"I planned it to be here so that I could participate heart and soul, body and mind with the people during these times," Ahmed Rehab said in a phone call.

Egyptians who have long voiced discontent with their government are now taking to the streets in unprecedented numbers demanding change. If Egypt succeeds, analysts agree that a domino effect is likely.

While people continue to protest in the streets of Egypt, hundreds of Chicagoans were rallying outside of the Egyptian consulate in Chicago Saturday afternoon. The pro-democracy rally was one of several protests that took place across the country on Saturday.

Ahmed Rehab has been hit 24 times with an acrid cloud of tear gas -- stopped in his tracks as he and thousands of other protesters march for democracy in Egypt. Unlike other American travelers, the Chicago-based civil rights activist, who heads CAIR-Chicago, went to Egypt in anticipation of the simmering revolution.

Ahmed Rehab of the Council on American Islamic Relations said the atmosphere was tense."It seems that every major square and every small street in Cairo was basically taken over by communities ... people are parading the streets, walking around with baseball bats and knives," he said from Cairo. "We didn't get any sleep all night."

Dubbed “Rage Friday,” Egyptians took to the streets in massive numbers all over Cairo, Alexandria, and several other cities around the country directly calling for a regime change. Until recently, while the government tolerated a certain degree of freedom of speech, criticism of Egypt’s 30-year despot Mubarak was unimaginable; those who tried faced swift retribution by the government in one form or another.

CAIR-Chicago Bids Farewell to Government Affairs Coordinator Reema Ahmad andcongratulates her on new position at Project Mobilize.

“I am grateful that Reema’s talent, professionalism, and work ethic will remain at the service of the Chicago Muslim community,” said Ahmed Rehab.

The AAUW put together the conference at DePaul University in order to achieve more knowledge on the role of women in Islam. The presentation, which drew around thirty audience members, allowed Abraham to bring up present day issues and misconceptions regarding Muslim women.

Members from the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR), including CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab, met with Chicago’s mayoral candidates at a small conference held at the ICIRR office in the Chicago Loop on Friday, January 7, 2011. The featured candidates were former U.S. Senator Carol Moseley Braun and City Clerk of Chicago Miguel Del Valle.

The DREAM Act is finally being put to a vote in the Ill. House, and possibly later in the Senate today. The DREAM Act aims to create a pathway to citizenship for thousands of young students who were brought to the United States years ago as children.Call your local representatives and ask them to support the DREAM Act!

CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab delivered the keynote speech at the 2010 United Muslim Students Association (MSA) Dinner, an event that unites the four main Naperville-area high school MSAs.

The Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations yesterday filed a discrimination lawsuit in federal court on behalf of 49 Muslims of Somali heritage who were fired from a meat packing plant in Nebraska.

“A particular concern would be women who wear the hijab because obviously their standards of modesty are probably higher than most people and so they are more concerned about the groping, they are more concerned about the invasion of privacy,” said Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Council on Islamic Relations in Chicago.

Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago invited representatives from CAIR-Chicago to speak to a men’s group as part of a four-part series on topics in Islam. Amina Sharif and Gerald Hankerson gave a presentation that explored American perceptions of Muslims. Congregants and other members of the community attended the session.

CAIR-Chicago communications Coordinator Amina Sharif and Outreach Coordinator Gerald Hankerson gave a presentation to students at St. Ignatius Catholic school Wednesday, December 1st about the sociological and theological background of Islam.

This year the Naperville Central, Naperville North, Waubonsie Valley, and Neuqua Valley High School MSA's will be hosting a United MSA dinner. The program will include dinner and a presentation from Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago.

"If you wear baggy jeans and you're brought aside for secondary screening for wearing baggy clothing, you are just as much entitled as the woman in a hijab to be able to pat yourself down and then have your hands swabbed for residue. That's the current TSA policy-- it applies to any baggy clothing," said Rehab

CAIR-Chicago Communications Coordinator Amina Sharif delivered a presentation to students at the University of Illinois at Chicago on Wednesday, Nov. 18th to share how CAIR-Chicago engages with the media and advocates for a fair depiction of Muslim-Americans.

Ahmed Rehab talks to Red Eye Radio's Marc Germain about a Muslim woman who was denied service at a convenience store because she refused to remove her hijab.

Check out our Civil Rights Digest and see how CAIR-Chicago works to help people in the Muslim community.