harassment or subjugation or being seen as being involved with some conspiracy theory,” says Ahmed Rehab of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Ahmed Rehab talks to Fox Business’ Eric Bolling, along with other panelists, about a proposed mosque in Chicago whose zoning permit was rejected. Rehab compares and contrasts this mosque’s situation to that of Park51, the proposed Islamic community center in lower Manhattan.

Mosque debates are taking place across the county, from New York City to Chicago to the surrounding suburbs. They are not all about zoning, but for the most part they are very heated.

Ahmed Rehab says “islamophobia” is sweeping America. The leader of the Council on American-Islamic Relations describes the status of America’s Relationship with its Muslim citizens.

“Organizations that are not only Islamophobic but that incite violence, whether directly or indirectly, are a reality,” said Ahmed Rehab.

“In the public sphere, leaders of the opposition groups to the Not-At-Ground-Zero-Muslim-Center can’t seem to decide on an argument. They have thrown everything and the kitchen sink at us in the way of fabricated reasons,” writes Ahmed Rehab.

Ahmed Rehab, CAIR-Chicago Executive Director, discusses the stabbing of a Muslim cab driver in NYC whose attacker first asked “are you Muslim?”. Rehab also talks about the danger of anti-Muslim propaganda driven by Islamophobes opposed to Park 51, the proposed Muslim community center near Ground Zero.

Yellow Cab Chicago requested Tuesday that a fleet of taxis remove controversial anti-Islam ads. The ads, sponsored by the group Stop Islamization of America, appeared on 25 Chicago cabs this summer. Michael Levine, CEO of Yellow Cab Chicago, said the signs were offensive to the city’s taxi drivers, an estimated half of whom are Muslim.

Yellow Cab Chicago requested Tuesday that a fleet of taxis remove controversial anti-Islam ads. The ads, sponsored by the group Stop Islamization of America, appeared on 25 Chicago cabs this summer. Michael Levine, CEO of Yellow Cab Chicago, said the signs were offensive to the city’s taxi drivers, an estimated half of whom are Muslim.

CAIR-Chicago representatives and local Muslim leaders, at a press conference on Friday, discussed their disappointment in IL Gov. Pat Quinn’s comments regarding the New York mosque controversy. They also shared examples of other mosques around the country that are facing opposition, including one in Naperville which CAIR-Chicago is currently litigating on behalf of.

See Media Coverage HERE

The Council on American Islamic Relations is considering legal action regarding the ads. Ahmed Rehab, executive director of CAIR-Chicago, said organizations such as Geller’s are not qualified to lead domestic violence initiatives.

But Rehab suspects that’s not their primary goal. Instead, he said, they are intentionally creating an uncomfortable work environment for Chicago’s cabdrivers.

The whole brouhaha about the “Mosque at Ground Zero” is frankly bogus. It has little to do with sacred ground, or sensitive hearts. It does however have everything to do with the exploitation of the sacred and the sensitive for the furtherance of the sacrilegious and the insensitive: the phenomenon of Muslim-bashing that is ravaging our nation today.

CAIR-Chicago representatives and local Muslim leaders, at a press conference on Friday, discussed their disappointment in IL Gov. Pat Quinn’s comments regarding the New York mosque controversy. They also shared examples of other mosques around the country that are facing opposition, including one in Naperville which CAIR-Chicago is currently litigating on behalf of.

CAIR-Chicago representatives along with other local leaders held a press conference to discuss their disappointment with recent comments by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn regarding the “Ground Zero” mosque controversy.

Earlier this week, Gov. Pat Quinn stepped into the controversy, saying he was against the mosque being built near the site of the 9/11 terror attack.

Christina Abraham, of CAIR, believes Quinn’s stand will cost him votes in November.

“The 400,000 Muslims in the Chicago area know about this issue. They’re concerned about this issue and it will affect how they make their decision come election time. He’s lost my vote,” said Abraham.

