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While CAIR-Chicago believes that Hizb ut-Tahrir has a right to their views that Muslim's shouldn't vote, the organization says that American Muslims must be civically engaged, from voting to running for office. Outreach Coordinator Gerald Hankerson specifically objected to the organizations point that even though Muslims have voted in the United States and around the world, it’s done them little good.

CAIR-Chicago Outreach Coordinater Gerald Hankerson discusses Muslim American involement in this election:"Even with the election cycle there is much argument and debate whether Muslims should be involved. One way or another we are living here, and our life is being impacted by whether or not we decide to offer our voice and our balance. So most definitely religion may factor into it on certain issues, such as immigration reform, such as protecting first amendment rights, because we definitely want to see that our faith is not impeded for us to be truly considered Americans,"

Outreach Coordinator Gerald Hankerson discusses the importance and the potential power of mobilizing young people to vote in elections. He describes some of the efforts CAIR-Chicago makes to reach young people early in life, to instill in them a sense of civic duty.

"For American Muslims, the biggest concern right now is the quality and tone of the debate," added Rehab. "Whether this debate is on our national security, or our jobs or the economy or even the place of Muslims in America, our concern is that the nature of the debate in America has become more and more divisive, cynical, frenzied, paranoid, and we are very concerned about that and we wish that they debate itself, regardless of the positions people take, to be rooted in more intellect and empirical analysis and honest debate and mutual understanding."

We are the most diverse religious community in this nation, representing people different needs and interests, who grow in complexity and variance. We all pay taxes to maintain the upkeep of our neighborhoods and its institutions. And we have a responsibility to make our voice count—we can, and should vote.

CAIR-Chicago shares information about voting, where to go and what to expect.

"American Muslims are not a threat to this nation," said Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. "The threat to this nation is those who would divide us based on race, faith or ethnicity because those are the ones who undermine our values."

"We know people don't vote in midterm elections like they do for presidential elections," said Ali Malik, American Democracy Project fellow at CAIR-Chicago. "But I'm telling people that for us in the Muslim community it goes far beyond the controversy over the proposed New York City Ground Zero mosque. There is serious Islamophobia going on and we need to vote for people who will represent all voters equally."

CAIR-Chicago's office will be closed today as it mobilizes the Muslim community to let their voice be heard by a strong voter representation this Election Day.

Mukit Hossain has been up since 5 a.m., crisscrossing Northern Virginia in his tiny 10-year-old pickup truck to help turn out the Muslim vote in a presidential campaign that has left many Muslims feeling marginalized.

Muslim-Americans say they are more interested than ever before in the political process, in part because their religion has been reduced to a talking point in the presidential campaign.

Feature 277 After 12 years living, studying, and working legally in the United States, Sheeraz Iqbal sought to trade in his Pakistani citizenship and swear allegiance to America for good.

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