CIOGC Youth Programs Director, Gihad Ali, spoke at the Islamic Center of Wheaton (ICW) on Friday, December 11, 2015. In response to increased community concerns around Islamophobia, ICW presented “Coping with Today’s Challenges: Youth and Parents’ Open Discussion.” Attended by over 80 people, the event featured Sheikh Omer Haqqani, Ustadh Imran Salha and Sheikh Abdool Rahman Khan along with Ms. Ali.
Ms. Ali spoke on the topic of bullying in public schools. She reminded both parents and youth about the importance of taking all bullying incidents seriously and reporting them to school authorities. “And if you are a witness to bullying, whether it is in the halls, at the bus stop, or on social media, you must also report it. Bullying that targets students because of their religion is more than bullying; it is harassment,” Ms. Ali told the audience of youth and parents. In addition, Ms. Ali called on youth volunteers to role-play in order for them to practice how best to respond to bullying.
Sheikh Abdool Rahman Khan stressed on the importance of open communication between children and their parents in order for children to feel comfortable approaching their parents on any issues that take place outside of the home. Ustadh Imran Salha reminded youth to be proud and confident Muslims and to excel in whatever they do, whether it is academic or extracurricular. Sheikh Omer Haqqani talked about the many community resources that are available to Muslims in Chicago and how we can and should make use of them. We are proud to say that CIOGC is one of those resources. Volunteer or intern with the CIOGC by emailing youth@ciogc.org, or learn more about our youth opportunities at www.ciogc.org.