Our Values
At CIOGC, our Faith and Beliefs as Muslims serve as the guiding force for all our initiatives and projects. Rooted in our Islamic values, we are dedicated to:
Unity: Bringing people together, irrespective of background or faith, our goal is to construct bridges that foster a strong sense of community, guided by principles of solidarity.
Understanding: In line with our Islamic beliefs, we actively promote mutual respect and understanding among diverse communities. Our efforts cultivate an inclusive environment where every individual’s voice is not only acknowledged but also celebrated.
Civic Engagement: Grounded in our faith, we are committed to empowering individuals and communities to thrive. By creating opportunities for growth, education, and positive change, we embody the principles of social responsibility, addressing issues such as social justice, poverty, and building understanding among diverse communities.
The Council connects, empowers, and leads the diverse Muslim community of Illinois by guiding them to play a constructive role in advancing positive social change and progress in American society through civic education and engagement, community building, youth development, interfaith collaboration, and media advocacy.
We are the unifying federation of Islamic organizations of greater Chicagoland, the leading advocate of Muslim community interests and a catalyst for enriching American society.
Civic Engagement: We actively collaborate with other organizations to amplify our impact. By working together, we address broader social issues and create a network of change-makers committed to a better future.
Interfaith Initiatives: Building bridges among diverse faith communities, we organize events, dialogues, and programs that foster mutual respect, cooperation, and appreciation. Together, we strive for a more interconnected and harmonious society.
Human Services: Through grants, we empower local initiatives that align with our values, supporting projects that enhance education, social justice, and community development. Your support creates a positive ripple effect for years to come.
Your participation is crucial. Join us in making a positive impact on our community and beyond. Here’s how you can actively engage:
Phone Banking & Protests: Attend Phone Banking Sessions; participate in our phone banking sessions to connect with community members and spread awareness about our initiatives calling for ceasefire.
Volunteer for CIOGC – Ask to sign up today!
Volunteer for Accreditation and Certifications: Volunteers can actively contribute and earn certifications by participating in our programs, events, or even help us with your skillsets. In return, volunteers can gain valuable skills and recognition for their efforts.
Join us at IMAD: Meet Elected Officials in Person. Seize the opportunity to meet elected officials face-to-face at our events, fostering direct connections and influencing positive change.
Donate to CIOGC: Support our Billboard Campaigns, Local Muslim Food Pantries, and Winter Coat Drives, and many more initiatives throughout the year! Contribute to our community’s well-being by getting involved in supporting local Muslim Food Pantries and Winter Coat Drives. Your efforts will make a meaningful impact on those in need.
Help us share our Social Media Posts! Follow us on our Social Media accounts and share our posts to get the word out there of what we do, who we are, and how we help the Chicagoland Community as a whole.
IG: @ciogcchicago
FB: CIOGCCommuni
2001
In December 2001, the Council collaborated with the Office of Chicago Mayor, Richard Daley, to implement Chicago’s first ever Islamic display, which was on display during the 2001-2002 holiday season at Daley Plaza, in the heart of downtown Chicago, along with Christian and Jewish holiday displays. In the early 2000s, the Council actively assisted the Chicago Police Department in the development and production of a diversity video to train and sensitize police officers and other security personnel, especially those assigned to Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway airports, about the concerns of Muslim-Americans subjected to security searches at airports and other facilities. This video has been resoundingly successful and, based on requests by police departments across the U.S., appears set for broad national use. The Council is responding to increasing requests for such sensitivity training assistance from police departments as well as other government agencies, such as the I.N.S. The Council’s effective co-hosting of the annual ISNA conventions and especially its vehement post-September 11 advocacy on behalf of the Muslim community have gained it national prominence among Muslim organizations.
2002
Consequently, a significant portion of the interfaith dialogue in the Chicago area between Muslims and people of other faiths takes place under the auspices of the Council. Additionally, the Council has successfully collaborated on major cooperative projects with leading Chicago institutions. Among these projects are the historic “Chicagoans & Islam” gathering in November 2002 with United Power for Action & AMP; Justice (where, for the first time in the history of the US, about 2,500 Muslim Americans interacted on a one-on-one basis with fellow Americans from other faiths), various prominent interfaith events across the region – held independently and with partners like NCCJ, CPWR and the Office of Cardinal George; and prominent press conferences addressing a variety of topics including hate crimes, post 9-11 backlash, racial profiling, violation of civil rights of Americans and immigrants, with partners like the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR), NCCJ, the Offices of City of Chicago Mayor, Richard Daley, Illinois Governor George Ryan and Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department, Terry Hillard.
2006
In 2006, the Council established its highly anticipated monthly publication, The Chicago Crescent, a print and online newspaper devoted to stories for and about the Muslim community across Chicagoland. In addition, the group distributes an informative and engaging weekly E-Newsletter that covers CIOGC news as well as general topics of interest to the Muslim community to thousands of subscribers, encompassing a wide range of Council supporters across Chicago, Illinois, and the U.S. The Council also routinely manages and responds to requests for participation from local and national organizations and media outlets on topics and issues relating to Islam and Muslims and regularly holds meetings with editorial staff at prominent local print, broadcast, and online news media outlets to advocate on behalf of the Muslim community to ensure fair, accurate, and diverse coverage.
