Summer 2025
Masiwa Gandari
Communications Intern - Summer 2025
Masiwa Gandari is a summer Communications Intern at CAIR-Chicago. She studied film and pre-law at Mount Saint Mary’s University before transitioning to political science at Long Island University Brooklyn. With experience in film production, media editing, and youth advocacy, she has worked with studios, magazines, and community initiatives from organizing town halls to mentoring students as a NASPA certified Peer Coach. Masiwa chose CAIR-Chicago for its commitment to advocacy by giving voices to the unheard in a position aligning with her passions for social justice, film, and legal work. In her free time, she enjoys exploring local communities, whether that is taking a swim at a beach, a stroll in a city park, or traveling to engage with diverse cultures.
Akram Abdallah
Communications Intern - Summer 2025
Akram "AJ" Abdallah is a Summer 2025 Communications Intern at CAIR-Chicago. A junior at North Central College majoring in marketing, AJ is a Palestinian American who actively participates in the Muslim Student Association at his school with his position of committee chair. He helped organize events like the Ramadan Iftar to foster community. His faith shapes his commitment to balancing academics and social engagement. AJ joined CAIR-Chicago to advocate for Muslim American rights and combat discrimination, aligning with his passion for social justice. He aims to enhance his marketing skills to promote inclusivity. In his free time, AJ enjoys studying the Korean language, going to k-pop concerts, and connecting with friends. He looks forward to supporting CAIR-Chicago’s mission and empowering the Muslim community.
Jackson Lulofs
Communications Intern - Summer 2025
Jackson Lulofs is a devoted political scientist who serves as a Communications Intern at CAIR-Chicago. He holds a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and is currently completing his master’s at the University of Illinois Chicago. Combining his academic background with professional experience as a Precinct Committeeperson for Grafton Township and former Campaign Manager, Jackson possesses expertise in American policymaking that he uses to advocate for underrepresented communities.
Hunter Minné
Communications - Summer 2025
Hunter Minné is a summer Communications Intern at CAIR-Chicago. He is a fourth-year Multimedia Journalism major with minors in Environmental Communication and Political Science at Loyola University Chicago. Hunter worked as a Deputy News Editor at Loyola’s student newspaper, The Loyola Phoenix, for the past two years and as a writing center tutor while studying various means of communication. Hunter has been awarded several times for his journalistic work, and is excited to apply those skills in support of CAIR-Chicago’s mission. In his free time the Atlanta-native enjoys rewatching favorite TV shows, reading new books, and thrifting old clothes.
Jannah S. Abu-Khalil
Law Clerk - Summer 2025
Jannah S. Abu-Khalil is a Civil Rights Law Clerk at CAIR-Chicago. She also serves as a researcher with the Women’s Justice Institute, collaborating directly with incarcerated women and supporting re-entry efforts throughout Illinois.
Jannah graduated summa cum laude from Loyola University Chicago in 2024, completing the Honors Program with a double major in Political Science and Criminal Justice & Criminology, and a minor in Law and Politics. During her time at Loyola, she worked at the Center for Criminal Justice, producing analyses and reports focused on the Pretrial Fairness Act and prison population reduction.
A Chicago native with roots in Beitunia, Palestine, Jannah is passionate about pursuing a career in Public Interest Law. She hopes to leverage her research and advocacy experience to support CAIR-Chicago’s clients and deepen her knowledge of Civil Rights and Immigration law.
Batool Jafferi
Law Clerk - Summer 2025
Batool Jafferi is a Summer 2025 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.
Mariam Abushamaa
Law Clerk - Summer 2025
Mariam Abushamaa is a Summer Civil Rights Law Clerk at CAIR-Chicago. She is a rising 3L at the University of Wisconsin Law School, where she serves as President and Co-Founder of the Muslim Law Student Association and is a Senior Managing Editor on the Wisconsin International Law Journal. Mariam has also served on the boards for the Middle Eastern Law Student Association and National Muslim Law Student Association. Mariam graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a B.A. in Linguistics. In the past, she has worked on a farm, as a Quran teacher and assistant teacher for Islamic school, and as an intern for Amal Law Group. Mariam chose to intern at CAIR-Chicago in order to gain legal experience in a variety of fields and to learn more about the issues impacting the Muslim community. Mariam is half Swedish-half Egyptian and enjoys language learning, creative writing, and reading fantasy.
