The event grew from 1,500 attendees in 2001 to more than 25,000 by 2019. After a break in 2020, it resumed successfully and broke attendance records with 30,000 in 2022. This year the event attracted 45,000 attendees from across the United States and Canada.

This year, it was held under the theme, “Breaking Chains & Driving Change.”

Against the backdrop of global crises, including the atrocities in Gaza, this year’s convention promised to be a profound exploration of societal transformation, unity, and hope for American Muslims and the broader global Muslim community.

The devastating events in Gaza have left a deep imprint on Muslims worldwide, especially in the United States. The unimaginable suffering has ignited a collective resolve to confront challenges and advocate for justice.

This year’s theme reflected the complex process of dismantling societal constraints and fostering a movement for a more equitable and inclusive future.

Whether through steady, deliberate progress or bold, decisive action, the convention aimed to inspire attendees to unite and take tangible steps toward building a liberated society.

This family-oriented event for American Muslims focused on a variety of lectures and workshops for adults and youth featuring acclaimed speakers. It also included a huge bazaar with more than 500 booths, a carnival for children, and entertainment sessions.

Source: About Islam

A growing number of hate crimes targeting Muslims and Palestinians in the US city of Chicago is raising concerns, according to an official at the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

Maggie Slavin, operations manager at the CAIR branch in the Midwestern US city, told Anadolu that there has been a 196% increase in hate crimes against Muslims and Palestinians in the city since last October, when Israel’s ongoing offensive against the Gaza Strip began.

Slavin said the incidents are occurring in workplaces, schools, and public spaces, with individuals facing consequences for expressing solidarity with Gaza and Palestine.

She highlighted that the Muslim American community is facing tight censorship. In workplaces, people are punished for expressing support for Gaza, and on campuses, students face administrative sanctions for advocating Palestinian rights, she added.

She said authorities’ response to the increase in hate crimes is “uncertain.” While some police departments are cooperative, she said, others require persistent advocacy.

On a recent attack on a Palestinian-owned cafe in the residential area of Uptown, she said the Chicago Police Department initially declined to classify the incident as a hate crime.

“We have to be absolutely relentless until that police department – until the authorities – agree with us that it was a hate crime,” she said.

Nabala Cafe, a Palestinian-owned cafe in Uptown that displays a Palestinian flag, was attacked last week.

Actual antisemitism threat to all minorities

The rise in anti-Muslim sentiment is also being echoed by the resurgence of federal surveillance. Slavin compared the current atmosphere to the era after the September 2001 terrorist attacks in the US.

“We’ve gotten a lot of calls about inappropriate interactions from the FBI or from federal authorities … This kind of feels like a witch hunt,” she explained.

When the FBI shows up at people’s doors, they are frightened and call CAIR to ask what to do, Slavin said. “We haven’t seen anything like that,” she noted. “That’s kind of a very scary new thing that’s happening.”

She expressed frustration with the misuse of the term “antisemitism” to stifle criticism of Israel’s policies.

“Actual antisemitism, the actual targeting of the Jewish faith, is a threat to us (Muslims), it’s a threat to all minorities,” she said.

“But when everything is thrown out as, ‘Oh, it’s anti-Semitic,’ ‘Oh, you’re being anti-Semitic,’ it just whittles that down to not being a serious thing,” she underlined.

What they are doing is “a legitimate criticism of Israel’s policies” and what Israel has been doing in Gaza and the West Bank, she said.

Killing of Turkish American activist was ‘targeted attack’

On recent killing of a Turkish American activist by Israeli forces in the West Bank, Slavin said it was no accident. Aysenur Ezgi Eygi was a vocal advocate for Palestinian rights, she said, adding: “We think that it was a targeted attack.”

“It just goes to show that even if you’re American, if you are Muslim, the IDF (Israeli army) do not care and will erase your humanity to the point of actually murdering you.”

Slavin said the Israeli army see nothing but resilience from Palestinians “who are experiencing this brutal genocide.”

Doing anything less than being resilient would be a “dishonor” to Palestinians, she said.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Following the success of last year’s inaugural event, the Illinois Muslim Chamber of Commerce (ILMCC) hosted its second annual Naperville Halal Fest to celebrate the cultural diversity of the area, on Saturday, August 3, at Frontier Park in Naperville, Chicago. The ILMCC coordinated it with assistance from other groups. Tickets were required to enter the festival. From 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., guests enjoyed a wide variety of Muslim and Islamic traditions, food, music, and more. An estimated fifteen thousand individuals attended this festival.

