Civic engagement is a cornerstone of community-building within the Council. It is the practical application of Islamic principles that call upon Muslims to strive for justice. Our civic engagement efforts has many components including:
- Working with community-based groups to provide social services
- Reaching out to starting dialogue with local, state and federal government agencies
- Educating people on issues and on policies that can help improve our communities
These are just a few examples of civic engagement. Any activity that gets people involved in their communities to bring about improvements and to help strengthen the community can be described as civic engagement.
The Council’s work in Government Affairs
The Council’s work in government affairs is largely focused on educating the greater community on how to engage with the government in a productive and constructive manner. The Muslim American community not only learns about civic engagement through the Council, it also has the opportunity to try the strategies and techniques through an array of campaigns that the Council works on in coalition and collaboration with other religious (interfaith) and community-based groups. And through the annual Muslim ACTION! Day, where Muslims from all over Illinois have the opportunity to visit Springfield, Illinois and actively engage with legislators.
The Council’s government affairs work is largely done in partnership and collaboration with other groups. Over the years the Council has forged strong relationships with United Power for Action and Justice (UPAJ), the Illinois Coalition on Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR), the Chicago Faith Coalition on Middle East Policy, Faith in Place, Protestants for the Common Good, the United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church, the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs (JCUA).