The immigrant community is at a crucial crossroads in Illinois. This year we will elect a new Governor and Senator to our state- two offices that have very important authority over immigration and fiscal resources for the immigrant community. Join us for Immigrant Democracy Day and cast your early vote!
“We know people don’t vote in midterm elections like they do for presidential elections,” said Ali Malik, American Democracy Project fellow at CAIR-Chicago. “But I’m telling people that for us in the Muslim community it goes far beyond the controversy over the proposed New York City Ground Zero mosque. There is serious Islamophobia going on and we need to vote for people who will represent all voters equally.”
With Pastor Terry Jones’ “Burn A Koran Day” fiasco and the ongoing Park51 debate taking center stage in the media, CAIR-Chicago is taking action. We are challenging misinformation and anti-Muslim rhetoric through interfaith and outreach efforts to educate the public. You may have also seen us in the news recently, adding balanced and informed perspectives to public discourse.
“This is the holiest day for Muslims out of the year,” said Amina Sharif, communications coordinator for CAIR-Chicago. “And since this year it falls so close to 9/11, it’s an opportunity for us to discuss tolerance and peace. It’s a day that we pray for those who are struggling around the world, and that includes the families of 9/11 victims.”
CAIR-Chicago, Mosque, Foundation, and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and refugee rights (ICIRR) joined forces this year to promote voter participation in the upcoming election through a fellowship program entitled the New American Democracy Project (NADP). The program has been a resounding success, managing to register over 1,200 new voters in the just the Chicago-land area.
The Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations announced today that as a part of election activities, to encourage staff, interns, volunteers and community members to vote, the office will be closed on Election Day. It will also pull down its highly-visited website and replace it with a single splash page with the text, “We Vote.”
USER AGREEMENT | PRIVACY STATEMENT
