On November 28th, Amina Sharif, CAIR-Chicago’s Communications Coordinator, spoke to a Roosevelt University class for education and counseling majors. She discussed the basic tenets of Islam, what it means to be a Muslim in today's Western society, and what civil rights and social justice issues Muslims have faced since 9/11.

On Tuesday, December 6, 2011, CAIR-Chicago was honored to host the Golden Door Coalition in the CAIR-Chicago Gallery. Through the joint effort of its many member organizations, Golden Door seeks to promote safety, shelter and new life for those refugees seeking to call Illinois home. CAIR-Chicago applauds their effort, and welcomes the opportunity to provide a comfortable space for them to use.

A stabbing at the Champaign train station this week is not a hate crime, according to the charges filed by the state’s attorney’s office. But an advocacy group disagrees. Amina Sharif, spokeswoman for the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said Thursday it’s important to discourage prejudice.

Reem Rahman, Knowledge Manager at Ashoka, held an interactive session on social entrepreneurship at the CAIR-Chicago Gallery this past Tuesday, November 22, 2011. She led the audience through the evolution of Ashoka’s theory of change during its three-decade history of transforming the citizen sector by building the largest association of leading social entrepreneurs in the world.

Contact your Senators and demand the removal of provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act which will allow the indefinite detainment of American citizens without charging them for any crime or giving them a fair trial.

Ahmed Rehab, CAIR-Chicago Executive Director, talks to Worldview's Jerome McDonnell about the protests in Egypt against the country’s military leaders.

CAIR-Chicago Communications Coordinator Amina Sharif spoke to the Islamic Center of Naperville’s Youth Group on Sunday, November 13th, about how to be an effective Muslim leader. The audience included about 100 middle school and high school students from the Naperville area.

On November 15, 2011, CAIR-Chicago’s Communications Coordinator Amina Sharif joined a panel discussion on the Constitutionality of legislation, proposed in 25 states, banning Sharia law. The panel included Chicago-Kent Constitutional Law Professors Steven J. Heyman and Mark Rosen.

Reem Rahman, Project and Knowledge Manager of Ashoka Changemakers (Washington, DC), will share Ashoka's approach toward acting as a catalyst for massive social impact across the globe, including an exclusive demo of her team's newest open-source, beta platform.

Amina Sharif, communications director for the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) office in Chicago, said she is hopeful for the new series, because it will offer “a more mainstream image of American Muslims. They are often stereotyped and misunderstood because of negative portrayals in media and pop culture. [This program] is normalizing Muslims,” said Sharif. “That’s the way [of] American culture – we needed 'The Cosby Show' to help normalize African American families. In this society public opinion is shaped mainly by media and pop culture,” she said.

Ahmed Rehab, CAIR-Chicago executive director commended the TSA for Egan's firing. "We made it clear that Egan's discourse was as much an embarrassment to the agency and the values it stands for, as it was an affront against Muslims and other minorities," Rehab said in a statement.

Ahmed Rehab, CAIR-Chicago executive director commended the TSA for Egan's firing. "We made it clear that Egan's discourse was as much an embarrassment to the agency and the values it stands for, as it was an affront against Muslims and other minorities," Rehab said in a statement.

“The TSA works hard everyday to keep Americans safe,” Amina Sharif, TSA communications coordinator said in the release. “When such egregious behavior is flagged on the part of one of their agents, it breeds confidence in us as passengers that it is dealt with as swiftly and as seriously as it was in the case of Roy Egan.”

Last night, CAIR-Chicago hosted a community discussion in honor of the Chicago Commission on Human Relations’ Arab Heritage Month. Speakers discussed the Arab Spring revolutions and the Wall Street protests.

On November 1, 2011, Amina Sharif, CAIR-Chicago’s Communications Coordinator, spoke to a DePaul University class on Middle-Eastern and Muslim communities in America.

On Sunday, November 6th, Muslims all over the world and in America will commemorate the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, or the Hajj, with communal prayers and celebrations. It is one of the most important Islamic holidays of the year. Each year, some two million Muslims, including thousands of American Muslims, go for the Hajj pilgrimage.

Join us for a community discussion and celebration in honor of the Chicago Commission on Human Relations’ Arab Heritage Month.

As the Tea Party convention comes to Daytona Beach, many polititians declined their invitation not wanting to associate themselves with speakers like Pamela Geller, an anti-Muslim activist. "In other states, elected officials have pulled out and do not want to be on the same stage as her," said CAIR media-relations director Ahmed Rehab.

Gina Cuellar, a 24-year-old psychology student at Cal State San Bernardino is happy that she converted to Islam."The qualitative anecdotes are women particularly are converting at a much faster rate, particularly Latinas," said Ahmed Rehab, media relations director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Washington.