CAIR-Chicago representatives and local Muslim leaders discussed their disappointment in IL Gov. Pat Quinn’s comments regarding the New York mosque controversy and their concern that a growing anti-Muslim network is spreading Islamophobia through fear mongering. They also shared examples of other mosques around the country that are facing opposition, including one in Naperville which CAIR-Chicago is currently litigating on behalf of.

“I do believe that there are special places on Earth that should have a zone of solemnity around them,” Quinn told reporters when asked about the issue. “I would strongly urge those who are thinking of putting a mosque within that zone to rethink their position.”

“The 9/11 attacks were caused by terrorists. Terrorists shouldn’t build a mosque in proximity to ground zero, or America for that matter,” said Ahmed Rehab, executive director of Chicago’s Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Local leaders will discuss their concern that a calculated campaign of Islamophobia and fear mongering have influenced public officials and misinformed the general public. The coalition will discuss opposition to mosques including in Illinois, rising levels of anti-Muslim bigotry and hate crimes.

The Honor Killing Awareness Campaign responsible for the taxi advertisements is powered by the anti-Muslim group Stop the Islamization of America (SIOA), run by Islamophobe bloggers Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer.
Their overt connection between the Islamic faith and violence is not only incorrect and offensive, but short-sighted in that it fails to acknowledge the wider problem of violence against women in America.

Ahmed Rehab discusses the ground zero mosque controversy and clears misconceptions about Islam and Muslims.

Ahmed Rehab talks to MSNBC’s Tamron Hall about the Islamophobia that is at the heart of the “Ground Zero Mosque” controversy. Rehab also discusses the growing anti-Muslim network in the United States which seeks to delegitimize American Muslims.

Ahmed Rehab debates anti-Muslim bigot Pamela Geller regarding the “Ground Zero Mosque” and calls her out on her Islamophobia. Geller, founder of atlasshrugs.com and the Islamophobic hate-group Stop the Islamization of America (SOIA), attempts to associates all Muslims with 9/11 and terrorism.

CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab talks to various news outlets about the recent decision in New York to permit the “Ground Zero Mosque” to be built. Rehab also warns of the growing anti-Muslim network in the United States which seeks to delegitimize American Muslims and vilify Islam.

Rehab debates Fox News’ John Gibson on the right of New York Muslims to build a mosque in lower Manhattan, a few blocks away from Ground Zero and talks to Alan Colmes about the growing anti-Muslim network in the United States which seeks to delegitimize American Muslims.

CAIR-Chicago’s Ahmed Rehab debates Fox News’ John Gibson on the right of New York Muslims to build a mosque in lower Manhattan, a few blocks away from Ground Zero.

“Ahmed Rehab, CAIR’s spokesman, said anti-Muslim groups are raising money and campaigning against construction of the centre. ‘The backlash you are seeing is from this organized group of campaigners rather than a public reaction, which is what they would have you believe,’ he said. ‘Most people are genuinely open to the multicultural nature of this country.’”

CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab talks to Fox Radio’s Alan Colmes about the recent decision in New York to permit the “Ground Zero mosque” to be built. Rehab also warns of the growing anti-Muslim network in the United States which seeks to delegitimize American Muslims.

Ahmed Rehab discusses misconceptions about Islam and American Muslims, specifically addressing the “Ground Zero Mosque” controversy, and reacts to recent Sarah Palin twitter comments about the issue.

Ahmed Rehab discusses misconceptions about Islam and American Muslims, specifically addressing the “Ground Zero Mosque” controversy, and reacts to recent Sarah Palin twitter comments about the issue.

CNN’s recent decision to fire their Senior Middle Eastern Affairs Editor Octavia Nasr showcases the mainstream, corporate media’s bias against the Arab world.

Ahmed Rehab talks to John Williams on CBS Radio about the fallacies surrounding the “Ground Zero Mosque” by reminding listeners that Islam as a religion is not terrorism.

“The survey will be asking about 3,000 respondents how Islamophobia has affected them and to identify where they see the most examples of it,” Amina Sharif, Chicago spokeswoman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said Thursday.

