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Naperville Sun: American-Islamic group sues officials
CAIR-Chicago Staff Attorney Kevin Vodak maintains that Irshad was treated differently than not only other religious institutions, but many secular institutions as well. "DuPage County needs to be held accountable for this violation of state and federal law," Vodak said.
Vodak indicated that comments made by ZBA members and protesters at County Board meetings left no doubt in his mind that religious bigotry played a part in denying Irshad the conditional permit it sought.
Daily Herald: Muslim scholar, once banned in U.S., to speak in Oakbrook Terrace
Tariq Ramadan, a Swiss-born professor at Oxford University, is "one of the most important and relevant voices for Western Muslims," said Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Chicago. Ramadan is the keynote speaker for CAIR-Chicago's annual banquet. About 1,500 people are expected to attend the event at the Drury Lane Banquet Hall. This year's theme is "Unapologetic Activism: Our Legacy, Our Promise."
Fox News Radio: Ahmed Rehab discusses "Islamic Radicalism" with John Gibson
Ahmed Rehab talks to Fox's John Gibson about how the term "Islamic Radical" is a misnomer, and why he agrees with President Obama.
Associated Press: Muslim scholar once denied visas to US to include Illinois on list of speaking engagements
A prominent Muslim scholar who was once denied a U.S. visa is scheduled to give one of his first major speeches since the 2004 ban this weekend in suburban Chicago. Tariq Ramadan is scheduled to speak Saturday in Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., at an event sponsored by the Council of American-Islamic Relations.
Chicago Tribune: Chicago welcomes once-banned Muslim scholar
“We are all about reconciling Islam and the West,” Rehab said. “We challenge those who attempt to drive a wedge between Muslim and being American. That’s really the life cause of Tariq Ramadan as an academic and philosopher and media personality. He often says that he’s culturally Western, nationally Swiss, ethnically Egyptian and religiously Muslim. For him and for us as well, there is no inherent schism between being Muslim and being American."
Chicago Breaking News: Chicago welcomes once-banned Muslim scholar
Six years after the U.S. government barred Tariq Ramadan from entering the U.S., the controversial Muslim scholar will speak in Chicago on Saturday -- one of his first American appearances since U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton promised he would no longer be denied a visa for having alleged ties to terrorism. His opponents warn of danger ahead.
CBS 2 Chicago: Got a Box to Check on the 2010 Census? Some Don't
CBS 2's Roseanne Tellez says Arab Americans are told to check white for race. But for many of the estimated four million Arab-Americans – that doesn't seem to be telling the whole story.Reema Ahmad is with the Council on American Islamic Relations. She says the most important thing, is civic duty. Especially since some Arab pockets of the city had low participation for the last census.
Muslims fight negative perceptions of Islam with strong words and quiet actions
Amina Sharif, spokeswoman for the American-Islamic council, said she was unsure why this most recent fatwa, or religious ruling, has received so much attention. While she thinks it is important for community members to be outspoken in their disapproval of violence, she said it is only half the battle. “We can condemn terrorism every day in our mosques,” Sharif said. “But if no one’s communicating that to the public it’s not happening.”
ABC 7: Muslims Call on City Colleges to Address Complaints of Discrimination
At a news conference to address multiple complaints of discrimination at Truman College, Zubair Khan, the attorney for two plaintiffs in cases against the college, described the anti-Muslim harassment faced by his clients."No person should have to face harassment and unfair treatment at work, not on the basis of their race of religion," said Christina Abraham, CAIR-Chicago's Civil Rights Director.
NPR: Muslim Civil Rights Group Claims Discrimination
In the last few months, two faculty members have filed separate lawsuits against Truman College. The Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations says the school has done nothing to address their claims of harassment and prejudice.
Federal sweep may have foiled anti-Muslim plot
Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR Chicago, talks to ABC News about a domestic terror investigation regarding an anti-Muslim militia spanning the Midwest from Ohio through Michigan across Indiana and into Illinois. The case occupied hundreds of federal law enforcement agents over the weekend.
LISTEN to CAIR-Chicago all this month on WCPT 820 AM- Chicago's Progressive Talk Radio
CAIR-Chicago will be running Annual Banquet ads with our partners at WCPT all this month. Listen for it at 820 AM, or 92.5 FM in the west suburbs, 92.7 FM in the north, and 99.9 FM in the south. or hear it HERE
ABC News: CAIR-Chicago discusses Islamophobic smear campaign against Chicago Imam, Sheikh Kifah
"He is a man of great integrity...He's looking to truly serve his country and his community. Muslims who serve every day in the Illinois State Police deserve a chaplain of their own faith," said Ahmed Rehab, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). "Our concern is that the Illinois State Police is kowtowing to articles online published by notorious anti-Muslims who have been in the business of smearing Muslim activists leaders and Imams for the longest time," said Rehab
"It is essentially guilt by association," said Christina Abraham.
SUN-TIMES: Conflict in Israel, Palestine is political -- not religious
Amina Sharif writes, "The conflict in Israel and Palestine is political, not religious. It is not between Jews and Muslims; it is between the government of Israel and the people of Palestine (who are Muslim and Christian). "In reality, many Jews -- even in Israel -- sympathize with the Palestinians and criticize their own government's policies toward Gaza and the West Bank."
Fox News: Rehab Discusses Body Scanners and Racial Profiling
"Critics argue when you think about it, for the most part, all of the people who try to blow airliners out of the sky look alike," Doocy said. "False," replied Ahmed Rehab. "False information. Not true. I mean, we don't have to go far. The last guy that tried to take down a plane was a young African. And in the past, prior to that incident, we were looking for Middle eastern-looking men. Next time it could be an Asian guy. So no, they don't always look alike."
Daily Herald: Racial profiling is inappropriate
Singling people out because of their ethnicity or religion is wrong. Racial profiling contradicts our Constitutional values and has been proven ineffective as research shows it hasn't kept Americans any safer.
Israel’s kind acts in Haiti create double-standard
In his op-ed Nasatir highlights the amazing efforts by Jews in America and Israel in the humanitarian crisis in Haiti and for this, I truly commend them. But what about the humanitarian crisis in Palestine? Israeli checkpoints violate Palestinians' basic human rights by denying medical vehicles and services. This contrasts sharply with Israel generously building a hospital in Haiti.
Medill Reports: For Muslims in the U.S., discrimination is an uncomfortable fact of life
“If you enter any Islamic mosque or center and talk to Muslims there, almost every single one has been a victim of discrimination or harassment of some kind,” Sharif said. A Gallup Poll released last week showed that 53 percent of Americans view Islam negatively and more than four out of 10 admit to being at least a little prejudiced against Muslims.
CBS News: Air Security Murky On Issue Of Religious Headware
"In the interest of national security I don't mind [being searched]. American Muslims are also concerned about remaining safe. But we should not be singled out because of our religious beliefs," said Amina Sharif, CAIR-Chicago's Communications Coordinator.
Beyond the Beltway: Ahmed Rehab Discusses the War on Terror and National Security
"The real question is not whether we should use the term "war" or not, but who is this war against. And that is what Obama and others have been struggling to articulate.... In the past we've heard that we are at war with "Radical Islam", but "Radical Islam" is a concept, and you cannot go to war with a concept. You can go to war against a people or an entity and that is where Al-Qaeda comes in. President Obama was correct in stating that we are at war with Al Qaeda," said Ahmed Rehab.
