Home      |      Weblog      |      Articles      |      Satire      |      Links      |      About      |      Contact

Militant Islam Monitor > Articles >

December 13, 2005

Blessed are the Peacemakers Trustee Dinner Honorees

http://www.ctu.edu/News_and_Events/Public_Events/Trustee_Dinner_Honorees.html

2005

OneVoice Initiative, founder Daniel Luzbetzky, and Middle East director Mohammad Darawshe. The OneVoice Initiative is "a global undertaking designed to amplify the voice of the people and to empower Israelis and Palestinian on the ground to achieve a consensus on core issues that can form a roadmap for conflict resolution."
Learn more about this year's dinner.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/866168/posts

"...Abigail Litle was one of nine teenagers murdered when a PLO suicide bomber, carrying a piece of paper filled with quotations from the "peaceful" Koran, blew up a bus packed with students in the Israeli city of Haifa, murdering 17 and injuring more than 50. Abigail was a Christian whose father came to Israel to study at the Haifa Technion. A member of the Children Teaching Children program of the Jewish-Arab Center for "Peace," she participated in workshops which taught "toward pluralism, tolerance and coexistence," said Mohammed Darawashe, the center's Arab director of public relations, who added insultingly: "We send our deep sympathy to all the families of the political violence, Israelis and Palestinians alike, especially those who lost their dear ones in the last 24 hours in Haifa and Gaza."

By "Gaza," Darawashe, a typical Arab apologist for terrorism — despite his work for "peace" on an Israeli payroll — meant the meager handful of Arab terrorists killed during Israel's wimpy "retaliation" last week against the PLO terrorist-controlled section of the Gaza District.

The anti-Israel Jewish-Arab Center for "Peace" was the winner of the 2001 UNESCO Prize for "Peace" Education...."

2004

News at CTU

April 15, 2003

Steven Spielberg keynotes "Peacemakers" benefit

Catholic Theological Union (CTU) of Chicago will honor filmmaker Steven Spielberg's Shoah Visual History Foundation at the graduate school's annual Peacemakers dinner April 30, 2003. Since its founding by Spielberg in 1994, the Shoah Foundation has documented the testimonies of nearly 52,000 Holocaust survivors and eyewitnesses worldwide. Mr. Spielberg will give the keynote address at the benefit event co-chaired by Renée S. Crown and Andrew J. McKenna, to be held at 5:30 p.m. at the Hilton Chicago & Towers, 720 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago.

"Because of the war in Iraq and all of the suffering going on right now, Mr. Spielberg has asked that instead of the award being given to him personally, it be directed to his Shoah Foundation. Of course we will respect this characteristic thoughtfulness on his part," said the Rev. Donald Senior, C.P., president of CTU. "We are very pleased to recognize the vision of Steven Spielberg and give this award to the Shoah Foundation for the tremendous contribution it has made to eliminating intolerance and creating a more peaceful world. Mr. Douglas Greenberg, Chief Executive Officer and President of the Shoah Foundation, will accept the award on behalf of the Foundation"

Steven Spielberg and the Shoah Visual History Foundation
Consummate filmmaker and master storyteller, Steven Spielberg has addressed some of the most daunting issues of our time. After completing his unforgettable film "Schindler's List," which chronicles one individual's efforts to save Jewish lives, Mr. Spielberg used the proceeds to establish the Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation. The Shoah Foundation has videotaped interviews with survivors and witnesses in 56 countries and in 32 languages. These resources are available to schools, organizations, and institutions, and the Shoah Foundation is working to establish testimony collections in libraries, museums, universities, and other institutions worldwide.

"Blessed are the Peacemakers" trustee dinner
The largest Catholic graduate school of theology in the U.S. Catholic Theological Union is known for its excellence and for its innovative programs in interreligious dialogue. Now in its 12th year, the annual Peacemakers dinner recognizes outstanding contributions toward peace.

Among the most recent recipients of the Peacemakers award are Cardinal Walter Kasper, Vatican emissary for relations between Christians and Jews, Queen Noor of Jordan, Nobel Laureate John Hume of Northern Ireland; Lea Rabin of Israel, and Sargent and Eunice Kennedy Shriver.

Peacemaker Dinner co-chairs
Renée Crown has devoted her considerable energy and talent to numerous local and national causes, including the Shoah Foundation. She and her daughter Susan Crown, co-hosted the Chicago premier of Mr. Spielberg's Academy Award-winning document on the Holocaust, The Last Days. A member of CTU's Bernardin Advisory Board and its Catholic-Jewish Studies committee, she also co-chaired the first Peacemakers dinner in 1999. With Shirley and Patrick Ryan, Renée and her husband Lester, have established the Crown-Ryan Chair in Jewish Studies at CTU.

Celebrated for his leadership in the Chicago civic and business community, Andrew J. McKenna, Chairman and CEO of Schwarz Paper Company, is a member of CTU's Bernardin Center Advisory Board and serves on its Catholic-Jewish Studies committee. Andrew is a director of the Big Shoulders Fund of the Chicago Archdiocese. He has received numerous industry, business, and civic awards.

MIM: David Rosen is the head of the American Jewish Committee's interfaith programs. According to him conflicts between people are not religious of theological in origin! If that is the case, why is he advocating interfaith at all?

http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/religion_identity_and_mideast_peace/

"...The 10th Annual Templeton Lecture on Religion and World Affairs

RELIGION, IDENTITY AND MIDEAST PEACE

by Rabbi David Rosen

It is true that most conflicts that are portrayed as religious conflicts are not in essence anything of the sort. Whether between Hindus and Muslims in Kashmir, Buddhists and Hindus in Sri Lanka, Christians and Muslims in Nigeria or Indonesia, Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland, or between Muslims and Jews in the Middle East, these conflicts are not at all religious or theological in origin! They are all territorial conflicts in which ethnic and religious differences are exploited and manipulated, often mercilessly..."

