"Organizations that are not only Islamophobic but that incite violence, whether directly or indirectly, are a reality," said Ahmed Rehab.

Ahmed Rehab, CAIR-Chicago Executive Director, discusses the stabbing of a Muslim cab driver in NYC whose attacker first asked "are you Muslim?". Rehab also talks about the danger of anti-Muslim propaganda driven by Islamophobes opposed to Park 51, the proposed Muslim community center near Ground Zero.

Yellow Cab Chicago requested Tuesday that a fleet of taxis remove controversial anti-Islam ads. The ads, sponsored by the group Stop Islamization of America, appeared on 25 Chicago cabs this summer. Michael Levine, CEO of Yellow Cab Chicago, said the signs were offensive to the city’s taxi drivers, an estimated half of whom are Muslim.

Yellow Cab Chicago requested Tuesday that a fleet of taxis remove controversial anti-Islam ads. The ads, sponsored by the group Stop Islamization of America, appeared on 25 Chicago cabs this summer. Michael Levine, CEO of Yellow Cab Chicago, said the signs were offensive to the city's taxi drivers, an estimated half of whom are Muslim.

CAIR-Chicago representatives and local Muslim leaders, at a press conference on Friday, discussed their disappointment in IL Gov. Pat Quinn's comments regarding the New York mosque controversy. They also shared examples of other mosques around the country that are facing opposition, including one in Naperville which CAIR-Chicago is currently litigating on behalf of. See Media Coverage HERE

CAIR-Chicago representatives and local Muslim leaders, at a press conference on Friday, discussed their disappointment in IL Gov. Pat Quinn's comments regarding the New York mosque controversy. They also shared examples of other mosques around the country that are facing opposition, including one in Naperville which CAIR-Chicago is currently litigating on behalf of. See Media Coverage HERE

The Council on American Islamic Relations is considering legal action regarding the ads. Ahmed Rehab, executive director of CAIR-Chicago, said organizations such as Geller's are not qualified to lead domestic violence initiatives. But Rehab suspects that's not their primary goal. Instead, he said, they are intentionally creating an uncomfortable work environment for Chicago's cabdrivers.

The whole brouhaha about the "Mosque at Ground Zero" is frankly bogus. It has little to do with sacred ground, or sensitive hearts. It does however have everything to do with the exploitation of the sacred and the sensitive for the furtherance of the sacrilegious and the insensitive: the phenomenon of Muslim-bashing that is ravaging our nation today.

The whole brouhaha about the "Mosque at Ground Zero" is frankly bogus. It has little to do with sacred ground, or sensitive hearts. It does however have everything to do with the exploitation of the sacred and the sensitive for the furtherance of the sacrilegious and the insensitive: the phenomenon of Muslim-bashing that is ravaging our nation today.

CAIR-Chicago representatives and local Muslim leaders, at a press conference on Friday, discussed their disappointment in IL Gov. Pat Quinn's comments regarding the New York mosque controversy. They also shared examples of other mosques around the country that are facing opposition, including one in Naperville which CAIR-Chicago is currently litigating on behalf of.

CAIR-Chicago representatives and local Muslim leaders, at a press conference on Friday, discussed their disappointment in IL Gov. Pat Quinn's comments regarding the New York mosque controversy. They also shared examples of other mosques around the country that are facing opposition, including one in Naperville which CAIR-Chicago is currently litigating on behalf of.

CAIR-Chicago representatives along with other local leaders held a press conference to discuss their disappointment with recent comments by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn regarding the "Ground Zero" mosque controversy.

CAIR-Chicago representatives along with other local leaders held a press conference to discuss their disappointment with recent comments by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn regarding the "Ground Zero" mosque controversy.

Earlier this week, Gov. Pat Quinn stepped into the controversy, saying he was against the mosque being built near the site of the 9/11 terror attack. Christina Abraham, of CAIR, believes Quinn's stand will cost him votes in November.

"The 400,000 Muslims in the Chicago area know about this issue. They're concerned about this issue and it will affect how they make their decision come election time. He's lost my vote," said Abraham.

CAIR-Chicago representatives and local Muslim leaders discussed their disappointment in IL Gov. Pat Quinn's comments regarding the New York mosque controversy and their concern that a growing anti-Muslim network is spreading Islamophobia through fear mongering. They also shared examples of other mosques around the country that are facing opposition, including one in Naperville which CAIR-Chicago is currently litigating on behalf of.

CAIR-Chicago representatives and local Muslim leaders discussed their disappointment in IL Gov. Pat Quinn's comments regarding the New York mosque controversy and their concern that a growing anti-Muslim network is spreading Islamophobia through fear mongering. They also shared examples of other mosques around the country that are facing opposition, including one in Naperville which CAIR-Chicago is currently litigating on behalf of.

"I do believe that there are special places on Earth that should have a zone of solemnity around them," Quinn told reporters when asked about the issue. "I would strongly urge those who are thinking of putting a mosque within that zone to rethink their position." "The 9/11 attacks were caused by terrorists. Terrorists shouldn't build a mosque in proximity to ground zero, or America for that matter," said Ahmed Rehab, executive director of Chicago's Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Local leaders will discuss their concern that a calculated campaign of Islamophobia and fear mongering have influenced public officials and misinformed the general public. The coalition will discuss opposition to mosques including in Illinois, rising levels of anti-Muslim bigotry and hate crimes.

The Honor Killing Awareness Campaign responsible for the taxi advertisements is powered by the anti-Muslim group Stop the Islamization of America (SIOA), run by Islamophobe bloggers Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer.Their overt connection between the Islamic faith and violence is not only incorrect and offensive, but short-sighted in that it fails to acknowledge the wider problem of violence against women in America.

Ahmed Rehab discusses the ground zero mosque controversy and clears misconceptions about Islam and Muslims.