“Chicago is a diverse metropolis, but that doesn’t mean we’re exempt from racial and ethic tensions.”

“What are we Muslims to do about this? Rather than concern ourselves too much with the actions of others, let’s put our own values to action. If someone wishes to offend, let them knock themselves out trying. Let us instead take the higher ground and appreciate the mercy, love, and other teachings our prophet brought us by making a prayer for him on a day when others go out of their way to ridicule him,” writes Ahmed Rehab.

CAIR-Chicago Executive Director discusses our news media’s double standards when it comes to covering different acts of terrorism. Rehab compares the media’s response to the May 10th bombing of a Florida mosque, an act of domestic terrorism, and the attempted bombing in Times Square.

CAIR-Chicago continues to expose the lies and dishonest tactics of career Islamophobe and wannabe terrorism analyst, Mr. Steven Emerson after he whines about our first column.

Devoid of credentials, Emerson still tries hard to run himself off as some sort of independent “expert” on Islam and Muslims, and yet the hit pieces he fills his blog with are often empty of substance and instead replete with anti-Muslim hysterics.

Christina Abraham talks to Al-Jazeera about the University of Chicago’s inappropriate invitation of war criminal and former Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert.

There are two conflicting accounts regarding the details of the arrest of celebrated Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. in his own home by the Cambridge police department — that of the professor and that of the police.

A controversy erupted last week in Chicago after it was publicly revealed that a noted anti-Islam blogger, Robert Spencer, had been invited to an American Library Association panel advertised as “dispelling stereotypes about Islam.

The simple fact is that while Emerson desperately tries to run himself off as a “terrorism expert,” a cursory view of his website quickly reveals that, all too-often, the targets of his so-called investigations and reports are not terrorist groups but mainstream American Muslim organizations like CAIR, MPAC, ISNA, MAS, etc.

Joe Kaufman, the virulent Islamophobe and follower of the late extremist Rabbi Meir Kahane, is at it again in his endless crusade to slime CAIR and demonize Muslims. In this most recent episode, the “gumshoe detective” wrote a piece for the universally-rejected Right-wing mouthpiece FrontPageMag absurdly titled “Chicago’s Hamas Youth.”

JOHN GIBSON: Ahmed Rehab, executive director of CAIR Chicago joins me now. So Ahmed, do you know about this situation with this college in Bloomington, Minnesota?

Kahanist and amateur blogger, Joe Kaufman, is a strange character that lies somewhere between the disturbing and the comical. Styling himself as a gumshoe detective out to expose the nefarious fifth column activities of American Muslims, he sees enemies and conspiracy theories at every corner and in every American Muslim organization.

A TERRIBLE hate crime against an Iranian American woman on New York’s Long Island has thrown a spotlight on the tide of racism toward Arabs and Muslims that has accompanied the U.S. government’s wars overseas.

WASHINGTON, 14 September 2007 — Rudy Giuliani, the Republican presidential candidate, is working hard to claim his place as the Republican’s leading hawk.

“Pipes is wedded to his personal political agenda to such a point that it dominates his worldview invalidating his ability to act as a neutral scholar on Muslim-related topics. Concerned with the interests of Israel above all else, he consistently defines Muslim-Americans exclusively as a function of their position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”

“One of the most enduring qualities of America is its ability to bring together different cultures and allow them a space to settle into the fabric of this nation. It is the secret of our success as a nation, yet it is increasingly under attack from those who espouse a mono-cultural America. We need to take a shared responsibility and give voice to a consistent message, that hate speech and marginalization of any group must not be tolerated.”

Every day newspapers, TV shows, radio programs, new books and lectures revolve around the topic of the ‘threat’ of Islam and its relation to the West. Islam has become a commodity, a business to be exploited. The list of super stars and ‘experts’ that are part of this Hollywood-esque movement of cashing in on Islam has become quite long; at the head of the list are Quasi Muslims such as Brigiette Gabriel, Walid Shoebat, Nonie Darwish, and Ibn Warraq.