Elias Decker
Law Clerk - Summer 2025
Elias Decker is a Law Clerk at CAIR-Chicago. He is a law student at Harvard Law School, where he is co-president of the Labor and Employment Action Project. He attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he majored in History and Linguistics. Elias wants to help ensure access to effective counsel for those going through challenging and difficult-to-navigate civil rights violations. He is proudly from the northwest side of Chicago and hopes to return to the city after completing his legal education.
Hedaya Hassanein
Law Clerk - Summer 2025
Hedaya Hassanein is a rising senior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, double majoring in Political Science and Psychology with a minor in Arabic Studies. As a Civil Rights Law Intern at CAIR-Chicago, she assists with legal research, client communications, letter drafting, and Arabic-English translation. Passionate about civil rights and immigrant justice, Hedaya hopes to pursue a career in immigration law to serve and advocate for underrepresented communities. As the daughter of Egyptian immigrants, she is deeply committed to issues of identity, representation, and access to justice. Hedaya recently studied at The American University in Cairo, where she took intensive courses in Modern Standard Arabic and Egyptian Colloquial Arabic. She is also an active member of the Arabic Debate Team, where she uses her language skills to advocate for social and political issues affecting the Arab world. Her academic and extracurricular work focuses on amplifying the voices of marginalized individuals, particularly within the Middle Eastern and North African diaspora. Hedaya’s interests include community organizing and connecting with others through language, culture, and shared purpose.
Hooriya Kazmi
Operations - Summer 2025
Hooriya Kazmi is a third year student at the University of Illinois Chicago majoring in Computer Science with a minor in Art. She chose to become an intern of CAIR-Chicago because it offers her a good opportunity to widen her horizons and diversify her background. Hooriya is deepening her connection to her religious and cultural roots while gaining practical insights. She finds the work at CAIR-Chicago to be highly educational and enriching. CAIR-Chicago has been a very educational experience so far. Hooriya is fluent in both Urdu and English. In her free time, Hooriya enjoys gardening and cooking.
Karim Abusaman
Operations - Summer 2025
Karim Abusaman is an Operations Intern at CAIR-Chicago and a rising senior at Neuqua Valley High School. Born in Gaza and raised in the Chicagoland area, Karim chose to join CAIR-Chicago for the opportunity to grow as an advocate and deepen his understanding of civic engagement in a professional setting. He hopes for his role at CAIR-Chicago to be a meaningful step towards his interest to study political science and practice law in the future. In his free time, Karim enjoys watching soccer, playing the Oud, and memorizing and reciting the Quran.
Noah Hanif
Government Affairs - Summer 2025
Noah Hanif is a Summer Government Affairs intern at CAIR Chicago. He will be a senior at Adlai E Stevenson High School in the fall, and hopes to major in political science. At Stevenson High School Noah was involved in promoting conversation between politicians and students, as well as standing up for student free speech. Some of his activities outside of school include being a translator for local food pantries, reading, and exploring small restaurants in and around Chicago.
Aliya Badr
Outreach - Summer 2025
Aliya Badr is an Outreach Intern for the Summer 2025 session at CAIR-Chicago. She is currently studying Political Science with a minor in Arabic at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her passion for advocacy, representation, and civil rights led her to join CAIR’s mission of empowering and educating underrepresented voices.
Aliya has explored these interests through writing, creative projects, and community-focused work on campus. She’s committed to creating space for stories that are often overlooked and believes deeply in building a more just and inclusive society. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis and is currently learning to play the keyboard.
Hasan Mohammad Hedayat
Outreach - Summer 2025
Hasan Mohammad Hedayat is a summer Outreach Intern at CAIR-Chicago. He is a student at Niles West High School, where he serves as co-president of the Youth Activism Leadership Club, and has been active in student advocacy, including representation and free speech, among his community.
Hasan chose CAIR-Chicago because he knew it would be the best place to be able to better the Muslim and non-Muslim communities of the Chicagoland area, as well as learn from a professional environment to be able to better serve Allah and his Ummah. A proud Irani Hyderabadi Muslim American, Hasan’s interests include history, law, Islamic studies, visual arts, and storytelling.
