CAIR-Chicago's recent event on FBI repression featured Michael Deutsch - litigator at the People's Law Office, Hatem Abudayyeh - Executive Director of Arab American Action Network and leading Palestinian rights activist, and Kevin Vodak CAIR-Chicago's head litigator.

"For Amina Sharif, communication director of the Chicago branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the mainstream interest in Islam and Muslims began after September 11, but the negative feelings were always there. "For Sharif much of the blame lies with the media and popular culture in the US, which she says is often "orientalist and slanted" in its depiction of Muslims and Islam."

The FBI carried out a series of raids of homes of activists, and the Justice Department subpoenaed them to appear before a grand jury. Come hear from those who have been directly affected and from the Chicago civil liberties community, which has been mobilizing to bring to light the realities of grand jury proceedings and the right to freedom of speech.

The U.S. government has frozen the bank accounts of human rights activists Hatem Abudayyeh and his wife, Naima. This unwarranted attack on a leading member of the Palestinian community in Chicago is the latest escalation of civil rights violations of anti-war and Palestinian human rights activists by the FBI.

"Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said Monday that the investigation into Abudayyeh's organization was 'a waste of taxpayer dollars.' 'Hatem is a longtime, respected leader in the community. It is unthinkable that he would have any connections to terrorism,' Rehab said. 'This is a new low. … This is an example of FBI overreach when it comes to activism or commentary on the (Middle East) conflict.'"

"Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said Monday that the investigation into Abudayyeh's organization was 'a waste of taxpayer dollars.' 'Hatem is a longtime, respected leader in the community. It is unthinkable that he would have any connections to terrorism,' Rehab said. 'This is a new low. … This is an example of FBI overreach when it comes to activism or commentary on the (Middle East) conflict.'"

CAIR-Chicago announced today that it is deeply concerned about the FBI’s recent raids on the homes of anti-war activists in the Midwest. CAIR-Chicago is issuing the following statement in response to the raids.