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In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Beneficient
May 24, 2006
Fighting For Our Rights
1. Council Chairman Meets With Howard Dean, Democratic National Committee Chair
2. The Immigration Movement To Include Border Security Issue
3. Jose Arreola - A Key Player In The New Immigration Movement
4. The Coalition To Protect People's Rights To Define Groups’ Vision
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The Witch Hunt Continues: More Muslim Charities Being Targeted In Solidarity
1. Follow Up Meeting With Danish Ambassador Reveals More Work Needed
2. Council Executive Committee Member, Imam Rufai, To Address Audiences At National Hunger Awareness Day Symposium 2006
In Service
1. Jobs In The Community
2. Jobs Wanted
3. Call For News From Your Masjids And Centers
4. Muslim Calender Of Events
COUNCIL CHAIRMAN MEETS WITH HOWARD DEAN, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIR
May 18 , 2006, Washington D.C., -- Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean met with Muslim leaders to talk about the Democratic agenda for change along with efforts to reach out to members of the religious community early on in the election process. Among the 15 Muslim leaders present were Imam W. D. Mohammed, Council Chairman, Mr. Abdul Malik Mujahid, Imam Sayed Hassan Al-Qazwini of the Islamic Center of America, Imam Al-Hajj Talib Abdur-Rashid, VP of MANA, Dr. Aslam Abdullah the director of the Islamic Society of Nevada, and Dr. Al-Akhras Vice President of CAIR-Washington.
Muslim leaders joined Chairman Dean in an informal discussion in which they talked about civil liberties, the Patriot Act, immigration, poverty, engagement of Muslim Americans in the political process, ways the DNC can best reach out to the community and other issues important to Muslim Americans. This meeting, the first such initiative by the Democrats, was part of a larger outreach by the DNC's Faith in Action Initiative, a mission to involve state parties and religious leaders from around the country in an ongoing dialogue about their shared values within the Democratic Party. The Republicans have made similar overtures over the years.
Chairman Dean issued the following statement: “With millions of Muslims in America, Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in this country. Muslims mirror the diverse melting pot that is America, including peoples of many regional, ethnic and racial backgrounds. They are deeply patriotic, and they make invaluable contributions to our society.”
“It is my hope that this meeting will be the first in a series of on-going discussions with leaders of the Muslim American community. We had a productive discussion about a wide range of subjects and opened a healthy dialogue on our shared values, including the protection of religious freedom and civil liberties. No American should be subjected to discrimination because of his or her race, ethnic background or religious beliefs. It is our obligation as Democrats and as Americans to speak out against such discrimination, whenever and wherever it rears its ugly head. Likewise, as part of Democrats' national outreach efforts, it is no longer enough to say that Muslim Americans should have a place at the table; more importantly, we must have diversity on our tickets.”
“I look forward to continuing to work with the leaders of the Muslim American community to advance our shared values and goals for America.”
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THE IMMIGRATION MOVEMENT TO INCLUDE BORDER SECURITY ISSUE
May 22, 2006, Chicago - Council Chairman Mr. Abdul Malik Mujahid and Executive Committee Member, Mr. Shahnawaz Khan met with leaders of the Immigration Movement to discuss next steps. President Bush's May 15 announcement to station significantly larger numbers of National Guard troops on the US-Mexico has widened the immigrant legalization issue to include border security issue in political discourse. By an 83-16 majority, US Senators approved an amendment May 17 permitting the building of a series of US-Mexico border walls. “These are on a smaller scale than that proposed in HR 4437, the Sensenbrenner legislation, but building taller, wider walls has never been the right solution. Walls whether in Berlin or Palestine, they symbolize breakdown and have never worked,” said Mr. Mujahid.
All the energy associated with the rallies is now to be channeled into a tool for change by targeting vital members of Congress. With the May 1 Rally having solidified a base of allies, and having brought the issue to the forefront, it’s now time to broaden relationships.
Calling for a National Citizenship Day on July 1, ICIRR plans to kick off a campaign that day that would involve door-to door visits by activists in 15 Chicago-area communities. The "We are America Immigrant Democracy Summer" campaign combines training, organizing and electoral civic engagement. The idea is to encourage U.S. citizens to register to vote and permanent residents to swap their green cards for U.S. citizenship. The goal is 15,000 new voter registrations and 50,000 new immigrant voters at the polls on Election Day 2006.
