Banquet 2020 Recap
On behalf of the CAIR-Chicago chairman, board and staff, we extend our deep gratitude and appreciation to all of our guests, sponsors, volunteers, speakers, community members, family, friends, and allies for making our 16th Annual Banquet: ACTION 2020 an inspirational and successful night.
PHOTO GALLERY
Can you spot yourself in our photo gallery? Photos are courtesy of the talented photographers Hannah Faris, Laaiba Mahmood, Lily Qi, and Ivan Cruz ! View our photo gallery here!
Please be sure to credit photographers when sharing their photos!
ATTENDANCE
We had a full house Saturday, with every table filled and over 7 public officials, including US Senators, US Representatives, and many other public officials representing the diversity in Chicagoland and the tri-state area, in terms of ethnicity, age, gender, religion, and profession, including numerous allies and partners from other communities!
SPONSORS
We are also thankful for the tremendous support of our key partners from the Chicagoland mosques, coalitions, interfaith groups, companies, law firms, and official sponsors.
FUNDRAISING
Thank you to all of our generous donors who made our fundraising a success. We are just $25,000 short of our$315,000 goal.
If you couldn't make it, please help us get there.
Sheikh Kifah Mustapha said it better than we could: “There are hundreds of masajid and relief groups, but there is only one organization that provides pro-bono legal support to our Muslim community at large, we support them so they can support us.”
CAIR-Chicago is an IRS approved 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Donations are 100% tax-deductible & Zakat eligible
SPEAKERS & HIGHLIGHTS
This year, the our speakers were truly uplifting. Our Keynote Panel, Abrar Omeish, Ibraheem Samirah, Sadia Covert, and Emcee Ash-har Quraishi gave informative insight into overcoming adversity and how influential Muslim visibility in the political sphere is. They spoke about justice, honesty, and family. They ended the night inspiring the community to take an active role in 2020.
We were also proud to host US Senator Dick Durbin and Congressman Chuy Garcia, who spoke about sharing an immigrant heritage with many Muslims who are immigrants. They vowed to stand with us in defending the civil rights of Muslim-Americans and all communities in the face of rising discrimination under the current administration and beyond.
CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab’s speech focused on the need for sustainable institutional solutions to persistent problems, not just one-offs. He emphasized the importance of inclusivity and making sure everyone voices are represented. “Widening the tent to include everybody is truly to make America strong.”
Imam Tariq El-Amin, Imam of Masjid al-Taqwa, gave the closing remarks, thanking supporters and reminding us that we are all in this for the long run.
Look out for a video of all speeches to be shared soon.
You can learn more about our speakers here!
RECOGNITION
We wish to thank the 50+ Elected officials, including both Illinois Senators, a dozen congressmen, Mayor Lightfoot, and a number of state, city, and county officials who sent us letters of support this year, and those officials who attended our banquet including the consul generals of several countries.
VOLUNTEERS
This year's banquet was presided over by 70 staff and volunteers who were hard to miss all decked out in their peach and black uniforms! Between registration, photography, and ushering, our program could not have been as successful without the hard work from our volunteers. We wish to thank the amazing volunteers who worked incredibly hard to present the community with an evening befitting of its stature!
SECURITY
A special thanks to the incredible security team- A-Alert Security & Investigations (AASI) and their President Ricky (Zuheir) Martinez.
THE FILM
CAIR-Chicago is proud to reveal our 2020 film, ACTION 2020. This documentary-style film follows our staff, our clients and our community, who shared how CAIR-Chicago helps on all fronts: legislation, litigation, and grassroots activism. It is also the first film we produced with a female filmmaker, our very own Communications Coordinator Hannah Faris!
At CAIR-Chicago, we will continue to work to protect the rights of each and every Muslim American that comes through our doors, while protect civil rights, fight bigotry, and promote tolerance.
View our 2020 Film: ACTION 2020
OUR ANNUAL REPORT
Our official 2019 Annual Report is here! This 45-page report--lauded by guests as the best designed report to date, made by Communications Coordinator Saadia Pervaiz--details the work of each department at CAIR-Chicago and some of our highlights and accomplishments over the past twelve months. For 16 years, CAIR-Chicago has been at the forefront of change and advocacy. In our fourteen years of service, CAIR-Chicago has handled over 6,000 civil rights cases of anti-Muslim discrimination, negotiated $2 million directly to clients in discrimination cases, conducted 1,800 mainstream media interviews receiving over 20,300 mentions, and graduated over850 interns.
You can view our 2019 annual report here.
