CAIR-Chicago filed a discrimination complaint in federal court today against the Illinois State Police (ISP) on behalf of Kifah Mustapha, a leading Muslim religious leader (Imam) based in Chicago. The ISP had previously hired Imam Kifah as the first and only Muslim chaplain for its workforce after the completion of a thorough background check. Shortly after news of Imam Kifah’s hiring, the ISP revoked its decision citing a dubious Internet report attacking Imam Kifah. The report was written and distributed by Steven Emerson, an anti-Muslim blogger notorious for fighting against American Muslim civic participation.

CAIR-Chicago is hosting its annual “Taste of Ramadan” cook-off and Iftar August 26 in its downtown office. Over a hundred friends and supporters of CAIR-Chicago are expected to attend.

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.

At a press conference today, CAIR-Chicago and an interfaith community coalition responded to a recent decision by the Illinois State Police (ISP) to revoke a chaplaincy position previously extended and confirmed for Imam Kifah Mustafa, a leading Chicago Muslim cleric. (See Press Release HERE))

ISP revoked its decision citing an internet report attacking Imam Kifah that was written and distributed by Steven Emerson, an anti-Muslim blogger who has a well-known reputation for fighting against American Muslim civic participation.
Read FAIR’s detailed expose on Steven Emerson and his dubious work,
HERE

On Wednesday, June 23, the Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) together with an interfaith and community coalition will hold a press conference responding to a recent decision by the Illinois State Police (ISP) to revoke a chaplaincy position previously extended and confirmed for Imam Kifah Mustafa, a leading Chicago Muslim cleric.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today urged President Obama to condemn what the Muslim civil rights group called an Israeli “massacre” of civilians on a flotilla of ships in international waters seeking to bring humanitarian aid to the people of the Gaza Strip. Israeli commandos killed at least 10 civilians in a pre-dawn raid on the flotilla.

Israel’s attack on the flotilla has already been condemned by the international community.

CAIR-Chicago announced today that vandals defaced an exhibit by Muslim graduate student Anida Yoeu Ali at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). The exhibit, which addressed racial profiling and the rise of violence and hate directed at Muslims in the post-9/11 era, was vandalized with large caricatures and a word bubble highlighting the text “Kill all Arabs.”

“RefugeeOne welcomes those who were dispossessed and displaced under life-threatening circumstances home to Chicago,” said Ahmed Rehab, RefugeeOne Vice-Chairman. “It’s a multi-faith, diverse organization that seeks to put our common values into action: respect and dignity for all human beings, and service to those most in need of our help.”

Muslims, in solidarity with the families of victims and key faith leaders who live, work and worship in Marquette Park, will gather in the wake of the gruesome act of violence that occurred Wednesday in their community and reject any rationale that connects this atrocity to the Muslim community and Islam

The Chicago office of the Council on American Islamic Relations announced that it has filed a complaint in federal court today against DuPage County, in response to the county’s rejection of a zoning permit for a proposed Islamic School in Naperville.