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JOSE ARREOLA - A KEY PLAYER IN THE NEW IMMIGRATION MOVEMENT
May 1, 2006, Chicago - Jose Artemio Arreola’s smiles are more powerful than his English. He is a true Mexican American success story. I found him, looking sort of sad, at the end of May 1st rally. As we hugged I discovered why. He had to return to work the next day, leaving a good amount of movement work behind him. Only at that moment did I learn that this natural leader, responsible for beginning this entire movement, was an Oak Park school janitor. Mr. Arreola is one of the key organizers of the immigration movement in Chicago. He is also the president of Casa Michoacan which is a federation of home-town organizations that help improve villages and cities in Mexico. While sharing photographs of progress there, he said if Mexican home towns are properly developed, there will be less need for residents to come
to the US. Arreola is on the executive board of Local 73 SEIU (Service Employees International Union.) Labor unions played a major role in the March 10th Rally which launched the countrywide movement and the May 1 rally.
With millions of people marching in America, Jose Artemio Arreola asserted, "We have to change the world." America certainly is changing.
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FOLLOW UP MEETING WITH DANISH AMBASSADOR REVEALS MORE WORK NEEDED
May 19, 2006, Chicago - Following up on their February 2006 meeting with Council, the Danish Ambassador to the United States, Mr. Friis Petersen, requested another meeting this month. The Council Chairman Mr. Abdul Malik Mujahid, media committee Chairs Ms. Janaan Hashim, Mr. Maurice Weaver, and Executive Committee Members, Mr. Syed Khan (President Downtown Islamic Center) and Mr.Mohammed Kaiseruddin (founding chairman of the Council) and Prof. Misbahuddin Rufai, Imam of Light of Islam Masjid, were also present. The topic being discussed was action undertaken by the Danes since the cartoon controversy.
Ambassador Petersen said that the government has been reaching out to Muslims in Denmark and in the Muslim world.
Mr. Petersen also stated that two large mosques are currently being constructed with assistance from the government. Council members reacted negatively to the news. Mr. Mujahid said that when government interferes in the religious life of a community it only serves to alienate that community further and deepens mistrust of the government.
When asked what the rate of unemployment of Muslims in Denmark was, the Ambassador revealed that it was between 5%-7%. The rate of unemployment is 2%-3% in the non-Muslim Danish population. Recent reports from France and UK point out to 30 to 40% unemployment among Muslims in those countries.
Ambassador Petersen described Denmark as a country of 5 million, comprising of a relatively homogeneous population which prides itself for being an open society with generous social programs. Denmark donates $2 billion annually to Muslim and African countries.
Islamophobia does not exist in Denmark according to the Ambassador; Danish citizens know about enough about Islam to appreciate the positive effect of the religion on practicing Muslims. Mr. Mujahid shared with the ambassador a program which British government has launched to fight Islamophobia in UK.
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THE COALITION TO PROTECT PEOPLE'S RIGHTS TO DEFINE GROUPS’ VISION
May 23, 2006, Chicago - The Coalition to Protect People’s Rights met Tuesday night to develop a broader strategy. The Council is a member of the Coalition. Panelists included Michael Deutsch - People's Law Office, Attorney for Muhammad Salah, Dori Dinsmore - Amnesty International, on Renditions, Mary Powers - Citizen's Alert, on Chicago Police Torture and Steven Saltzman - Center For Constitutional Rights.
On March 3, 2006, Mr. Salah’s suppression hearing, which will decide whether to admit confession procured by torture as evidence, began in a Chicago federal court. Over one week of the hearing was closed to the public and media. Hours of closed-door portions were conducted without any representation from the defense. Further obstacles included the denial of visas of two witnesses who then gave their testimony through video conference. A ruling on the use of these tortured confessions is expected to be given by the end of this month.
ABOUT CPPR:
The Coalition to Protect People’s Rights has united in order to raise public awareness about the United States government’s violation of Mr. Muhammad Salah’s due process rights. The Coalition, which is comprised of civil rights groups, human rights groups, community-based organizations, and concerned individuals, advocates for the safeguarding of people’s rights protected by the United States Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Coalition Members include, AFSC-Chicago, ADC-Chicago, Amnesty International, CREC, CCCLR, CCDBR, CAIR-Chicago, CIOGC, NLG-Chicago, PaxChristi-IL, 8th Day Center For Justice.
