Winter/Spring 2026
Deen Syed
Outreach Intern - Winter/Spring 2026
Deen Syed is a Winter Outreach Intern at CAIR-Chicago. He recently graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Religion. He is currently in a gap year and plans on beginning law school in the fall. Born and raised in Chicago, Deen is an active community member and volunteer at the Muslim Community Center. By joining CAIR, he hopes to immerse himself in, contribute to, and learn from an esteemed professional organization with a history of defending civil rights, fighting bigotry, and promoting equality, especially in light of the current sociopolitical climate. In his free time, Deen enjoys rock climbing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and trying out new recipes.
Amani Rashid
Outreach Intern - Winter/Spring 2026
Amani Rashid is an Outreach Intern at CAIR-Chicago for the Winter & Spring 2026 session. She is a senior at Dominican University, graduating this May with a Presidential Scholarship and a B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Criminology. After completing her undergraduate studies, Amani will continue at Dominican to pursue her master’s in Library Science. Amani chose CAIR-Chicago to further her commitment to advocating for civil rights, uplifting Muslim voices, building bridges across communities, and expanding Muslim representation in public institutions. She is also an active member of HEAL Palestine, where she helps coordinate awareness events and fundraisers supporting humanitarian, health, education, and aid initiatives for Palestinian families. In her free time, Amani enjoys taking road trips, creating Palestinian tatreez cross-stitch art, and spending time with her family.
Alishbah Wakeel
Operations Intern - Winter/Spring 2026
Alishbah Wakeel is a Winter/Spring Operations Intern at CAIR-Chicago. She is a third-year student at University of Illinois Chicago, where she is pursuing a major in Marketing and Finance. Through her previous nonprofit involvement, she has supported research, coordination, and day-to-day operations. At UIC, she has been involved in student organizations focused on professional development, community engagement, and content creation. She chose to intern at CAIR-Chicago to gain hands-on experience while contributing to civil rights and advocacy work. In her free time, Alishbah enjoys art, weightlifting, and exploring different coffee shops.
Monserrat Aguinaga
Operations Intern - Winter/Spring 2026
Monserrat Aguinaga is a Winter/Spring Operations Intern at CAIR-Chicago. She is a first-year student at the University of Illinois Chicago, double-majoring in Sociology and Latin American Studies, with a minor in Arabic. Monserrat chose to intern at CAIR because she is deeply passionate about protecting civil rights, promoting justice, and combating discrimination and racism. She also wanted to make a meaningful impact by contributing her Trilingual skills. In her free time, Monserrat enjoys volunteering at her church, spending time with her family, and dancing to Latin music.
Sydney Lewis
Operations Intern - Winter/Spring 2026
Sydney Lewis is a Winter/Spring Operations Intern at CAIR-Chicago. She is a freshman at Loyola University Chicago majoring in Sociology, with a minor in Criminal Justice & Criminology. She is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio. After graduation, Sydney intends to pursue law school and a career in public interest law, particularly public defense or civil rights law. She chose to intern at CAIR to explore her interest in civil rights law and get involved in the community. At Loyola, she is involved in Model United Nations, Pre-Law Society, and the Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity. She volunteers at Centro Romero, an after-school program for Hispanic youth in Rogers Park. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, crocheting, and playing the saxophone.
Isabel Gonzalez-Belobradic
Communications Intern - Winter/Spring 2026
Isabel Gonzalez Belobradic is a Winter/Spring Communications Intern at CAIR-Chicago. She is a recent graduate of Goldsmiths, University of London, where she studied journalism and graduated with first class honors. Through her experience working at a local London news site, she was in constant communication with community and activist groups while reporting on current issues affecting local neighborhoods. She was also an active member of her community, volunteering at a women’s sanctuary in London and participating in a youth advocacy group in Oak Park. Isabel chose CAIR-Chicago for its commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices and combatting discrimination. In her free time, she enjoys reading, watching horror movies, and crafting. She looks forward to strengthening her writing skills to advocate for justice and fair representation.
Shahira Bhasha
Communications Intern - Winter/Spring 2026
Shahira Bhasha is a Winter Communications department Intern at CAIR-Chicago. She is a graphic designer, graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago. As a fellow Muslim living in the Greater Chicago Area, and someone who has previously offered her design services to local Islamic organizations, she joined CAIR-Chicago to give back to the community she grew up in. She is a writer and digital artist with a strong passion for storytelling.
Ayca Kosluoglu
Communications Intern - Winter/Spring 2026
Ayca Kosluoglu is a Communications Intern at CAIR-Chicago from Turkey. She recently received her Master's Degree from University of Chicago on Middle Eastern Studies. Her areas of interest in academics and professional life include global governance, human rights, migration management, and civic activism. Her advocacy work and research focus on how civil society organizations, public policy, and legal systems can safeguard vulnerable populations and alleviate structural inequality. She has lived and worked in a variety of diverse settings and dedicated her studies to policy-focused research, legal advocacy, and public interest work. She also wants to expand her expertise in advocacy-driven organizations and human rights-focused NGOs. In her free time, she likes to be outdoors, drawing, exploring the Chicago music scene, and hanging out with her friends.
Batool Jafferi
Law Clerk - Winter/Spring 2026
Batool Jafferi is a Winter/Spring 2026 Civil Rights Law Clerk at CAIR-Chicago. She is a rising 3L at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Law. She graduated from Lewis University in 2022 with a degree in Political Science and a minor in Criminal Justice. Batool's interests include civil rights, international human rights law, and family law. She chose CAIR-Chicago because she is interested in Public Interest work and wants to protect the community against religious discrimination.
Haazim Amirali
Law Clerk - Winter/Spring 2026
Haazim Amirali is a Law Clerk at CAIR-Chicago. He is a student at the University of California, Berkeley Law School, where he serves on the board of the Muslim Law Students Association and leads the Post-Conviction Advocacy Pro-Bono Project. Haazim graduated cum laude from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in both History and Political Science. Before starting law school, he worked to support currently/formerly incarcerated individuals as a John Gardner Fellow on Community Legal Aid’s Re-Entry Team and as a Legal-Policy Assistant on the ACLU of Northern California’s Criminal Justice Team. He is excited to support the Muslim community in Illinois. In his free time, he enjoys watching and playing basketball, going on long walks with his dog, and eating ice cream with friends.