Kathleen Parker’s Article, “When Topic is Terror, Surveys Are Misleading” is in fact itself a very misleading interpretation of the recent Pew Research Center survey that found American Muslims to be largely moderate and mainstream.

Here is an interesting point to ponder: what if Don Imus had referred to a mostly-white woman’s basketball team as “dumb blonde ho’s,” would it have been any less racist or sexist than the “nappy-headed ho’s” comment he used against a mostly black team?

Reading the work of Kathleen Parker one might get the impression through her conspicuous intellect and confident voice that she speaks with academic authority on the issues for which she writes.

Apparently, Parker believes that people do not have the right to be offended by offensive material. Although I am no advocate of Donohue or the Catholic League, I do firmly believe that all sane and civilized people – be they Muslim, Christian, Jewish, atheist, or otherwise – should be respectful of the beliefs and values cherished by others.

“It is an unfortunate consequence of post 9/11 life in America, where fear-mongering is a reality, that notorious career Islamophobes, such as this individual, are subjected to little scrutiny and virtually no credibility tests – even as mainstream Muslim leaders with established track records are readily second-guessed.”

Ahmed Rehab, CAIR-Chicago’s Executive Director, discusses misperceptions about Islam and the smears against his Muslim civl rights organization, in a Q & A with the Chicago Tribune.

“Like all Americans, we have to worry about the security of our country, our communities, and our children in the face of potential terror attacks,” says Rehab.

It is hard to understand why there is a growing editorial tendency toward willful ignorance and Islamophobic extremism. It is growing at the expense of intellectual honesty and moral reason.

David Huffman told police it was just a prank gone wrong: On April 22, at a McDonald’s in Tinley Park, he tapped a Muslim woman on the head, nearly pulling off her headscarf.

The scriptures of Judaism, Christianity and Islam teach us that the virtue of repentance-wholly different from self-loathing-is absolutely central to the moral life.

Dennis Byrne’s assessment of the National Intelligence Estimate in his article, “Terror-report fight misses the big picture” (October 2, 2006), seeks to distort reality in an effort to maintain a failed policy.

Carol Turoff’s tirade in the Conservative Voice, “Reflections on Ramadan: The Pope Must Die” (September 28th, 2006), is so severely devoid of intellectual integrity that it does not merit a formal response.
However, the piece is worth analyzing as a case study of the machinations typically employed in America’s thriving Islamophobic industry.

Ok, so I have witnessed the impudent display of reductionism otherwise known as a Jack Higgins cartoon, last Wednesday. I have seen his characterization of the Prophet Muhammad as a sword-wielding, raging lunatic with a mountain of skulls at his trail. I have noted his insinuation that Islam itself inspires the violence we see on our TV screens – as opposed to, say, ignorance, poverty, repression, or radicalization.

While renowned bridge-builder, Dr. Maher Hathout, has been a leading advocate for tolerance and pluralism both in the United States and the Muslim-majority world, Steven Emerson has made a name for himself in the ignoble but profitable trade of rabble-rousing and hatemongering against anybody who is a somebody in Muslim leadership.

I was disappointed with the tone and context in the article “A Crucible for Secularism” (Page 1, June19) by Tom Hundley. The article attempts to illustrate the tensions between France’s policy of public secularism (laïcité) and rising concern among France’s clergy at the declining church attendance, juxtaposing the situation of Catholics with France’s sizable Muslim population. Unfortunately, French Muslims and Muslims in general were represented in a misleading and inaccurate manner.

In a response to an editorial published in Glenview Watch criticizing Rep. Mark Kirk’s calls to “discriminate” against Arab males, a reader writes, “You can always use the example of Oklahoma City to show that it’s ‘just not fair to profile Arab men.’ But it’s not white males who are doing most of the terrorist attacks in the world!”