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UN COMMITTEE SAYS U.S. & CHICAGO IN VIOLATION OF ANTI-TORTURE TREATIES
May 19, 2006 (GENEVA) – The UN Committee Against Torture ruled today that the U.S. government and the City of Chicago are in violation the Convention Against Torture and Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment (CAT) today. The report follows two days of hearings before the Committee in Geneva, Switzerland on May 5 and 8, 2006. The Committee, comprised of 10 internationally recognized experts, not only called for the closing of detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay, but expressed concern with the impunity law enforcement officials enjoy in the US, highlighting allegations of torture at Chicago’s Area 2 and 3 Police Headquarters. The Committee explicitly noted the lack of criminal prosecutions of the perpetrators in the Burge torture cases, and called on the US Government to report back on the ongoing investigation and prosecution in the cases.
“It’s clear from their report that the UN Committee sees the torture by law enforcement personnel in the US as on the same level as the torture in Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo,” said Andrea Ritchie, a civil rights attorney. “It’s not just Guantanamo that needs to be shut down, it’s torture wherever it takes place.” The Burge torture cases, include 192 African Americans tortured over a twenty year period by former Commander Jon Burge and detectives under his command at the Chicago Police Department. Torture techniques used by the police officers included electrically shocking genitals with cattle prods and electric shock boxes, suffocations with plastic bags, and beatings about the body with telephone books and rubber hoses.
“Despite mountains of evidence that Burge and his officers systematically tortured African Americans at police headquarters, and a four year investigation costing $7.3 million, we’re still waiting on criminal indictments for the torturers and the officials who covered it up,” said Joey Mogul of the People’s Law Office in Chicago, who represents several victims of torture at the hands of Burge and his detectives. “We had no choice but to take our case to the UN so that these officers can be held fully accountable for their criminal acts of torture.”
For more information, please contact: Joey Mogul, (773) 235-0070/773-294-7606 or joeymogul@aol.com
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COUNCIL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBER, IMAM RUFAI, TO ADDRESS AUDIENCES AT NATIONAL HUNGER AWARENESS DAY SYMPOSIUM 2006
June 5, 2006 Washington D.C.,- In recognition of June 6 as National Hunger Awareness Day 2006, Council Executive Committee member, Prof. Misbahuddin Ahmed Rufai, Imam at the mosque in Harvey, IL will be attending the National Hunger Symposium on Monday, June 5, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. He will speak as a panelist representing faith groups on how Islam emphasizes the feeding of the poor and needy. The involvement of the Muslim community at the national level is also indicative of its commitment to charitable work that crosses barriers of religion, race and ethnicity. Imam Rufai is also a professor of History at Harold Washington College in Chicago. Others at the symposium will include organizations in the anti-hunger community, agriculture sector, federal government, conservation groups and
the food industry. They will address the issue of growing numbers of hungry Americans and will chart a course for change for 2006.
CALL TO ACTION
How can you help raise awareness about hunger in America? Support or host an event. Attend an event and or Host a local event: Contact your local and find your local food bank or food-rescue organization, for more information: Click Hunger in America 2006
The America's Second Harvest Network produced Hunger in America 2006, a comprehensive profile of the incidence and nature of hunger and food insecurity in the U.S. Learn more about hunger in the United States.Source:Hunger Day
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THE WITCH HUNT CONTINUES: MORE MUSLIM CHARITIES BEING TARGETED
May 8, 2006, (WASHINGTON, DC, 5/8/2006) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and MAS Freedom Foundation today announced a campaign urging Wachovia to explain and reverse its Jan 2006 decision to close the accounts of the Foundation for Appropriate and Immediate Temporary Help (FAITH) – a small, Northern Virginia charity that provides assistance to people of all faiths. It also asked community members to speak out against this move which was made despite no evidence of wrong doing by FAITH.
In November, 2005, Wachovia sent a letter to FAITH announcing that the organization's accounts would be closed in January, 2006. Wachovia had never previously expressed any concern about the charity. At all times during FAITH's several-year relationship with Wachovia the organization's accounts were in good standing.
