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Chicago Sun-Times: Holy month unites Chicago Muslims
Chicago Sun-Times columnist Neil Steinberg profiles Chicago's diverse Muslim community in time for the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan.
MEDIA ADVISORY: Muslims to Honor Hajj Pilgrimage with Prayer and Celebration
On Sunday, November 6th, Muslims all over the world and in America will commemorate the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, or the Hajj, with communal prayers and celebrations. It is one of the most important Islamic holidays of the year. Each year, some two million Muslims, including thousands of American Muslims, go for the Hajj pilgrimage.
Chicago Tribune: Small mosque easily wins approval from DuPage
"It's basically the ideal zoning application for DuPage County, with absolutely no controversy surrounding it," said Amina Sharif, communications coordinator with the Chicago Council on American-Islamic Relations. "The area where it's located is already commercially zoned, next to a synagogue, and there is more than adequate parking there. If the DuPage County Board had rejected this, then we'd have an obvious problem. This is a very easy thing to approve."
Houston Chronicle: National Day of Prayer prompts reflections on the practice
"In Islam, people may pray for "justice, prosperity, for the nation and its leaders," said Ahmed Rehab. "Getting people from different faiths to pray together for the common good, the good of our nation, is positive."
Muslim Group Files Suit on Behalf Somali Workers Fired by Neb. Swift Plant
The Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations yesterday filed a discrimination lawsuit in federal court on behalf of 49 Muslims of Somali heritage who were fired from a meat packing plant in Nebraska. The lawsuit intervenes in a class action filed by the Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in August on behalf of more than 200 Somali factory workers from the Swift Co. plant in Grand Island, Nebraska.
Muslims to Honor Hajj Pilgrimage with Prayer and Celebration
On Tuesday, November 16th, Muslims all over the world and in America will mark the end of the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca, or Hajj, with communal prayers and celebrations. See Chicago prayer locations and timings at http://www.chicagomuslims.com/
MEDIA DIGEST: CAIR-Chicago Responds to "Burn A Koran Day" and Islamophobia with Outreach and Education
With Pastor Terry Jones' "Burn A Koran Day" fiasco and the ongoing Park51 debate taking center stage in the media, CAIR-Chicago is taking action. We are challenging misinformation and anti-Muslim rhetoric through interfaith and outreach efforts to educate the public. You may have also seen us in the news recently, adding balanced and informed perspectives to public discourse.
Daily Herald: Leaders call for unity as Muslims mark Eid, nation observes 9/11
"This is the holiest day for Muslims out of the year," said Amina Sharif, communications coordinator for CAIR-Chicago. "And since this year it falls so close to 9/11, it's an opportunity for us to discuss tolerance and peace. It's a day that we pray for those who are struggling around the world, and that includes the families of 9/11 victims."
Glen Ellyn Sun: A new look at faith group zoning rules
A measure that could streamline the process of establishing places of worship and other forms of assembly in unincorporated DuPage County is heading to the zoning panel that recently has taken up two zoning proposals from Islamic groups.
Naperville Sun: Documents piling up in Irshad case
CAIR-Chicago Staff Attorney Kevin Vodak talks to the Naperville Sun about recent developments in the Irshad Learning Center's lawsuit against Dupage County.
Naperville Sun: Keeping the faith
The Naperville Sun's Susan Carlman illustrates a regular day for congregants at the Irshad Learning Center. The ILC recently made headlines when the DuPage County Board rejected their request for a zoning permit to build an Islamic School. CAIR-Chicago is suing DuPage county on the ILC's behalf.
Muslims fight negative perceptions of Islam with strong words and quiet actions
Amina Sharif, spokeswoman for the American-Islamic council, said she was unsure why this most recent fatwa, or religious ruling, has received so much attention. While she thinks it is important for community members to be outspoken in their disapproval of violence, she said it is only half the battle. “We can condemn terrorism every day in our mosques,” Sharif said. “But if no one’s communicating that to the public it’s not happening.”
Public Prayer is Universal
Thank you, Neil, for you intelligent, informed article "Fear and loathing in the cat food aisle" (Dec. 13). I am appalled by the attitude of the letter writer who said she wanted to physically assault three Muslim women praying in a Costco, and your response that "hating other people is like taking poison and expecting someone else to die" is right on target.
Illinois Muslims to Mark End of Hajj With Prayer and Celebration
On Friday, November 27th, Muslims all over the world and in America will mark the end of the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca, or Hajj, with communal prayers and celebrations. Each year, some two million Muslims, including thousands of American Muslims, go for the Hajj pilgrimage. This Islamic holiday is called Eid ul-Adha (EED-al-ODD-ha), or “festival of the sacrifice” and it commemorates the Prophet Abraham's faithfulness in willing to sacrifice his son (who was then spared) at God's command, an important historical event in Christianity and Judaism as well.
Chicago Tribune: Seeking timeout for prayer
As the Ohio State Buckeyes pummeled the Northwestern Wildcats on Ryan Field last November, senior Amir Siddiqui and his friends slipped below the bleachers, removed their shoes and knelt on pieces of poster board to pray.
Socialist Worker Online: Banned from a flight for praying
ANTI-MUSLIM racism was on full display last month when six Muslim religious leaders were thrown off a US Airways flight in Minneapolis. Their crime? The imams were first deemed "suspicious" for observing their evening prayers in the airport, prior to boarding the flight.
Press Release: Muslims Pray for Trapped Miners
A prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group today urged Americans of all faiths to pray for the safety of 13 West Virginia coal miners trapped underground since early Monday.
Media Advisory: Chicago Muslims to Hold Prayer Service for Tsunami Victims
On Friday, December 31, Muslims in Chicago will offer prayers for those who died as a result of the recent earthquake and tsunami in Asia. The prayers, called salat al-ghaib (sa-laat-all-guy-ib), or "prayers for those who have died in a distant place," will be held following the regular Friday Jum'ah prayers at the Islamic Cultural Center and the Mosque Foundation, as well as other area mosques.