On Monday, Oct. 4th, CAIR-Chicago Outreach Coordinator Gerald Hankerson met with an international envoy from Israel and Palestine to share ideas on how to improve Jewish-Muslim relations through art.

The immigrant community is at a crucial crossroads in Illinois. This year we will elect a new Governor and Senator to our state- two offices that have very important authority over immigration and fiscal resources for the immigrant community. Join us for Immigrant Democracy Day and cast your early vote!

CAIR-Chicago proudly congratulates Sufyan Sohel, a CAIR-Chicago Civil Rights Law Clerk, on receiving recognition by the prestigious PSLawNet Pro Bono Publico Award. Sohel, a third year student at DePaul University College of Law, was nominated by DePaul and placed second in the national competition.

A group of 25 DePaul students and staff visited the CAIR-Chicago office last month to learn about the organization’s civil rights activism on behalf of immigrants. The students were part of a class that focuses on young people from diverse cultural backgrounds and teaches about the realities of life for immigrant youth and the organizations that facilitate and incorporate them into Chicago’s wider community.

"We know people don't vote in midterm elections like they do for presidential elections," said Ali Malik, American Democracy Project fellow at CAIR-Chicago. "But I'm telling people that for us in the Muslim community it goes far beyond the controversy over the proposed New York City Ground Zero mosque. There is serious Islamophobia going on and we need to vote for people who will represent all voters equally."

On September 11th, CAIR-Chicago Civil Rights Director Christina Abraham spoke to first year Law School students at Kent Law School about the divisive rhetoric surrounding Muslims in America. She was joined by esteemed Northwestern law professor Joseph Marguilez.

ICIRR representatives, including board member and CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab, took the stage alongside Senator Dick Durbin, Congressman Luis Gutierrez, Congressman Danny Davis, and State Treasurer and Senate Candidate Alexi Giannoulias to rally support for comprehensive immigration reform and the DREAM Act.

"We're tired of candidates who take us for granted -- or worse yet, insult our intelligence -- instead of doing the leg work to earn our votes on the merit of their character and track record," said Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Chicago.

CAIR-Chicago attended a protest outside FBI headquarters where Executive Director Ahmed Rehab spoke out against intimidation tactics used by the government against anti-war activists. Rehab also talked to CBS and the Chicago Tribune about the need to speak out against such tactics.

“Muslims are kind of the new kids on the block in DuPage and they are going to face the highest burden in having to go to commercial areas, buy more expensive land, create larger developments and be completely away from their neighbors,” Vodak said.

CAIR-Chicago Communications Coordinator Amina Sharif emceed a banquet hosted by the Northwest Suburban College on Friday, September 24. Speakers included Rami Nashashibi, executive director of the Inner City Muslim Action Network (IMAN) and Dr. Zaher Sahloul, Chairman of the CIOGC (Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago).

"Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said Monday that the investigation into Abudayyeh's organization was 'a waste of taxpayer dollars.' 'Hatem is a longtime, respected leader in the community. It is unthinkable that he would have any connections to terrorism,' Rehab said. 'This is a new low. … This is an example of FBI overreach when it comes to activism or commentary on the (Middle East) conflict.'"

Ahmed Rehab deconstructs Pamela Geller's fear mongering misinformation campaign against the Park51 community center in New York and exposes her anti-Muslim bigotry.

On Saturday, September 25, CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab spoke at a workshop dealing with post 9/11 backlash.

DuPage County is on the verge of passing sweeping restrictive zoning and land use ordinances which will have an adverse impact on all religious institutions. Here are some of the proposed changes and what you can do to challenge them.

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.

Come join CAIR-Chicago at the Unity Rally for Immigration Reform and the DREAM Act with Our State Legislators.

From Ahmed Rehab’s point of view, however, American culture — including textbooks — routinely vilifies Islam and focuses unduly on the militaristic aspects of the religion. “Islam has a wealthy history that goes beyond the battles, in the arts and cultures and sciences,“ said Rehab, spokesman for the Council of American Islamic Relations (CAIR). “There’s this strange attempt to portray anything Islamic as uniquely bad.

“When someone comes along and then speaks the truth, or basically renders an accurate account of reality, then (readers) are shocked and confused because it goes against everything they have heard, therefore it must be a lie. It’s what I call willful ignorance.”

“The reprehensible attack against this Jewish congregation is an insult to all of us,” said Ahmed Rehab, executive director of CAIR-Chicago. “An attack against one house of worship is an attack against every house of worship.”

"We have one simple question for Harvard that we'd like to pose publicly,” CAIR-Chicago's Ahmed Rehab told The Daily Beast. “That is, simply: Would they invite a speaker who writes that 'Jewish life is cheap, especially for Jews' and/or that we should ban First Amendment rights for Irish Americans or African Americans or any other group?" In inviting Peretz, said Rehab, “Harvard seems to be confirming that Islamophobia is the last accepted form of bigotry.”