2020
In 2020, with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, CIOGC focused on starting new initiatives despite the lockdowns. Starting a COVID-19 Joint Task Force helped the community greatly during the pandemic through conducting educational webinars, food drives, and raising funds for those that needed assistance during the lockdown. During Ramadan, the council also introduced a way for youth in the community to connect with their masjids during lockdown through the “Know Your Imam” series online, where they could have discussions with their local masjid leaders and gain more Quranic and Islamic knowledge. The council also hosted its 1st Muslim-sponsored candidate forum, as well as orchestrating Census participation to raise awareness of issues faced in the community. CIOGC also focused heavily on social justice by creating a challenge called “#ALLINCIOGC” that was fixated on designing and implementing a social justice issue within participating masjids in Chicago. Through this, the focus on diversity was also highlighted, as more women in the community joined the masjid boards and programs to create an inclusive environment. The council also focused on the ongoing issue of systemic racism and implicit biases with the #BlackLivesMatter movement and actively made initiatives by creating an Anti-Racism Task Force to raise awareness within the community. The three A’s — Awareness, Advocacy, and Action — were executed by the council through workshops, roundtable discussions, legislative advocacy, and collaborations with local masjids and CIOGCxMSA. Lastly, CIOGC also partnered with fellow committee group Zakat Chicago during COVID-19 to collect and distribute zakat, meet the zakat-eligible needs of the community, provide youth empowerment, refugee assistance, healthcare, and food boxes across the Chicagoland area.
2021
In 2021, still grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, CIOGC continued to make strides through social and political advocacy and programs. The council continued virtually with organizing the Illinois Muslim Action Day (IMAD), which advocated immigration policy reform and public recognition of Muslim leaders. This also provided the community a national platform to voice national issues such as immigration reform, Islamophobia, and human rights abuse. In March, CIOGC also hosted a month-long program to highlight Muslim women in Chicago and the achievements they have made through their work. The online seminar series gave a platform to diverse groups in the community to highlight their accomplishments and to give advice on the hurdles they faced as Muslim women to get recognized. CIOGC also organized the Social Justice Service Challenge, in which 25 member organizations addressed social justice issues and offered grass-roots solutions to problems such as food insecurity, climate change, and criminal justice reform. The council also introduced the CIOGC Afghan Refugee Task Force, which aimed at providing resources and programs that helped in resettling Afghan refugees moving to the Chicagoland area within the next two years.
2022
In 2022, CIOGC focused heavily on interfaith work and making connections with other faith groups. The council hosted the Archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal Blase Cupich, and the Archdiocese of Chicago for an iftar (breaking fast of Muslims in Ramadan), to celebrate 23 years of collaboration and working together. The Interfaith Committee also expanded the Mustard Seed Project, in collaboration with MPAC and One America Movement, to combat the polarization between groups who do not share the same religious beliefs. Through these events, the dialogues between Evangelical Christians and Muslims created open and honest discussions about themselves, their identities, beliefs, and aspirations. CIOGC also chaired the flagship event of the Interfaith Banquet hosted by the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), which hosted over 200 local interfaith leaders and elected representatives. Working with the Presbyterian Church, CIOGC also hosted a virtual event called “Maryam/Mary — A Bridge Between Muslims and Christians,” which focused on recognizing and celebrating the common beliefs shared between the two faiths. Along with the interfaith work, CIOGC also focused on bringing different voices to understanding Quranic reflections. Through this initiative, each weekend a new scholar would virtually discuss topics of the Qur’an and answer questions in relation to that day’s topic. This gave the community a chance to connect not only with different masjid leaders but also to build relationships with their mosques in continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.
2023
In 2023, CIOGC worked heavily on its civic engagement within the community. The council was able to organize a very crucial meeting with the Mayor of Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson, in which important topics such as providing a platform for our communities to be heard were discussed. Mayor Johnson also expressed his interest in working with faith-based communities and recognized CIOGC’s work as a leading organization for over 30 years. Along with this, after two years of being virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Illinois Muslim Action Day returned to in-person for very important and necessary meetings with Chicago elected officials. The CIOGC team was able to meet with Governor JB Pritzker, Speaker of the House Chris Walsh, and representatives from the office of Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as a reminder and to educate the leaders of the continuous work done by the Muslim community in the civic space. The council also had the opportunity to work closely in the mayoral elections at the time through a meet-and-greet with candidates such as Congressman Chuy Garcia and Paul Vallas to help the community understand and have a connection with those whom they are electing as their future mayor and what they can do for our community. Speaking of the future, CIOGC also encouraged youth in our community, such as high school and college students, through a remarkable opportunity to step into Illinois politics and witness firsthand how intricate the process of lawmaking is.
2024
In 2024, CIOGC focused on the importance of advocacy within the community. With the development of the Palestine-Israel conflict, the council initiated a press conference at Navy Pier ahead of the Democratic National Convention (DNC). This was to highlight and deliver direct messages to the DNC about the ongoing issues of Islamophobia, the Muslim community’s influence on voting, and administrative policies concerning Gaza at a larger political scale within Chicago. Along with this, CIOGC also orchestrated a gathering of community organization leaders to discuss and improve their collective humanitarian efforts. This was led with discussions of aid distribution and maximizing efforts toward areas of conflict such as Syria, Gaza, Sudan, and more Muslim countries. CIOGC also collaborated with AMP and ICNA to organize and participate in a March on Washington for Gaza, in which 400,000 individuals converged for a historic peaceful march to emphasize the passionate commitment to advocacy and utilize every resource at our disposal to support the cause. Through CIOGC’s interfaith work, the council was also able to host our Methodist and Catholic partners for our annual iftar, where the emphasis was to highlight and discuss the ongoing tragedies in Gaza and to show the community that there is support from our Methodist community when it is most needed.
