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In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Beneficient
April 18, 2006
1. Stand Up For The Rights Of Immigrants And The Poor
2. United Methodist Church And The Council Sign A Joint Declaration
3. Say Yes To Due Process, No To Torture
4. Wanted Now - Speedy Comprehensive Immigration Reform
5. Chicago Public Radio Internship Opportunities, Deadline: April 24th
6. Remembering Martin Luther King
STAND UP FOR THE RIGHTS OF IMMIGRANTS AND THE POOR
Date: Monday, May 1, 2006, 10 a.m.
Location: Starts at Union Park (Lake/Ashland)
Ends at the Thompson Center.
More Info: To arrange buses from your mosque to the rally contact the Council at (312) 506.0070.
The country is witnessing a major movement which some say is as large as the Civil Rights movements in the 60’s. While many Muslims may have missed that original movement, we cannot afford to miss this one especially given that more than 500,000 thousand Muslims have been subjected to immigration or racial profiling of some nature.
The Council has endorsed the May 1st rally which is expected to be even larger than the one in downtown Chicago on March 10 that drew a crowd as large as 100,000, against H.R. 4437. It was estimated to be one of the biggest pro-immigrant rallies in U.S. history, according to national advocates.
Back in November, 2005 when Congressman Kirk, said he was “OK with discrimination against young Arab males from terrorist-producing states," the Illinois Coalition of Immigrant and Refuge Rights (ICIRR) president Juan Salgado declared, "When Muslims are attacked, we are all Muslims." Rabbi Isaac Serotta of Lakeside Congregation agreed. "I wouldn't condone for others what I condemn for my own people,” he said.
“Now it’s time for Muslims to stand up for their Hispanic brothers and show their support at these rallies,” said Council Chairman, Mr. Abdul Malik Mujahid. The Council has endorsed the rally and Muslims are expected to participate in large numbers. “When Hispanics hurt, we are all Hispanic,” he said. “We need to remember that if others are to stand by our causes we too need to be advocates for justice for them.”
Besides expressing our solidarity, there is a dire need for comprehensive immigration reform. Muslims shouldn’t forget that since 9/11 hundreds of thousands of Muslims have been singled out for immigration violations. Under a "Special Registration" program, Muslims from specific countries were fingerprinted, photographed and questioned, and frequently deported.
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UNITED METHODIST CHURCH AND THE COUNCIL SIGN A JOINT DECLARATION
April 6, 2006, Villa Park, IL – Leaders at the Council met with United Methodist Clergy at a dinner Thursday, April 6. A Declaration of Relationship was signed between NIC United Methodists and Chicago Muslims by Council Chairman, Mr. Abdul Malik Mujahid and Bishop Hee-Soo Jung. Both leaders also addressed the gathering.
“I am a convert to interfaith dialog,” said Mr. Abdul Malik Mujahid. “I started out a skeptical participant. I used to think, interfaith participants are people who are trying to be nice without handling difficult issues. To my surprise, as I grew in my own faith, I became more convinced of the beauty of interfaith dialog. I started paying attention to Islamic texts I had not noticed in the past.”
Mr. Mujahid thanked the United Methodists for their principled stand against the Iraq war. United Methodists have played a concrete role in championing peace, especially in their direct opposition to the Iraq war, as well as through their support for the National Council of Churches.
United Methodist Church is the second largest protestant congregation in the United States.
The Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church facilitated this dinner with the Council.
Click here to read the text of the joint declaration.
Click here to read Br. Abdul Malik Mujahid speech.
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SAY YES TO DUE PROCESS, NO TO TORTURE
Do attend public hearings on the Mohammad Salah case. We are gathering to let the public know that Chicagoans care about and demand due process and fairness. Torture and secrecy have no place in our justice system.
When:
Thursday, April 20 8:00 AM and
Friday, April 21, 2006 8:00 AM
(best to arrive by 7:30 AM)
Where:
Dirksen Federal Building, Room 1248
219 S. Dearborn (corner of Dearborn and Jackson)
There will also be a display of instruments of torture at the Federal Plaza on Thursday, April 20th.
Witnesses:
Avigdor Feldman, Israeli Attorney
Eyad Sarraj, Palestinian Psychiatrist
(and possibly victims of torture)
In the mean time Pax Christi and American Friends Service
Committee have joined the Chicago Coalition Against Torture which includes Amnesty International and many other Chicago area organizations including the Council.
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WANTED NOW - SPEEDY COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM
April 10, 2006 Chicago –U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez and other community leaders demanded speedy legislative action on immigration reform, at the Truman College cafeteria on Chicago's North Side. He spoke to a cheering audience saying “this movement for reform will grow and transform this nation completely.”
Council Vice Chairman, Dr. Zaher Sahloul attended the enthusiastic, predominantly Hispanic, gathering. “In Islam,” he said, “immigration has a special and even holy meaning. Prophet Mohammad migrated (without documents) from Mecca, the land of oppression and religious persecution, to Medina, the land of freedom and land of opportunity. This year according to the Islamic calendar is year 1427.” The Muslim Calendar counts years as time following that landmark immigration. “And as we meet today, Muslims, Christian, Jews and people of other faiths or no faith, to support the immigrants to this land, to this Medina, the land of freedom and opportunity we pray together.”
He prayed: Our Lord, we are afraid from the minutemen, so empower us and grant us legal status Our Lord we are yearning to breathe free on the teeming shores of this land, so give us Liberty and give us Justice.
The Chicago Tribune reported that, “The Chicago Democrat (Gutierrez) led a chant of the White House phone number, urging attendees, their family and friends to call "until there are millions and millions of phone calls to the switchboard at the White House and we achieve comprehensive immigration reform.”
Dr. Sahloul’s entire prayer can be read here.
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CHICAGO PUBLIC RADIO INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, DEADLINE: APRIL 24th
The Chicago Public Radio is offering internships in various areas, from on-air production to non-profit management. One can be an intern on their flagship news magazine program Eight Forty-Eight, learn the art of fundraising by interning with their development department, or work with internet audio technology as a web team intern. Click here for a full list and descriptions of available internships.
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REMEMBERING MARTIN LUTHER KING
Tuesday, April 4, Chicago - Council Spokesperson Janaan Hashim participated in an interfaith convocation in remembrance of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. held on April 4 in downtown Chicago. The event was sponsored by the National Conference for Community and Justice of Chicago and Greater Illinois and the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago.
The Council joined thirteen faith traditions offering prayer and reflections of the legacy left by Martin Luther King who was assassinated in 1968. The theme throughout the program focused on furthering social justice by peaceful and non-violent means. The event was held in collaboration with the 40th Anniversary Commemoration of The Chicago Freedom Movement. Two years prior to his death, Dr. King participated in the launch of The Chicago Freedom Movement.
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