Tariq Karim, the Pakistani consul general in Chicago, attended the festival with his diplomatic delegation as well. In addition to them, the consul generals of Turkmenistan and Indonesia took part. Numerous members of Congress, state senators, state representatives, and municipal elected officials were among the elected officials present at the occasion. Everyone was enthralled with the cultural performance of the evening. Additionally, Scott Wehrli, the mayor of Naperville County, made an appearance with his cabinet.

2nd Annual Naperville Halal Fest – August 2024.

The goal of the Halal Food Festival, according to the event’s organizers, is to showcase the rich cultural legacy and varied culinary customs associated with Halal cuisine.

Chicago local exhibitors participated in this market from a variety of nations, including Pakistan, Turkey, Jordan, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Mexico, France, Sri Lanka, Kyrgyzstan, Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria. They set up delicious food stalls.

A great deal of people enjoyed their favorite foods, and the stall owners gained everyone’s affection by serving delectable meals at affordable prices. At the food festival, 200 different sorts of meals were created by shopkeepers from various countries. A schedule of good-natured events was set up for all the female festival visitors.

John, one of the guests, stated this was his first time attending a Muslim event. It is impossible to emphasize how good the halal meal was. Along from food, the focal point of the festival shifted to vendors offering apparel, trinkets, paper kites, and other goods. At these stalls, women went shopping.

There were bounce houses, pony and camel rides, and other kid-friendly activities available. All throughout the day, the kids played sports and had a great time. A wide range of additional events were also offered by the festival, such as face painting, henna, circus performances, a kid-friendly inflatable area, and a cultural mart.

Pakistani entrepreneurs in North America are celebrating culture and community in the top halal event of 2024, according to a speech made by Pakistan’s consul general Tariq Karim, who also highlighted the country’s halal food sectors.

The mayor of Naperville, Scott Wehrli, stated his admiration for the event, meeting a sizable Muslim community, and enjoying halal cuisine. He became very delighted to see the enormous crowd and that the festival is better than last year. At the 2024 Halal Festival, renowned entrepreneur Anisa Mathana was awarded the highest honor.

The distinguished position of community leader was bestowed upon Ahmed Abdul Qadeer. Chicago Muslim Police Officer Syed Qadri received the Excellence in Service Award at the Halal Festival 2024, where he also earned the Leadership Award. He has eighteen years of police service under his belt.

According to Shafiq Abubakar, President of the Muslim Chamber of Commerce, these events are crucial to maintaining the unity of the Muslim community. The non-profit Illinois Muslim Chamber of Commerce works to advance the economic growth of the Muslim community.

Source: Patch.com

The First Muslim Institution of Higher Education in America

American Islamic College’s undergraduate program, well rounded and grounded in a solid Liberal Arts & Science framework, prepares the students for more than just a career; it prepares the students for a life of purpose and impact. Careers in government, education, international relations, law enforcement, foreign service, diversity and inclusion, translation, social service administration, chaplaincy, spiritual care and religious leadership, military, international business or relief work, further graduate or professional study and many other fields will be within reach with an AIC bachelor’s degree. Statistics show that these occupations will continue to be in high demand in a changing world.

AIC is now just one of two independent Muslim colleges in America that have achieved academic accreditation on their own merits.

History

American Islamic College was incorporated in September 1981 as a private, not-for-profit, four-year institution of higher education meant to offer especially strong programs in Islamic Studies and the Arabic Language. In November 1982, AIC received authority from the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) to operate as a postsecondary institution. The search for suitable premises led to the purchase of its present property in March 1983.

The College first opened its doors to students in September 1983 and in May 1984, IBHE bestowed degree-granting authority on AIC for the B.A. in Arabic Studies and the B.A. in Islamic Studies.

Beginning in 2009, American Islamic College embarked upon a new phase of significant reorganization and the installation of a reformed governance structure and a new administration. In 2010, the campus buildings and grounds underwent extensive renovation and remodeling. It was then that AIC reemerged as a revitalized resource of the Muslim community, hosting two consecutive international conferences on Islam in America, organizing public lectures and offering a variety of non-credit and non-degree classes in subjects such as Islamic History, Islamic Art, and Arabic. In the Fall of 2013, after being granted IBHE operating authority once again, the College reopened its doors to undergraduate students and—for the first time—graduate students.

