CAIR-Chicago sponsored the eighth session of the Muslim Youth Leadership Symposium (MYLS) this past Saturday, September 24th. Over 50 youth participants attended and listened to presentations by five local Muslim leaders and professionals. The symposium highlighted topics related to self-identity, media effects, activism and leadership.

As a Muslim woman who wears a headscarf herself, Syed is particularly concerned with the misconceptions of Muslim women who choose to cover their hair and dress modestly. "After 9/11, I noticed people were confused, not wanting to learn but just going on what they see in the media," said Syed, 36. "The impression it leaves is … that Muslim women are being oppressed, suppressed, abused and forced on — everything that Islam does not stand for. Islam respects women.