In his article “Riots could happen in rest of Europe,” Tom Hundley writes in reference to the recent riots in France, “Most are Muslims, which may impede their integration into Western societies, but Islam itself did not appear to be an organizing or motivating element in the French riots” (Nov. 20). Yet, in the same article, he goes on to argue that the multiculturalism solution of many European countries has failed, citing the July 7th bombings and the murder of a Dutch filmmaker by a Muslim.

In his effort to justify ethnic and racial profiling, Steve Haisley claims that it is the same as a crime victim giving the police a description of an 18 year-old African-American and then expecting “the authorities to focus their investigation on 60-year-old white men” (“Like it or not, Kirk comments are true,” Nov. 20).

It is funny to see how the people who criticize President Bush for being a big government conservative would at the same time applaud his efforts to expand the government’s investigative and enforcement powers to curtail civil liberties under the guise of national security (“Safety vs. liberty: How far should we go?” Nov. 20).

Those who trumpet terrorism as a conspiracy by the Muslim people against people of other faiths should pay more attention to current world events. Friday’s terrorist attacks targeted 2 Mosques in Iraq on Islam’s holiest day of the week, resulting in the cold-blooded murder of 74 innocent Muslims as they knelt in prayer. This vicious attack is evidence that terrorists harbor as little regard for the sanctity of Muslim holy places and Muslim life as they do for those of Christians, Jews, or others. Indeed, Muslims have been the targets of terrorist attacks more often than people of any other faith.

Congressman Mark Kirk (R-IL) believes peace activists from Egypt should be greeted at O’Hare airport with a hefty doze of institutionalized discrimination.
Their offense? Being of the same age group and national origin as Mohamed Atta.

Its amazing how people are willing to support leaders willing to trample over the basic rights of life and liberty this country was founded on. Racial profiling would not only be ineffective in eliminating crime, but will also further alienate the 7 million and growing population of Muslims in this country. When Pat Robertson said to kill Hugo Chavez, we didn’tgo out and say lets racially profile all evangelical Christians. No, we denounced the man responsible for those comments.

It is shocking to see how Bernadine Brown can hold up as leaders “speaking out to see that our country here is safe” people who call for illegal and unethical actions (“Kirk’s comment A-OK,” Nov. 15).

Extremism like that expressed by Ms. Bernadine Brown and Rep. Mike Kirk is a security problem. Lo-jacking all Arabs and Muslims might make some people feel safer, but they will not be more secure.

He was only saying what a lot of people think. And Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) was asserting only common sense in saying young Arab men from terrorist-producing countries should face “a certain amount of intense scrutiny” when applying to enter America. Kirk was quick to acknowledge that the view he expressed over the weekend is “politically uncomfortable.”

I was shocked and appalled to read that a review of a movie, “The Protocols of Zion”, in the Tempo Section of today’s Tribune equates Muslim community leaders with Skinheads and inmates. Moreover, it asserts matter of factly that I, as a Muslim community leader, am by default a “Jew-Hater”; it makes that horrendous statement in bare words without qualification or disclaimer.

While the suggestion of Wayne Oras that Muslims help fight terrorism by not allowing “radical extremists to hide among them” (“Muslims’ interest in exposing terrorists,” Fence Post, Aug. 18) seems to be better than using profiling, it still wrongly makes all Muslims responsible for terrorist actions.

Stanley Crouch seems to think every Muslim in the world fits this description: uneducated, elitist, sexist, anti-modern, immature and angry (“Backward thinking, democracy can’t coexist,” Aug. 12).

In his column “Why politically correct profiling is stupid,” (Aug. 1) Charles Krauthammer writes, “The fact is that jihadist terrorism has been carried out from Bali to Casablanca to Madrid to London to New York City to Washington by young Islamic men of North African, Middle Eastern and South Asian origin.” Using this “fact” to justify ethnic profiling is like using the “fact” that Japan attacked the United States to justify internment camps for Japanese Americans; or using the “fact” that blacks are intellectually inferior to justify segregation.

Newstalk WLS 890 AM: CAIR-Chicago Takes on Muslim Basher