Huge turnout at Islamic Foundation to express solidarity with Muslims
On Sunday, Feb. 5, the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC) hosted an event with Senator Richard Durbin, including several leaders from faith and civic organizations, at Islamic Foundation in Villa Park to condemned President Trump's executive order to ban Muslim and Syrian refugees and visitors from seven Muslim countries among other restrictions on travel.
The topic of the day was "How to Challenge the #Muslim Ban." The program included speeches of legal experts, public officials, Congressional leaders, and community and faith leaders.
According to Islamic Foundation, one of the senior members said, "This program and topic is especially important because President Trump's ban on Syrian refugees and visitors from seven Muslim countries among other restrictions on travel."
The program was competently emceed by Husnaa Vhora. It started with a Quran recitation and translation by young student Mustafa Saeed. ICN Boy Scout troops presents the Pledge of Allegiance.
The speakers were focused on the following questions:
• How does the unfair executive order affect our community?
• What should we expect?
• How can we build coalitions to change it and mobilize the broader community?
The speakers of the event were attorney Thomas Anthony Durkin from Durkin & Roberts, Maaria Mozaffar from CAIR-Chicago, Amina Saeed from MBA REP, ACLU Executive Director Colleen Connell, Aliya Hussain from DuPage United, Bishop Wayne Miller from Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Saleem Shaikh from Muslim Community, Dr. Zaher Sahloul, Suzanne Akhras Sahloul, Dilara Alim Sayeed, as well as many others interfaith leaders. The keynote speaker was Sen. Dick Durbin. During his speech, the Illinois Democrat warned President Trump, "Faced with the humanitarian crisis of our time, the United States cannot turn its back on children fleeing persecution, genocide, and terror. I am son of immigrant. My mother came at the age of two in this country.
Sen. Durbin also said no Syrian refugee has ever involved in an act of terrorism in the United States. We are not happy with what's going on. President not bar individuals from entering into the United States based on their religion. Muslim ban is unnecessary and unconstitutional. It discriminates on the basis of religion and national origin, denies our residents access to due process and equal protection of the law and violates federal immigration law. Mr. Durbin further said we must condemn bias and bigotry aimed at Muslim-Americans and make it clear that we will not tolerate religious discrimination in this country at all. At the end of the event, a prayer was offered by Mustafa Farooqui.