Nazi symbols and the logo of the Greek far-right political party, Golden Dawn, were spray-painted on the Muslim tombstones, and leaflets of the party littered the cemetery. The Golden Dawn leaflets bore the slogan, “Greece belongs to the Greeks.” “This kind of attack in Greece is not happening for the first time, and it will not be the last… This attack is a very good indicator and part of the rising Islamophobia and racism in Europe and Greece in recent years” Ali Huseyinoglu of Trakya University’s Balkan Research Institute, who hails from Western Thrace, told Anadolu Agency…The attack was reported just after the last Sunday’s European Parliament (EP) elections in Greece, according to Huseyinoglu.

Underlining that in that election Greece’s Friendship, Equality and Peace Party (FEP) won the support of ethnic Turks living in the country, Huseyinoglu said this attack may have carried out in response to the party’s success.

According to data from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), of 128 hate crime incidents recorded by Greek police in 2017, only 46 resulted in prosecutions, and a mere six resulted in sentences. Decrying the lack of deterrents against Islamophobic attacks, Huseyinoglu said: “Such Islamophobic attacks are likely to continue because there are no effective sanctions or effective judicial mechanisms.”

Source: Anadolu Agency

Mission

To be the unifying federation of Islamic organizations of greater Chicagoland, the leading advocate of Muslim community interests and a catalyst for enriching American society.

Accomplishments

Over the course of its relatively short history, the Council has achieved several significant milestones. The first accomplishment was the Council’s work to cultivate an open, collegial forum for Chicago area Muslim leaders to share ideas and concerns and collectively resolve problems. From time to time, based on emerging needs in the community, the Council has also actively facilitated the formation of new organizations, such as the Muslim Civil Rights Center and, most recently, the Organization of Islamic Speakers.

Through its outreach efforts on behalf of its members, the Council has formed invaluable relationships with several faith-based groups, including: the Archdiocese of Chicago; Protestants for the Common Good; the Chicago Board of Rabbis; the Catholic Theological Union; other religious constituencies, including Methodists, Presbyterians, and Unitarians; and faith-based civic groups, such as the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ), and the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions (CPWR).

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 & 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.

The Council has also been instrumental in successfully uniting Muslims from across the United States and Canada for the annual conventions of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), a world-renowned federation of North American Muslim organizations. The Council has been an indispensable partner with ISNA in organizing and managing the conventions, particularly the many conventions held in Chicago during the 1990s. In recent years, the ISNA annual convention has become one of the world’s largest gatherings of Muslims, attended by approximately 50,000 people. During the Chicago conventions, the Council has also assumed full responsibility for organizing and hosting all interfaith events held during the convention.

What We Do

The Council provides professional help, guidance, and resources to local Masjids (mosques) and Muslim community organizations so they can empower their leadership and communities. Our resources are available to those who are interested in enhancing their organizational capacity so that they can serve their members and communities most effectively.

Some services and areas of expertise that the Council can offer include:

• Legal Advice & Lobbying Practices
• Accounting
• Fundraising Strategies
• Leadership Development
• Training on Grassroots Involvement
• Public Relations and Media Relations
• Islamic School Curriculum Development
• Communications & Media Relations Training
• Promotions and Advertising
• Technical Assistance
• Goal Setting and Strategic Planning

Contacts

• Address: 231 South State St., Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60604, USA
• Phone: +1 312 506 0070
• Email: info@ciogc.org
• Website: http://www.ciogc.org/