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Daily Herald: Inching Towards Understanding Suburban students launch project to bring Jews and Muslims together Born in Belarus and raised in Buffalo Grove, surrounded by Jewish immigrants like himself, Jacob Katz grew up knowing little of Islam and less of Muslims. Television shows and movies taught Sharif Murphy about Judaism, a lesson the Muslim man from Hoffman Estates knew was incomplete. Naperville’s Julia Geynisman tired of watching Jewish and Muslim students clash, driven by tensions rooted thousands of miles away in the Middle East. Together, these University of Illinois at Chicago students are trying to unravel the knot of conflict among Jews and Muslims one conversation at a time. Katz, Murphy and Geynisman are among the suburban students trying to get students at the Chicago campus talking about what they share, rather than shouting about what they don’t. Called Jewish American Muslim Students, the group brings together students of all faiths for cultural films, Middle Eastern dinners and tonight for a play called “From Tel Aviv to Ramallah: A Beatbox Journey” that chronicles a day in the life of a Palestinian Internet cafe owner and an Israeli disc jockey. By hanging out, organizers say, students may begin to see each other as people — not Jewish or Muslim, not Arab or Israeli — but just people. “I feel there’s a need for a solution in the Middle East,” said Geynisman, a 19-year-old sophomore from Naperville. “I feel the only way I can contribute is to, little by little, open the minds of students around me on campus.” With a population exceeding 15,000 students, more than half of whom are ethnic minorities, many experts say the University of Illinois at Chicago is a fitting laboratory. “UIC had a history of very negative and sometimes violent interactions between Jews and Arabs,” said professor Rachel Havrelock, who works with the Jewish and Muslim student group. Such rancor eased during recent years. Still, a divide persists along religious and cultural lines, a divide Havrelock and her band of students hope to bridge. “They are ready for this key moment in their lives to investigate some traditional biases they perhaps grew up with,” Havrelock said. What begins on campus need not stay there, said community leaders of both faiths. This new push by Jewish and Muslim students adds to interfaith initiatives around Chicago and the suburbs. MORE 
CAIR-Chicago Organizes 2nd Annual Lecture Series on Islam CAIR-Chicago is organizing a series of introductory level lectures on Islam with Elderhostel on a program titled Building Bridges to Islam. The goal of this series is to offer citizens of the Chicagoland area an opportunity to enhance their knowledge of Islam, as well as to interact with members of their local Muslim communities. CAIR Chicago's Executive Director, Ahmed Rehab, will coordinate the program. There are an estimated seven million Muslims in America today and nearly 2,000 mosques, Islamic schools and Islamic centers across the country. Indeed, Islam is one of the fastest-growing religions in the world, yet it is often perplexing to outsiders. Is the image of Muslims we see in the media the true face of Islam? What is it like to be a Muslim in the United States today? We answer these questions and more as we gain an introduction to Islam and examine the faith, cultures and traditions it has created. In addition, we highlight the history and struggles of American-Muslims and discuss the commonalities among Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Finally, a panel discussion helps clarify the commonly misunderstood aspects of Islam, such as the rights of women, jihad, and democracy. As a special privilege, guests will have an opportunity to tour the mosque, observe noon prayer, and enjoy a Middle Eastern lunch. "This is a wonderful experience for everyone involved; the feedback we're getting from the audience is heartwarming," Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago and the program's administrator said. "They come to us with a burning curiosity and a a sincere desire to understand; in turn, we try to candidly address all their questions, and to leave no controversial topic untouched. This is the sort of community-driven initiative that America needs more of at this juncture in our history." The program will take place at the Islamic Center of Des Plaines, at 480 Potter Road, Des Plaines, 60016 on every Wednesday from April 5 to May 10 MORE see Press Release for Elderhostel Event Copyright (C) 2006 CAIR-Chicago 
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ONGOING PROGRESS: View reports of ongoing progress for cases with the Civil Rights Department in the “Progress Report” section. ACTION ALERTS: Citizenship Delay Project - Religious Discrimination Delays Citizenship Process: As a joint effort with the Arab American Action Network (AAAN), CAIR-Chicago is asking individuals who passed a citizenship examination and have been waiting for over 90 days, or have been waiting for a Green Card for permanent residence for over 90 days to contact us at either mennakhalil@gmail.com Travel Free Project - Muslim Americans Detained and Questioned When Traveling Outside of the U.S.: As part of a potential class action law suit, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and CAIR-Chicago is asking anyone who has been detained and questioned on return to the US at any border crossing (land or airport) to please contact travelfree@cairchicago.org. Religious Discrimination at Standardized Testing Centers: As part of a potential class action law suit, CAIR-Chicago is asking for anyone who has experienced any form of religious discrimination at a testing center to please contact us at civilrights@cairchicago.org. An example of a possible form of religious discrimination includes requiring or requesting the removal of a headscarf for searches, or discriminatory remarks made by employees about Muslims or Islam. The facts of the above case are as follows: A Muslim student was asked to remove her headscarf on two separate occasions at a testing center before she began a standardized test required for graduate school. The supervisor and employees of the testing center refused to show her a written copy of the policy requiring Muslim women wearing a headscarf to be searched. A witness at the testing center also observed the employees making discriminatory remarks about Muslims while the victim was taking the test. Please let us know if you or someone you know have experienced a similar incident and would like to take action to prevent such forms of religious discrimination at standardized testing centers in the future.
