Communications Coordinator Amina Sharif and Outreach Coordinator Gerald Hankerson gave a presentation on Muslims in America and common misconceptions about Islam to the congregants of First United Methodist Church in Western Springs.

“Read and your Lord is Most Honorable, Who taught with the pen, Taught man what he knew not.”

These are among the Quranic verses read by CAIR-Chicago Outreach Coordinator Gerald Hankerson at the American Library Association (ALA) Banned Books Week Read-Out in Washington Square on September 25. The most recent list of most frequently banned readings for 2010 was topped by the Qur’an, the holy text of Islam.

CAIR-Chicago Outreach Coordinator Gerald Hankerson will participate in another banned book reading hosted by the American Library Association. Hankerson will read from the Qur’an.

On September 11, Outreach Coordinator Gerald Hankerson participated in an event hosted by the American Library Association(ALA), entitled “The Qur’an Read-out Protest”. The event was in coordinated as response to recent Qur’an burning threats, such as Pastor Terry Jones’ proposed “Burn A Koran Day.”

“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.

“He’s showing he’s on the right side of history,” said Ahmed Rehab, Chicago executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

“There was never any expectation that (Obama) would support a particular project” or its location, Rehab added. “There was an expectation that he would affirm religious freedom and respect for the law, and he’s done that.”

“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?”