American Islamic College was granted Candidacy Status for Accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) in February 2020 and Initial Accreditation in March 2024.

Vision

Welcoming students of all faiths and backgrounds, American Islamic College (AIC) is a Chicago-based institution of higher learning grounded in Islamic values and steeped in Islam’s rich and diverse intellectual and cultural traditions. AIC promotes appreciation for the scope and richness of Islamic history and civilization both in and beyond the classroom by means of significant research, impactful teaching, and informative public events highlighting Islam’s intellectual, artistic, and cultural expressions. Through rigorous scholarship and a commitment to social justice, the collective good, civic involvement, interfaith understanding, and intercultural engagement, AIC prepares students to become critical thinkers, visionary leaders, and responsible global citizens.

Mission

To be a fully accredited university that will serve the diverse American Muslim community and the nation as a whole in perpetuity; to offer rigorous and professionally sound programs that prepare students to take up educational, leadership, and policy-making roles in American society; to serve as a resource for American institutions and individuals seeking academically anchored and culturally competent knowledge about Islam and Muslims.

Academic Programs

• Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Studies

The Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Studies is a four-year sequence of instructional coursework that culminates in the Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree. The Islamic Studies component of the Program features content and pedagogy commensurate with the disciplines of Islamic and Religious Studies, Qur’anic and Hadith studies, Islamic legal theory, classical Islamic theology and philosophy, Islamic spirituality, and allied social science, economic and political theories.

Students must also fulfill standard Bachelor’s level requirements in general education, imparting a solid foundation in the humanities as well as the social and physical sciences. Upon completion, graduates will be prepared to pursue academic, occupational and career options, which are appropriately aligned with this field of study. The Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Studies Program requires 120 semester hours.

• Master of Arts in Islamic Studies

The MA degree program is designed to provide students with a rigorous background in both traditional and analytical approaches to Islamic Studies. The program offers two distinct areas of concentration: Islamic Theology and Islam and Global Studies. The Islamic Theology concentration will train students in such disciplines as Qur’anic studies, Hadith studies, Islamic Jurisprudence (al-Fiqh), and Islamic Spirituality. The Islam and Global Studies concentration will focus on Islamic history, international studies, and critical theory. Students in both tracks will take the same core courses, thus ensuring that students acquire a well-rounded foundation in both areas.

MDiv students, or MA students who wish to go on for the Master of Divinity in Islamic Studies must select the Islamic Theology concentration.

All MA students are expected to complete 36 credit hours. Students at the graduate level are required to take 21 credit hours as part of the core requirements and 15 credit hours in their concentration. As part of the MA program, students are required to complete a MA Thesis which is counted as a 3 credit 500-level course within the chosen area of concentration.

• Master of Divinity in Islamic Studies

The Master of Divinity in Islamic Studies, which composes our Muslim Chaplaincy Program, is a 72-credit degree program designed specifically for students who wish to become professional and credentialed Muslim leaders, spiritual caregivers, or chaplains. AIC’s MDIV curriculum in Islamic Studies lays the groundwork for learning the foundational Islamic knowledge that equips students with training in fields—such as religious history, theology, scriptural studies, Islamic spiritual counseling, and ethics of professional practice—that parallel for Muslim chaplains much of the seminary or rabbinical school training that many future chaplains from other traditions undergo as part of their spiritual formation and preparation to serve as faith representatives in public settings.

AIC’s Muslim Chaplaincy Program curriculum also fulfills national standards for equivalencies in religious training and leadership set by the Board of Chaplaincy Certification, should Muslim chaplaincy students seek this form of certification in the future. Additionally, AIC’s Muslim Chaplaincy Program partners with equivalent graduate programs in the network of the Association of Chicago Theological Schools that allows cross course registration and the expansion of interfaith experience that Muslim students will need as future chaplains in secular and multi-faith public settings.

Finally, Muslim Chaplaincy Program students are required to complete Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), Field Education, as well as courses related to counseling, spiritual care, and applied leadership skills as a part of their holistic preparation to serve as Muslim faith leaders in multi-religious and/or secular public institutions such as hospitals, prisons, the military, and universities.

AIC’s Master of Divinity in Islamic Studies program has affiliate status with the Association of Theological Schools (ATS).

