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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Council Chairman, Mr. Abdul
Malik Mujahid at malik@ciogc.org, 312-804-1962. Interviews
Available. MUSLIMS ACROSS AMERICA TO JOIN MAY 1ST MOBILIZATION IN SUPPORT OF COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM
April 24, 2006 Chicago - The past several
weeks have been a phenomenal display of the Latino Community coming together to
lobby for Comprehensive Immigration Reform. Now, in a bid to further strengthen this
demonstration of solidarity, other ethnic groups are joining in. Muslims in
America, uniting with their Latino neighbors, plan to march down the streets of
America on May 1. In the past,
leadership from the Hispanic Community stood by Muslims and called for just
treatment. Now Muslims will stand up for their
Hispanic brothers. “When they hurt,
we all hurt,” said Mr. Abdul Malik Mujahid, Chairman, of the
Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago.
“Our gathering
on May 1, 2006 is intended to send a message to the US government to do what’s
right, to do what’s humane.”
This growing movement is no longer just about undocumented laborers. It
is about all Americans, whether immigrants or their children and
grandchildren. Muslims are joining
the rallies to demand fairness, dignity and an end to the hypocrisy that ignores
illegal immigration when it’s convenient, but chooses to crack down harshly on
it when it’s expedient.
It is also about respect for all. Muslims,
like Latinos, have faced undue mistreatment and abuse. “More than 500,000 Muslims have suffered
since 9/11. It’s about time that we say no to fear and stand up for our rights
and the rights of other people. We need to march on May 1,” said Mujahid. Currently, there are reports by Muslims
and non-Muslims of years of backlog and delays to their obtaining citizenship,
even when all of the rules have been obeyed, the paperwork completed and fees
paid.
Contact:
Interviews available with Mr. Abdul
Malik Mujahid at malik@ciogc.org and 312-804-1962.
About the
Council:
The Council represents
over 50 mosques and Islamic centers, schools and
organizations throughout Chicagoland with a cross-section of over 400,000 Muslim
Americans in the Greater Chicago area. You can stay abreast of concerns and
activities of the Muslim community by subscribing to a weekly e-newsletter
published by the Council. Please call or send your request to
council@ciogc.org with “Subscribe to Newsletter” in
your subject line.
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