CAIR-Chicago intern, Becky Fogel, created this audio documentary for Vocalo and Chicago Public Media on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks to share perspectives on the media's role in harboring Islamophobia. Becky interviewed civil rights activists in the Muslim community and had them share their thoughts on how public perception of Muslims has changed since 9/11.

As the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 tragedy approaches, Wayne Bell, publisher of Really Big Coloring Books, Inc. of Clayton, Missouri, US, has released what he calls a “memorial tribute” coloring book. “We shall never forget: The kids’ book of freedom,” is being described by Bell as a “graphic coloring novel on the events of Sept. 11, 2001.” According to ABC 7 News in Chicago, the coloring book contains the phrase “radical Islamic Muslim extremists,” at least 10 times.

Communications Coordinator Amina Sharif says she was very offended by the sometimes subtle and sometimes overt anti-Muslim imagery displayed in the book, “it’s dangerous to put it in the hands of children,” she says, “this book gives them the false impression that Muslims are terrorists or paranoid conspiracy theorists.”

Communications Coordinator Amina Sharif says she was very offended by the sometimes subtle and sometimes overt anti-Muslim imagery displayed in the book, “it’s dangerous to put it in the hands of children,” she says, “this book gives them the false impression that Muslims are terrorists or paranoid conspiracy theorists.”

As many Americans gear up to mark the tenth anniversary of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, one Chicago-based Muslim group warns people should be careful not to give all Muslims a bad rap for the attacks. In the days following 9/11 there were reports across the U.S. of violence toward Muslim-Americans. The group American-Islamic Relations hopes the public has learned more about the Islamic faith’s message of peace since that time.

Amina Sharif, communications director for the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, told the Chicago Tribune that the book fails to separate extremist radicals from the majority of Muslims.

"I think it's very clear that the book has an agenda and is anti-Muslim," Amina Shariff, CAIR Chicago, said. "If they are trying to imply subliminally some kind of Christian-Muslim conflict here, I think that that is very dangerous and completely inappropriate."

The book allows children to color scenes like Navy SEALs raiding the Bin Laden's compound, Osama bin Laden using a veiled woman as a human shield, and the World Trade Center Towers burning. The Chicago communications director of CAIR told the Tribune that the book shows 9/11 and its aftermath "in a 'slanted' manner," painting Muslims in broad strokes and failing to distinguish extremist radicals from the majority of Muslims.

The book allows children to color scenes like Navy SEALs raiding the Bin Laden's compound, Osama bin Laden using a veiled woman as a human shield, and the World Trade Center Towers burning. The Chicago communications director of CAIR told the Tribune that the book shows 9/11 and its aftermath "in a 'slanted' manner," painting Muslims in broad strokes and failing to distinguish extremist radicals from the majority of Muslims.

Amina Sharif, communications director for the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the book depicts the events of 9/11 and the aftermath in a "slanted" manner, painting Muslims in broad strokes and failing to distinguish extremist radicals from the majority of Muslims. "It's hateful, inflammatory and completely inappropriate for children or anyone for that matter," Sharif said.

"Islam teaches us that we are not merely physical beings but spiritual beings as well. But while most people acknowledge the need to nurture our bodies through sustenance and exercise, we tend to neglect the same for our souls," writes Ahmed Rehab in the Chicago Tribune.

Christina Abraham, civil rights director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, added that these actions would speed up the process of overthrowing President Bashar al-Assad and would "lessen the human and economic costs of our struggle".

Today in Cairo, frustrated activists plan to stage another mass protest to accelerate the pace of government reform. In a recent visit to Cairo, Ahmed Rehab, director of the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and frequent Worldview contributor, met with high-ranking officials and activists to discuss the way forward. He tells Jerome what he thinks the Egyptian people should demand now.

"Since the beginning of the peaceful demonstrations in Syria on March 15 this year, 1350 civilians have been killed. An estimated 15000 civilians have been detained, tortured or have disappeared and more than 12000 refugees have fled the country," Christina Abraham, Civil Rights director at CAIR-Chicago, told the media in Johannesburg today.

"Erickson's faux patriotism flies in the face of the basic freedoms enshrined in our constitution, threatens our commitment to pluralism, and undermines our culture of meritocracy, by seemingly mistaking the U.S. for a religious state that privileges her chosen faith over those of other Americans," said Ahmed M. Rehab, Executive Director, CAIR-Chicago.

"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."

“We’re living in a world now where there is no room for totalitarianism, dictatorships and oppression,” said Christina Abraham, civil rights director for the Council of American-Islamic Relations in Chicago. “When we see these movements happening, we need to support them. We don’t give leeway to governments that violate human rights, like the Assad government is doing right now.”

“We’re living in a world now where there is no room for totalitarianism, dictatorships and oppression,” said Christina Abraham, civil rights director for the Council of American-Islamic Relations in Chicago. “When we see these movements happening, we need to support them. We don’t give leeway to governments that violate human rights, like the Assad government is doing right now.”

Yaser Tabbara may live half a world away from Syria, where he grew up. But as the uprising there continues, the Chicago lawyer has mounted a one-man legal and diplomatic assault against the Syrian regime to highlight the brutality of its response and help depose President Bashar al-Assad.

An argument among neighbors, involving 20 people, in Orland Hills on Saturday night ended in the arrest of a 46-year-old mother and her teenage son. “She contacted us and told us her side of the story,” Said Law Clerk Eyad Tabahi. “It’s in the preliminary stages of investigation. We’re looking into the matter to see what the proper course of action should be.”