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CAIR-Chicago Welcomes New Staffers to the Team 
Sultan Muhammad is CAIR–Chicago’s new Communications Coordinator. His professional background and life experience have been highly concentrated in the field of audio-visual communications and the development of Islamic media as educational tools. Sultan produced ‘Muslim Daily Prayers - A learner’s Guide,' is a multi-media producer by trade, having trained in broadcast editing and production at NBC/Universal and is the co-founder of MPD studios based in Chicago. At an early age Sultan studied Arabic and Islamic studies, on scholarship, at the Minaret al-Riyadh International school in Riyadh Saudi Arabia. His experiences abroad and a seventy-five year family tradition of prominent Islamic activism in America have contributed largely to his life-long focus on building understanding through education, cultural dialog, and accurate representation of Muslims and minorities in America. Sultan is the son of the late Imam Sultan Muhammad, nephew of Imam W.D. Muhammad, and the grandson of Elijah Muhammad. He is married to a Mexican-American Muslim convert and currently resides on Chicago’s South side. Sultan can be reached at communications@cairchicago.org. 
Heena Musabji is CAIR-Chicago’s new Staff Attorney. She is a graduate of the DePaul University College of Law. Previously, Heena initiated the Women and Human Rights Law Initiative at DePaul, and served as director of the Sex Trafficking Opposition and Prevention Project with the International Human Rights Law Institute. Heena has also worked with the Midwest Immigrant Human Rights Center where she provided legal assistance and outreach to asylum seekers and immigrant survivors of violence, and is still involved with the organization as a pro bono attorney. She is dedicated to serving the community and advocating for those who are denied equal access to justice. Heena can be reached at attorney@cairchicago.org.
Become a Political Organizer & Earn Class Credit! Want to help mobilize the Muslim community? Want to gain experience in the political field? Want class credit for doing what you like?The Governmental Relations Department is currently recruiting interns and volunteers for the historical political mobilization initiative, Project O. If you would like to help organize and mobilize the Muslim community or learn more about Project O, contact Governmental Relations Coordinator Sadiya Ahmed at gov.relations@cairchicago.org Are you a Law Student Looking to Earn Credit While Externing at CAIR? Extern will work closely with CAIR-Chicago's Executive Director and Civil Rights Coordinator on the following: This is an unpaid externship. Open to all law students. Are you an Undergraduate or Graduate Student Looking to Earn College Credit While Interning at CAIR-Chicago? CAIR-Chicago is currently offering 11 internship opportunities. All internships are unpaid, but students may receive college credit. Applicants need to email a resume and cover letter to Dina Rehab, Outreach Coordinator, at: outreach@cairchicago.org. CAIR-Chicago is offering the following positions for internships: Please Contact the Outreach Coordinator for more information on the tasks and duties of specific internships. Call Dina Rehab at 312-212-1520 or at outreach@cairchicago.org 
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For more information, please contact: CAIR-Chicago (A Chapter of The Council On American-Islamic Relations) 28 E. Jackson Blvd, Suite 1410, Chicago IL 60604 Phone: 312-212-1520, Fax: 312-212-1530 Email: info@cairchicago.org, Website: www.cairchicago.org Please email your comments and suggestions to info@cairchicago.org If you have received this email directly from CAIR-Chicago and wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, you may go to www.cairchicago.org , or simply reply to this e-mail and put "unsubscribe" in the subject line. You are also encouraged to read our Privacy Policy. |
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