Winter 2024/Spring 2025
Yasmeen Nogura
Outreach Intern - Winter/Spring 2025
Yasmeen Nogura is an Outreach intern for the Winter/Spring session at CAIR-Chicago. She currently studies at University of Illinois at Chicago with a major in Business Administration and minors in International Business, Leadership, and International Studies on a Pre-Law track. She intends to go to law school with a concentration in international human rights law. She was political editor for student-run online magazine Velocity at Moraine Valley Community College, where she reported on the impact of local and global politics on campus life. Her passion for politics and government, as well as civil rights, has influenced her to be a part of CAIR’s mission to advocate for justice. In her free time, Yasmeen likes to read books and watch documentaries about history.
River Preston-Gage
Government Affairs - Winter ‘24/Spring & Summer ’25
River Preston-Gage is a Governmental Affairs intern at CAIR-Chicago for the Winter/Spring 2025 session. She is a senior at Loyola University Chicago and will graduate in May with her B.A. in Sociology & Anthropology, B.S. in Human Services, and a Minor in Philosophy. After graduation, River will be attending the London School of Economics and Political Science for her MSc in International Migration and Public Policy. River joined CAIR to deepen her engagement in civil rights, immigration, and policy analysis while building skills in community outreach and mobilization. She is particularly interested in exploring how culture and politics intersect to drive grassroots-led social and systemic change and is honored to contribute to the work CAIR-Chicago is doing. In her free time, River loves to travel to new places and spend time with friends and little sisters.
Buthaina Hattab
Law Clerk - Winter/Spring 2025
Buthaina Hattab is a Spring 2025 Civil Rights Law Clerk at CAIR-Chicago. She is a 2L at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Law. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2022 with a degree in Political Science and Arabic studies minor. She has extensive experience in community organizing and advocacy, and is interested in promoting the civil and human rights of Muslims in the United States and abroad. In her free time, she likes to volunteer and try out new cafes.
Omar Elbalshy
Law Clerk - Winter ‘24/Spring & Summer ’25
Omar Elbalshy is a dedicated legal professional with a strong academic and professional background in both the United States and Egypt. Omar holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Corporate & Commercial Law from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, graduating in the top 25% of his class, as well as a Master’s in Economic and Public Finance from Benha University in Egypt. He also earned his bachelor’s degree in law from Menoufia University. Omar has interned with various legal institutions, including the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, the Indiana Court of Appeals, and worked with prestigious law firms in Egypt. His expertise spans litigation, legal research, and drafting contracts. Bilingual in Arabic and English, Omar is passionate about leveraging his skills to support underrepresented individuals and communities.
Mishal Khan
Communications Intern - Winter/Spring 2025
Mishal Khan, is a Winter Communications intern at CAIR Chicago. She is a graduate from Boston College with a degree in information systems and marketing. She moved to Chicago last July and currently works as a data scientist at Discover. During her time in college, she was involved with student government initiatives to perform diversity on campus and is always looking for opportunities to get involved in the community. Some of her hobbies during her free time are thrifting, trying new cafés and hanging out with friends.
Rashika Rahman
Communications Intern - Winter/Spring 2025
Rashika Rahman is a Winter Communications Intern at CAIR-Chicago. She recently graduated as a Pogue Scholar from UNC Chapel Hill with a degree in Health Policy & Management. Rashika’s work has always been deeply rooted in social justice, serving as President of the Refugee Support Center at Carolina and interning at Kiran, a domestic violence support organization for South Asian victims in North Carolina. She was also among the first product managers for Luminary, an accessibility-focused app for wheelchair users, and a Clinton Global Initiative University Fellow, where she is building health tech solutions for marginalized global communities. She joined CAIR-Chicago because of its seamless alignment with her passion for advocacy, equity, and community empowerment. In her free time, she enjoys cooking new recipes, boxing, reading, and traveling.
Rabeea Omar
Operations - Winter/Spring 2025
Rabeea Omar is an Operations Intern at CAIR-Chicago for the Winter 2025 session. She is currently studying Psychology and Criminology, Law, and Justice on the Pre-Law track at the University of Illinois Chicago. Her goal is to continue her education through law school and pursue a career as an attorney. She chose to intern at CAIR-Chicago to gain valuable exposure to the legal field while advocating for civil rights, engaging with her community, and contributing to social justice work. In her free time, she enjoys reading, spending quality time with friends and family, and exploring new places.