Originally, despite numerous attempts by FAITH to discuss the issue with Wachovia, the bank's position remains unsatisfactory. Wachovia Senior Vice President Jeraldine Davis said in a letter to the charity, "As you are aware the Bank's contract with FAITH provides that the Bank can close any customer's account at any time..."
"Wachovia's heavy-handed approach to this small community charity requires explanation," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad. "Since 9/11, the American Muslim community has noticed disturbing trends within the national banking community where law-abiding American Muslims are seemingly and summarily being denied service based solely on their name, religion or ethnicity."
Wachovia apparently has had a change of heart more recently and informed FAITH and CAIR that they would re-examine the case. The campaign is on hold for the time being, as the charity and community await the outcome of this internal investigation.
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JOBS IN THE COMMUNITY
CIGOC has several job openings. We are looking for Office Manager, Director of Outreach, Outreach Coordinator, a Graphic Designer and Director of Development. We have 5 paid internship open as well. Send your resume to jobs@ciogc.org or drop it off at the office.
If your masjid is also looking for some employees, please let us know, we will broadcast that as well.
CIOGC
Director Outreach & Director Development
With six employees, a good-sized budget, and an office in the heart of downtown Chicago, the Council is a dynamic, ethnically diverse place to work. We are looking for talented people who believe in pleasing Allah by serving humanity. We would like an Outreach Director to lead our full-time, three-person outreach team and other volunteers. We are also looking for a Director of Development for Fundraising with good Khutba skills.
In addition, we are seeking a graphic designer. For us, good writing skills and dedication are more important than degrees. Please send resumes to jobs@ciogc.org or by postal mail to Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, 231 S. State St. #300, Chicago, IL 60604. For more details, please visit www.ciogc.org
Aqsa School
Teachers and Administrators
Aqsa School in Bridgeview, Illinois has been committed to excellence in education of tomorrow's Muslim women leaders for the past 20 years. The school has
experienced strong growth and currently has openings for administrative as well as teaching positions in grades pre-K to 12. Candidates should posses at least a Bachelor's degree in their subject area, a teacher's certificate and must be eligible to work in the United States. Please forward your resume to aqsaschool2005@yahoo.com or send by post to Aqsa School, 7361 W. 92nd Street, Bridgeview, Il. 60455 Attn: Principal.
The Civil Rights Education Center
Executive Director & Outreach Coordinator
The Civil Rights Education Center in downtown Chicago has immediate full- and part-time openings for dynamic, motivated and dependable individuals to fill the positions of Executive Director and Outreach Coordinator. The Muslim community faces challenges that require organizing events, creating educational materials and media work. Evening, weekend hours and travel required.
Legal or business background a plus. Mail resumes to: Dr. Seema Imam at Civil Rights Education Center, 28 E. Jackson Suite #1009 Chicago, IL 60604 or email to: simaeduk8r@aol.com.
Sound Vision Foundation
Producers and Business Manager
Sound Vision Foundation, the producer of the daily Muslim talk radio program Radio Islam, is looking for producers and a business manager for its new initiatives. Sound Vision has been a pioneer in Islamic media since its establishment in 1988. The Dallas Morning News says, "Sound Vision, is a bit of Disney, PBS, Microsoft, and Oprah all rolled into one." Join a winning team. Send your resumes to Jobs@SoundVision.com. www.SoundVision.com
If your masjid is also looking for some employees, please let us know, we will broadcast that as well.
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JOBS WANTED
1) A brother is seeking a permanent position of employment. The brother is a committed individual who is very punctual and hard working. He has a high school diploma. The brother has been reliable in past volunteer work with the Council.
2) A brother is seeking a position of employment in accounting or various other financial departments. He has extensive experience in accounting and accounting software, 3 years of professional accounting experience and 2 years of commercial bank experience. His degrees include a Bachelor's degree in Economics and Management and an associate's degree in Business Accounting.
If you are looking for a job or looking to employ someone feel free to email the council at jobs@ciogc.org.
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CALL FOR NEWS FROM YOUR MASJIDS AND CENTERS
Please send us news of important goings-on in your masjid or Islamic Center. A cross-pollination of ideas and know-how is vital to growing stronger. Email us at council@ciogc.org.
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MUSLIM CALENDER OF EVENTS
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!
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