Constitutional Convention Referendum

02/03/2008: There will be a Constitutional Convention referendum in Illinois in November 2008. Please join us in spreading awareness about this within the community at large.

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Council Condemns Benazir Bhutto's Murder

12/28/2007:

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Eid Al-Adha Prayer Locations

12/14/2007:

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Call into talkshows

07/20/2007: Listen to the news and talk shows, participate and respond about how you feel.

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TEST

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07/01/2007: hklhkhl;jasdhghhfdug/j/ldfsg

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SIGN UP FOR COMMUNITY ORGANIZING 101

02/07/2007:

Are We Ready to Be Muslims? Are We Ready To Leave This Place Better Than We Found it?

What: COMMUNITY ORGANIZING 101

When: April 23 – 27 35 hours of training with Industrial Areas Foundation

Where: Episcopal Church Charities, 65 East Huron (Rush and Huron), Chicago, Illinois

Who: Open to All Mosques and Islamic Institutions

Cost: $300 per person. Register Your Organization for the Training

To Register: Email ChicagoCrescent@ciogc.org, with CO 101 in the subject line.

Deadline: March 30th 2007

Schedule: Please note there will be reading and writing assignments which will be required to be turned in overnight. You are urged to clear your calendars for the evenings, as well as the days, so that you can fully and most effectively participate. You must attend all sessions. No exceptions.

Why is Organizing Important?

We can either be part of the problem or we can be part of the solution. As IAF puts it, "we experience daily the obstacles to life, liberty, and happiness's pursuit. Our children attend schools that are sometimes incapable, sometimes unwilling, to provide decent basic education. Our neighbors live in public housing that is poorly maintained, dirty, and unhealthy. Our families walk streets still plagued by criminals and often ignored by police. Our members work for minimum wage, or poverty wages, or temporary wages, often without adequate benefits. Our cities suffer from flirtations with sports and entertainment boondoggles, while neighborhoods decline and people flee." These and other realities should propel us into organized action.

Are We Ready to Be Muslims? Are We Ready To Leave This Place Better Than We Found it?

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More than 20 organizations in Chicago are standing up against torture including Amnesty International and the CIOGC.

06/07/2006: As part of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago’s campaign to raise awareness about torture and its practices throughout the world, we would like to extend an invitation to you to attend two major events taking place this weekend.

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PAID INTERNSHIPS AT THE COUNCIL

06/01/2006:

Spend your summer making a difference!“

All of us might wish at times that we lived in a more tranquil world, but we don't. And if our times are difficult and perplexing, so are they challenging and filled with opportunity.” - Robert Kennedy. Email us at council@ciogc.org for details.

ATTENTION: STUDENTS AT PUBLIC SCHOOLS

06/01/2006: Thirty public high schools in the Chicago area offer facilities for prayers. If you’d like to get your school on board, we can guide you.

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MUSLIM CALENDER OF EVENTS

06/01/2006: Many of you maybe winding down with the last days of school. Unfortunately, with emptier school hallways come emptier masjids and Islamic centers too. We'd like our masjids and Islamic centers to be vibrant centers of learning all year round. Towards this end, please share your events for June, July and August with us at CIOGC. We' d like to publicize them and draw as many people to them as possible. Notice of any and all public events are welcome. Email us at Council@ciogc.org with SUMMER EVENTS in your subject line. Give us the name of the event, a 100 word description, ages to which it is open, date, time, cost, duration. We'll share it with the community!

CIOGC Chairman Abdul Malik Mujahid Honored by Mayor

11/11/2007:

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Post Office Prints 40 Million Eid Stamp

11/15/2007:

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TIPS ON WRITING LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

07/20/2007: It's always important to let the media know what you think of their programming - be it negative or positive feedback, on issues related to Muslims or the community at large. That's how they know that a demographic is part of their audience. Commit to writing a letter a month, at the least! Learn how!

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A Russian Muslim Boxer Wins in Chicago

11/15/2007:

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Muhammad Salah Sent to Prison, Again

11/15/2007:

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THE MOHAMMED SALAH VERDICT OUT

By Abdul Malik Mujahid

02/12/2007: The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, a federation of over fifty Muslim organizations, and Muslims across the city are greeting the jury's verdict in the case of Mohammed Salah with relief. Mr. Salah had been initially been indicted for allegedly running a terrorist-recruiting and financing cell in the United States. The jury has acquitted him of all charges of racketeering. As a community leader, I can say with confidence, that yesterday was a good day for justice in America.

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CIOGC Gears Up for Immigration Reform With March 10th Movement.

By Naazish YarKhan

02/12/2007: The March 10th Movement, in 20006, saw hundreds of thousands of supporters of “Legalization for all Immigrants” taking to the streets of Chicago, and later at rallies in Washington. These were followed by the late August March to then Speaker Hastert’s residence in Batavia. Since then, organizers have been working on several projects. Chicago Crescent spoke to Mr. Omar N. Lopez, Co-convener of the March 10th Movement to learn more.

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Islamophobia from Jefferson to Ellison

By Abdul Malik Mujahid

02/12/2007: The Muslim Representative from Minnesota was elected by the voters of that district and if American citizens don’t wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran.” -Representative Virgil H. Goode, Jr. (Republican from Virginia), in a letter to his constituents. “Insofar as a member of Congress taking an oath to serve America and uphold its values is concerned, [...] America is interested in only one book, the Bible. If you are incapable of taking an oath on that book, don’t serve in Congress.” -Talk show host Dennis Prager, Townhall.com, November 28, 2006.

Despite the Islamophobia represented by these two statements and those who supported them, Keith Ellison was still able to take his ceremonial oath of office in early January 2007 as a Democratic representative from Minnesota. The first woman speaker Nancy Pelosi re-enacted taking the oath of office while Congressman Ellison’s wife, Kim, held the Quran. And this copy of the Quran was once owned by the quintessential American patriot: Thomas Jefferson.

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11/09/2006:

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Why Muslims must join America’s growing immigration movement

04/27/2006: After the 9/11 terror attacks, Muslims were detained, harassed, fingerprinted and deported. At least half a million Muslims have been affected in some manner by these measures. What is critical to note though, is that Muslims who were undocumented, whether as workers, students or in any other capacity, became subject to many of these harsh tactics. It was noted during fishing expeditions for “Muslim terrorists” that even having an expired visa became an excuse for many Muslim men to be subjected to detainment and subsequent deportation. Undocumented status became a handy reason to punish Muslims, who were deemed guilty for 9/11 by association. While some Muslims have launched legal challenges against their unjust treatment, they are the minority. Most have chosen to suffer in silence.

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16 ways you can fight Cartoons & Islamophobia

04/05/2006: In Nashville, Tennessee, a homemade bomb caused a fire at the Al-Mahdi Islamic Center on February 3, 2006; on January 30, 2006, a woman who has now been arrested after she allegedly threw a copy of the Quran on the floor and sprayed a fire extinguisher which caused a smoky haze in a Sacramento mosque; also last month, KFI-AM 640 radio host Bill Handel mocked the death of over 300 pilgrims during Hajj on January 12, 2006. Twice Sound Vision’s front glass wall has been broken down with gunfire.

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The only acceptable racism left: Islamophobia

02/15/2006: Islamophobia is today's accepted form of racism. It will require Muslims to fight hard against it. Muslims are neither solely responsible for its creation, nor will they be able to fight it on their own. It is a collective responsibility for all bridge-builders of the world.

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