Contacts

• Address: 640 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60613, US
• Phone: +1 (773) 281-4700
• Email: info@aicusa.edu
• Website: https://aicusa.edu/

Coming together on Saturday at Frontier Park, Naperville, attendees had the opportunity to indulge in a rich array of experiences, including food, traditional attire, arts, culture, and more.

“This organization needs to support and help and connect between the Muslim businesses so that they can grow,” said ILMCC President Shafeek Abubaker.

“Food vendors, over here, we have around 20 food vendors to give them an opportunity so that they can present their products, their food to the larger community,” he added.

Opening doors to people of all faiths and backgrounds, the festival aimed to foster community unity and promote interfaith dialogue.

With thousands of attendees participating in the event, organizers of the Naperville Halal Fest plan to hold the event annually.

Naperville City Councilman Benny White was among attendants to support the inaugural event.

Similar events usually bring people together, sharing food and conversation.

Earlier this year, the North Carolina Muslim Festival brought hundreds of people together to build bridges with community members.

Last December, the Islamic center of Cambridge, Ontario, invited neighbors for a fun night of games, gifts, prizes and more in the annual Family Fun Night.

Also in Greater Lansing, the Islamic center hosted Salaam Peace Festival to bring different cultures together through exhibits and food.

Source: AboutIslam.net

Interfaith America (previously known as Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC)) was founded in 2002 based on the idea that religious difference should serve as a bridge of cooperation rather than a barrier of division. Since that time, Interfaith America has evolved from a small Chicago-based nonprofit to the nation’s premier interfaith organization.

Led by Founder and President Eboo Patel, Interfaith America inspires, equips, and connects leaders and institutions to unlock the potential of America’s religious diversity. Utilizing a research-backed approach, IA works across higher education, racial equity, health, workplace, bridgebuilding, democracy, and technology.

Interfaith America provides expert consultation, training, curricula, and resources to positively engage religious diversity. It values collaboration, developing robust institutional partnerships to leverage interfaith cooperation as a proven approach in solving challenges.

Interfaith America have made college and university campuses the center of their strategy; working where the minds and values of emerging leaders are shaped and conversations take place that steer broad cultural change. Campus is where students and educators engage the complex ideas that will shape our country’s future. It’s where young people learn to be citizens and leaders. It’s where issues of diversity and difference are explored intellectually and experienced personally and up-close. It’s an environment that can model the highest ideals of civil society alongside some of the most divisive conflicts that we’re grappling with as a nation.

Over the years they have expanded the programs to engage leaders across the campus environment – students, faculty, administrators – building a network of over 100,000 aspiring interfaith leaders on more than 600 U.S. college and university campuses. These partners come from wildly different faiths, worldviews, and institutions, but share Interfaith America’s vision.

Today, Interfaith America and its partners continue writing the story of American interfaith cooperation, finding new ways to help people build bridges above dangerous currents of incivility and polarization.

The big idea for Interfaith America came to the founder, Eboo Patel, as the last millennium drew to a close. At a 1998 conference on interreligious engagement hosted by Stanford University, he and a small group of his peers looked around and suddenly realized that they were the only young people in the room.

They built an interfaith youth movement using service to bring together people who might disagree on ultimate truths, but share a commitment to improve their world.

Between 2003 and 2011 Interfaith America tripled its staff and launched programs ranging from interfaith service around Chicago to dialogue initiatives in the Middle East, South Africa, and India. Interfaith America partnered with the Clinton Global Initiative and Queen Rania of Jordan to create an international exchange program. They collaborated with the Tony Blair Faith Foundation to develop a fellows program that brought together young leaders to serve as interfaith ambassadors to the United Nations, focusing on malaria. Eboo was asked to speak at the 16th Nobel Peace Prize Forum and he and Interfaith America were profiled by major media outlets like the New York Times. During this time, Interfaith America also began to see unique breakthroughs on college and university campuses. This led to a breakthrough: campuses are laboratories for diverse civil society, and the perfect place for rising leaders to tackle the hardest questions of diversity and difference in the 21st century.

Contacts

• Address: 141 W. Jackson Blvd, Suite 3200, Chicago, IL 60604, US
• Phone: +1 (312) 573-8825
• Email: info@interfaithamerica.org
• Website: http://legacy.interfaithamerica.org/

As a student at Sullivan high school in Chicago, Ridwan Rashid frequently skipped lunch and was distracted by hunger, even though his school offered free meals to all students. Rashid is Muslim, as are a growing number of students at Sullivan. But until recently, none of the meals served at the Sullivan cafeteria were halal, which meant they were off limits for most of the school’s Muslim students.

