Before CAIR-Chicago...

Assalam Alaikum - Peace be unto You, "I am very happy to see that day by day your organization is getting stronger. Before when we had incidents in the Muslim community, no politician ever came forward to console us, but because of your organization, today, they come forward and take corrective actions and I am extremely happy to see this."

This was the content of a text message I received on my phone from Tarek, a community member, two days ago.

A few weeks before that, another community member I have never met, Asma, emailed the following through our website:

"Before CAIR-Chicago, many in the Chicago Muslim community had ascertained that the media had an inherent anti-Muslim bias. Muslims were reluctant to engage the media believing they were out to get us, to make us look bad. I am very proud to see you and your team change that perception around over the years by turning out positive interviews that present a confident and competent image of our community, time and time again."

During tough times, nothing invigorates us and propels us forward than the support of our community and its belief in our work. Our driving force has always been to make you proud; we work for you.

While we must be humble about our achievements - there is always much more work to do and to do it better - but we must also not take the progress that has been achieved by a young organization like CAIR-Chicago for granted. The strategy, networking, planning, implementation and the results are very real. It has not been easy. But despite the odds stacked against us, the difficult atmosphere, the relentless attacks, we persist. With Allah's grace and your support, we are more excited than ever, more motivated than ever, more productive than ever.

As we come to the close of this blessed month, we are very grateful for the moral support of the community; we are very grateful to note that it is at an all time high. But we must also report to you that our fundraising this Ramadan has been at an all time low - alhamdulilah. We understand the international issues that has put a strain on our community's donor power - causes that are indeed of sacred importance to ALL of us.

But as we have never wavered in producing results, our community must also not waiver in supporting the local organizations that effectively defend our civil rights, fight bigotry, promote tolerance, and build power.

I am writing today to ask you to do your part in supporting our efforts with your Ramadan Zakat by making a contribution of $500 or whatever you can comfortably afford.

I also ask you to consider joining our Dollar-a-Day program. It takes just 2,000 memberships to cover our full budget so that we would never need to fundraise again. Please be among that team of supporters that will help give us full independence to do what we do best: produce results.

For just ONE dollar a day (that's 25% of your daily cup of coffee) you would be contributing to the following results every year:

1) Helping us put out hundreds of interviews through the public media that reach millions of our fellow citizens

2) Resolving dozens of civil rights cases at zero cost to the clients who often cannot afford justice

3) Training hundreds of young interns, externs, and fellows to become powerful, competent, articulate advocates for the Muslim community

4) Building competent representation at the highest levels of government, social, and civic circles in Chicago and Illinois

5) Securing the only downtown social high-rise space for the Muslim community - the Gallery - where we are able to host lectures, book clubs, social events, movie nights, and receptions to promote the values and ideals of our community to people of influenceI hope that you find that we deserve your Zakat-eligible, tax-deductible donations this Ramadan. If not, I hope you can email me at arehab@cair.com to advise me as to what you think we could do to better meet your standards.Here's a sample of the three dozen mainstream media advocacy we have turned out on your behalf just this week. Here's over 1,000 archived.

Thank you in advance for your support.

-Ahmed

P.S. Please consider joining us for the "White Balloon" Flashmob protesting Islamophobia and Hate in downtown Chicago this afternoon. Details here.

In those last blessed days, plant a seed of power by investing in CAIR-Chicago with your

tax-deductible, zakat eligible Ramadan contributions.