ICIRR representatives, including board member and CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab, took the stage alongside Senator Dick Durbin, Congressman Luis Gutierrez, Congressman Danny Davis, and State Treasurer and Senate Candidate Alexi Giannoulias to rally support for comprehensive immigration reform and the DREAM Act.

CAIR-Chicago Communications Coordinator Amina Sharif emceed a banquet hosted by the Northwest Suburban College on Friday, September 24. Speakers included Rami Nashashibi, executive director of the Inner City Muslim Action Network (IMAN) and Dr. Zaher Sahloul, Chairman of the CIOGC (Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago).

On September 11, Outreach Coordinator Gerald Hankerson participated in an event hosted by the American Library Association(ALA), entitled “The Qur’an Read-out Protest”. The event was in coordinated as response to recent Qur’an burning threats, such as Pastor Terry Jones’ proposed “Burn A Koran Day.”

Nearly 200 people gathered at CAIR-Chicago’s downtown office for the annual "Taste of Ramadan" iftar, or bread-breaking, dinner. The food represented a wide range of cultures including: the Mediterranean, the Arabian Levant, Turkey, Yemen, Pakistan, Morocco, Palestine, Israel, Algeria, Egypt, India, Senegal, Poland, Austria, France, Spain, and Iran.

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.

CAIR-Chicago’s Civil Rights Director Christina Abraham moderated an event featuring a speech by Robert D. Grant, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Chicago Field Office, at the American Islamic College.

Civil Rights Director Christina Abraham gave a lecture on the Patriot Act and other national security policies to students at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. Abraham discussed how these laws have affected Muslims in America particularly regarding immigration, travel, and relations with law enforcement.

Ahmed Rehab discusses misconceptions about Islam and American Muslims, specifically addressing the "Ground Zero Mosque" controversy, and reacts to recent Sarah Palin twitter comments about the issue.

The American Islamic College held a private luncheon for the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Sheikh Ali Gomaa, and distinguished guests on July 5th, 2010. Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago, moderated the event and introduced the guest of honor.

On Thursday May 20th, Outreach Coordinator Gerald Hankerson and Communication Coordinator Amina Sharif visited St. Ignatius College Preparatory School to give students a firsthand look into Islam and how it is practiced by Muslims in America.

CAIR-Chicago’s Communications Coordinator, Amina Sharif, spoke to a journalism class at Columbia College today about media coverage of Muslims and how to report on culturally sensitive issues.

CAIR-Chicago is indebted to the hard work and dedication of our dynamic team of interns and law clerks. Read about them HERE

CAIR-Chicago would like to thank its community of supporters for joining us at our 6th Annual Banquet this past weekend. The hugely successful event was a milestone for our organization and the Chicago Muslim community.

On April 22, 2010, Muslim youth, leaders, and activists from all over Illinois will join in Springfield to lobby members of the Illinois General Assembly. This event, organized by the Council of Islamic Organization of Greater Chicago and sponsored by CAIR-Chicago and Zakat Foundation, is expected to bring together hundreds of Muslim Americans and advocates of the community. Last year, there were over 450 participants, and organizers are hoping for even more this year.

CAIR-Chicago will be running Annual Banquet ads with our partners at WCPT all this month. Listen for it at 820 AM, or 92.5 FM in the west suburbs, 92.7 FM in the north, and 99.9 FM in the south. or hear it HERE

CAIR-Chicago participated in the Honored Star Case Ceremony held at the Chicago Police Headquarters Building on Tuesday, March 2. The ceremony, which was hosted by the Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis, honored 11 fallen officers who died in the line of duty.

Communications Coordinator Amina Sharif presented to a DePaul University class on multiculturalism and democracy. Sharif’s presentation aimed to give students a broad understanding of the Muslim-American community in terms of its ethnic diversity, socioeconomic levels and political beliefs.

Outreach Coordinator Gerald Hankerson presented a workshop to a Jewish Youth Group at Beth Emet the Free Synagogue in Evanston. Hankerson provided and introduction to the concepts of Islam and a profile of the Muslim-American community. The workshop served as the kick off to an educational and interfaith program between the synagogue and the Muslim Educational Center (MEC) in Morton Grove.

CAIR-Chicago is pleased to announce that Professor Tariq Ramadan will be the keynote speaker at our 6th Annual Banquet. This will be his first event in the U.S. in nearly six years, since the Bush Administration's ban. Ramadan was chosen as one of the world's 100 most influential human beings by TIME magazine and currently teaches at Oxford University.

On February 4 CAIR-Chicago co-hosted Cafe Finjan, an interfaith arts and culture event coordinated by the Jewish-Muslim Community Building Initiative (JMCBI). The event aims to bring together Jews and Muslims from across Chicago. Outreach Coordinator, Gerald Hankerson, performed spoken word poetry and facilitated group discussions on religion and identity. Watch Gerald's Performance HERE