(CHICAGO, 2/25/11) - Chicagoans will rally this Saturday to stand in solidarity with the people of Libya as they struggle to rid themselves of a 41-year-old dictatorship. Hundreds of Libyans have been killed and more than a thousand are missing. Colonel Qaddafi has committed gross human rights abuses and violations of international law.

“Qaddafi’s acts against his own people have been nothing short of brutal," said CAIR-Chicago Civil Rights Director Christina Abraham. "There is no room for dictatorships in a world that values free and fair societies.”

“The people of Libya have spoken, they have made it clear that enough is enough,” said Libyan-American activist Ahmed Aduib. “Qaddafi has been in power 42 years too long, the people of Libya will never give up until they see a free Libya.”

WHAT: Rally for the People of Libya

WHEN: TOMORROW, Saturday, February 26, 2011 at 1 p.m.

WHERE: Michigan Avenue & Congress Parkway, downtown Chicago

CONTACT: Christina Abraham, CAIR-Chicago Civil Rights Director, 312-212-1520, 847-971-7989, cabraham@cair.com Ahmed Aduib, Libyan-American activist, 317-514-2035, ahmed.aduib@gmail.com

Sponsored by the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC), Mosque Foundation and American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), Muslim American Society-Chicago (MAS), Project Mobilize, Students for Justice in Palestine (DePaul University), SJP-Northeastern Illinois University, SJP-University of Chicago, SJP-University of Illinois-Chicago, SJP-Benedictine University, SJP-School of the Art Institute, International Socialist Organization (ISO), Palestine Solidarity Group - Chicago (PSG), United States Palestine Community Network(USPCN), Chicago Coalition Against War and Racism (CCAWR), Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago)

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CAIR-Chicago is a chapter of America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.