O
n Saturday December 12, CIOGC held its bi-monthly House of Representatives meeting, which was attended by leaders from various mosques and organizations. The meeting was hosted by The Mecca Center in Willowbrook who was very hospitable, providing a lavish breakfast table and lunch. The meeting commenced with Qur’an recitation by Sheikh Hassan Aly. Next was a review and approval of the agenda followed by announcements of the latest events and happenings by member organizations. In the wake of current events, the topic of Islamophobia and our reaction was discussed, which highlighted the importance of dealing with security issues, developing a strategy to respond to the media, combating bigotry, and creating a database of literature reviews.
Further, Dr. Bambade Shakoor-Abdullah from CMECCA School presented on Bystander Training, a civic engagement strategy that empowers communities to identify youth and young adults at risk for radicalization and violent extremism. Other presentations at the meeting included Open Mosque Day, CIOGC 2016 Youth Department plan, CIOGC 2016 Programs and Graphics Plan, and The Mecca Center extension plan. The meeting concluded by discussing the outstanding items on the agenda which was then followed by the closing dua’. CIOGC appreciates the attendance by representatives from member organizations and encourages all members to attend future meetings. The next HR meeting will be in February.