CIOGC and Muslim community leaders met with the Alianza Americas and Latino community activists on February 3 for a dialogue to address President Donald Trump’s ban on Muslim immigrants and refugees. Representing the Chicagoland Muslim community were Dr. Bassam Osman, Shahnawaz Khan, Karen Danielson, Dr. Zaher Sahloul, Suzanne Sahloul, Ahlam Jbara, Nareman Taha, and Itedal Shalabi.
The program offered opportunities to discuss and develop common understanding and cause with each other. Earlier that day, Alianza Americas and the Mosque Foundation came together for a #WeAreAllAmerica action in which Muslims and their neighbors formed a human chain around the mosque as a symbol of unity and resistance against the “Muslim ban.”
The dialogue, which was organized by Alianza Americas, allowed members of the Muslim community to share the challenges they are facing due to the ban. Members of the both Latino and Muslim communities then shared common experiences and struggles which helped illustrate the real-life negative impact the ban has had on the lives of their families and communities.
Reiterating the message that “an attack on the Muslim community is an attack on all of us,” Alianza Americas Board President Claudia Lucero stated, “We believe that this is the time for our communities to see their own individual struggles as part of a larger shared struggle against prejudice, racism, and xenophobia.” The groups are currently planning next steps for united action.