But a bill that passed the Illinois legislature will change that, requiring state-funded institutions – including schools, prisons and hospitals – to provide halal and kosher meals if requested. “It’s definitely a historic moment,” said Gerald Hankerson, director of policy at the Muslim Civic Coalition, a national civic engagement non-profit that helped author the bill. “We hope it can be replicated in other states. It is very needed”.

Its passage comes as Muslim parents and community advocates across the US have spent years calling on schools to serve halal meals, arguing that it’s not just a matter of inclusion, but of food security for a community with high rates of poverty.

A staggering 33% of Muslim households in the US earn $30,000 – the poverty line for a family of four – or less each year, compared with 24% of Americans generally, according to a 2018 survey from the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. At the same time, a majority of Muslims say following halal – a set of religious guidelines for how food is prepared and consumed – is important to them. While the US offers free and reduced-price school lunches to ensure that kids don’t go hungry, some have pointed out that the program potentially excludes thousands of Muslim children because there are no requirements for meals to be religiously inclusive.

If the bill is signed by the governor, the new state requirements will go into effect in July 2024. In this case, schools will be able to offer the options for their Muslim students as well.

Read more at: The Guardian

MASOM (Midwest Association of Shia Organized Muslims) located in Chicago, IL., seeks to organize and promote religious and educational activities pursuant to Shia faith of Islam as preached by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his progeny (PBUT) and enhances mutual understanding, cooperation and unity among the Shia Muslims in Chicago and throughout the world. They also provide religious services and education, social ceremonies, such as religious meetings (Majalis), religious celebrations, marriages and funerals to promote Shia Islamic fundamentals and codes.

MASOM Islamic School (MIS)

MASOM Islamic school, as a weekend school, strives in becoming a true Shi’a Muslim, the way Almighty Allah and the Divine Imams (Peace be upon Them) want believers to be, by gaining knowledge of the pure Islam and implementing that knowledge in their daily life.

The following areas of Islamic Education are taught in the Islamic school:

a) Aa’qaid (Islamic beliefs)
b) Fiqh (Islamic laws)
c) Islamic ethics & morals
d) Islamic history

Contacts

• Address: 4353 West Lawrence Avenue, Chicago, IL 60630
• Phone: +1 (773) 283-9718
• Email: secretary@masom.com
• Website: masom.com

A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the Institute for Clinical Social Work in Partial Fulfillment for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy

Author: Laudan Moghadam

University: The Institute for Clinical Social Work, Chicago, IL, USA

Publication Date: August 2021

Abstract:

This study explores the subjective experience of five Muslim women who wear or wore hijab in the past, and faced Islamophobia, using psychoanalytic case study methodology. This study’s purpose is to gain an understanding of the short-term and long-term effects of prejudice against Muslim women. The women participants of this study are self-identified Muslims from different geographical locations and diverse backgrounds. The interviews were analyzed through within-and cross-case analysis. The data was interpreted through a psychodynamic lens, grounded in a hermeneutic and constructivist framework. Geo-political differences, racism, misogyny, lack of support, and hijab were identified by the participants as the external contributing factors resulting in the perpetuation of Islamophobia. The participants’ emotional response varied from feelings of dejection and despondency to anger and humiliation. A commonality among all five of the participants was their struggle with fear and annihilation anxiety. This is, as a result of being persecuted, they all endured feelings of being destroyed, fragmented, and ultimately felt their preservation of life being challenged. While the participants utilized various primary and secondary defenses to cope with Islamophobia, the defense of withdrawal was commonly used by all of the women. The derived protective factors in coping with Islamophobia are emotional support, validation, and maintaining a connection with both Muslims and non-Muslims.

Read the full text HERE.

Source: proquest.com

The Islamic Society of North America endorsed Jabeen to become the Air Force’s first female imam, a spiritual leader in Islam, the release said.

“Any time we advance religious freedoms, it’s a win for all persons of faith,” Schaick said in the release. “This is a big day not just for Muslims, but for persons of all faiths.”

While Air Force chaplains are ordained in their own particular faith, they are responsible for counseling and supporting the spiritual needs of all airmen in their units, even if the airman follows a different religion, or no religion at all.

In his remarks at the commissioning, Schaick spoke about the importance of diversity in the Air Force’s chaplaincy.

Source: Air Force Times