CAIR-Chicago will be running Annual Banquet ads with our partners at WCPT all this month. Listen for it at 820 AM, or 92.5 FM in the west suburbs, 92.7 FM in the north, and 99.9 FM in the south.

or hear it HERE

CAIR-Chicago participated in the Honored Star Case Ceremony held at the Chicago Police Headquarters Building on Tuesday, March 2. The ceremony, which was hosted by the Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis, honored 11 fallen officers who died in the line of duty.

“He is a man of great integrity…He’s looking to truly serve his country and his community. Muslims who serve every day in the Illinois State Police deserve a chaplain of their own faith,” said Ahmed Rehab, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

“Our concern is that the Illinois State Police is kowtowing to articles online published by notorious anti-Muslims who have been in the business of smearing Muslim activists leaders and Imams for the longest time,” said Rehab

“It is essentially guilt by association,” said Christina Abraham.

Join Jewish and Muslims groups for the critically acclaimed play “Unveiled” on Sunday, March 7 at the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation in Evanston. This compelling one-woman show about Muslim women in a post-9/11 world beautifully interweaves the topics of racism, hate crimes, love, Islam, tea, culture, language, life, and hope. Facilitated discussions will take place afterward.

Amina Sharif writes, “The conflict in Israel and Palestine is political, not religious. It is not between Jews and Muslims; it is between the government of Israel and the people of Palestine (who are Muslim and Christian).

“In reality, many Jews — even in Israel — sympathize with the Palestinians and criticize their own government’s policies toward Gaza and the West Bank.”

Communications Coordinator Amina Sharif presented to a DePaul University class on multiculturalism and democracy. Sharif’s presentation aimed to give students a broad understanding of the Muslim-American community in terms of its ethnic diversity, socioeconomic levels and political beliefs.

Outreach Coordinator Gerald Hankerson presented a workshop to a Jewish Youth Group at Beth Emet the Free Synagogue in Evanston. Hankerson provided and introduction to the concepts of Islam and a profile of the Muslim-American community. The workshop served as the kick off to an educational and interfaith program between the synagogue and the Muslim Educational Center (MEC) in Morton Grove.

CAIR-Chicago is pleased to announce that Professor Tariq Ramadan will be the keynote speaker at our 6th Annual Banquet. This will be his first event in the U.S. in nearly six years, since the Bush Administration’s ban. Ramadan was chosen as one of the world’s 100 most influential human beings by TIME magazine and currently teaches at Oxford University.

“Critics argue when you think about it, for the most part, all of the people who try to blow airliners out of the sky look alike,” Doocy said.

“False,” replied Ahmed Rehab. “False information. Not true. I mean, we don’t have to go far. The last guy that tried to take down a plane was a young African. And in the past, prior to that incident, we were looking for Middle eastern-looking men. Next time it could be an Asian guy. So no, they don’t always look alike.”

On February 4 CAIR-Chicago co-hosted Cafe Finjan, an interfaith arts and culture event coordinated by the Jewish-Muslim Community Building Initiative (JMCBI). The event aims to bring together Jews and Muslims from across Chicago. Outreach Coordinator, Gerald Hankerson, performed spoken word poetry and facilitated group discussions on religion and identity.

Watch Gerald’s Performance HERE