The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC), representing over 400,000 Muslims in the Chicagoland area, recently joined Muslim community leaders in expressing support for a resolution (City Clerk R20r.6-e08) presented by the Chicago Human Relations Commission at a Chicago City Council hearing on December 5 to condemn hate speech and violence against Muslims and those perceived to be, immigrants, and people of color. CIOGC also reaffirmed support for the Chicago Welcoming City Ordinance (City Clerk R20t6-8771).
President-elect Donald Trump’s calls for a Muslim registry, profiling of individuals from Muslim countries, and deportation of millions of immigrants, has sent shockwaves of fear and anxiety among Muslims and other groups. With the introduction of the anti-hate resolution and reaffirmation of the welcoming ordinance, the City of Chicago continues to uphold its commitment to being a sanctuary city for all the various communities that call Chicago home.
The resolution, which the full Council will take up next week, specifically states the City Council of Chicago ‘categorically rejects political tactics that use fear to manipulate voters, commits to pursuing a policy agenda that affirms civil and human rights, and reaffirms the value of a pluralistic society.’ Alderman Scott Waguespack of the 32nd ward says the resolution “is a way for many cities to condemn this kind of hate targeted against immigrants and all people of color.”
Executive Director of CIOGC, Tabassum Haleem, expressed the Muslim community’s support for the resolutions: “Regardless of the rhetoric or actions at the national level, we know that efforts at the city level are critical for systemic change to occur. This is where we live, where we work and where we worship. It is here that we are surrounded by our colleagues, neighbors, family and friends.”
“The support for these resolutions by our elected officials speaks immensely of Chicago as a multi-cultural city and all of Illinois as having a long history of welcoming people of all cultures, religions, ethnicities, races, lifestyles and other identities. In fact, it is precisely for those reasons that Illinois is home to the third largest Muslim population in the U.S.”