---------------------------------

MIM: The board members of the CTU also engage in actively setting up businesses to help 'Palestinians' and believe that the reason there is no peace in the MIddle East is really the fault of Israel. The fact that many of 'the poor impoverished people' they want to help are involved in terrorism is of no concern to this warm and fuzzy group whch includes Talat Othman, who is tied to the Bridgeview Mosque Foundation and the Islamic Association of Palestine - both funding fronts for Hamas. http://www.suntimes.com/output/marin/cst-edt-carol16.html

These are guys with very powerful pals...thanks to Othman and Bennett, a group called the Chicago Ten was born. They recruited a high-power collection of Christians, Muslims and Jews: billionaire industrialist Lester Crown, real estate magnate Penny Pritzker, former FCC chairman and attorney Newton Minow, international banking giant Robert Abboud, financier and former Searle CFO James Denny, president of the International Human Rights Institute at DePaul, M. Cherif Bassiouni, pathologist Dr. Imad Almanaseer, and president of the Catholic Theological Union, the Rev. Donald Senior

It was then that the Chicago Ten turned its attention to what this group of mostly businesspeople understood best: how to create jobs, wealth and markets.

Abboud, the banker, and Minow, the lawyer, came up with the economic plan. Denny, the business executive, joined with a newfound 11th member of the group, former diplomat J.D. Bindenagel, to spearhead the creation of a trading company. Their goal? To help the impoverished, largely unemployed Palestinians in Gaza and on the West Bank develop markets for manufactured goods and find a way to transport those goods over the border with Israel and then out to the rest of the world.

Why? Because if there is ever going to peace in this region, says Abboud, a Lebanese Christian, "There has to be economic development. There has to be a feeling of dignity. There has to be a feeling of worth. And there has to be a feeling of justice."

The Chicago Ten put their own money into trying to find a way to make the trading company a reality. It is something they won't personally make a cent from. But there are are high hurdles yet to jump. "On the Palestinian side there needs to be transparency and control," Othman says. "On the Israeli side there needs to be an opening of the borders to get goods out and yet ensure security."

Bennett and Othman and other colleagues have logged thousands of air miles going to and from the region, meeting with Israeli and Palestinian officials, not to mention powerful people in Washington, on behalf of their goal. They have joined with the East West Institute, a prestigious international think tank, and others to make this dream a reality.

----------------------

MIM: No doubt Talat Othman gloated as he found wealthy liberal non Muslims to fork over big money for this grandiose scheme entitled 'The Erez and Gaza Industrial Estates'. One wonders if t anyone besides Othman took into account that terrorism is the only industry which their estates will help sustain.

PDF] The Erez and Gaza Industrial Estates: Catalysts for Development
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
Abboud, Imad Almanaseer & Seanna Aldabagh, James ... Iman Al Wazir. Programme
Management Officer, UNDP Gaza Office. Jihad Alwazir ...
www.ewi.info/pdf/ The%20Erez%20and%20Gaza%20Industrial%20Estates_April%202005.pdf - Similar pages

http://blog.onevoicemovement.org/one_voice/2003/02/

AS this January/February Update confirms, OneVoice is gathering impressive momentum. We are now moving from arduous preparation to the need for impeccable implementation.

Success depends on all of us -- including you.

It is incumbent upon everyone to do their part so that, together, we will make a positive and concrete difference -- by amplifying the voice of the silent majority and helping moderates seize back the agenda for conflict-resolution.

***MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS****

*DARWISH TO LEAD PALESTINIAN ONEVOICE EFFORTS: Dr. Fathi Darwish, former Director General of the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Non-Governmental Affairs, has been appointed to head the Ramallah-based Palestinian office of OneVoice. Mr. Wassim Abdullah, a Management Specialist, has been appointed as Operations Director.

*LEFFLER TO LEAD ISRAELI ONEVOICE EFFORTS: David Leffler, former Director General of the Israeli Ministry of Science, Culture, and Sports, will chair the Israeli team. Mr. Assaf Halahmi, a seasoned campaign strategist, has been appointed as Operations Director.

*MEDIA COVERAGE: In January, OneVoice was interviewed by the Los Angeles Times, National Public Radio, two Israeli and two Palestinian newspapers, and several news wires, among others.

*ONEVOICE ENTERTAINMENT COUNCIL LAUNCHED: The Hollywood and Mideast Entertainment community is rallying behind this popular effort. Under the leadership of Joel Fields and Rhea Perlman, dozens of celebrities and hollywood icons have pledged to support OneVoice. Danny DeVito, Jason Alexander, Brad Pitt, Jennifer Anniston, Edward Norton, Mili Avital, Charles Randolph, Annie Cusack, Stuart Blumberg and over a dozen other leading performers, writers, producers, and directors have made financial contributions and/or pledged to participate in the OneVoice Communications Campaign.

View selected photos of Recent Fundraisers, including one hosted by Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman at Archive on our website.

*PROCLAMATION OF PRINCIPLES TO BE PUBLICLY UNVEILED NEXT MONTH: The much-awaited Proclamation of Principles for Reconciliation is being unveiled in March. The draft created by the OneVoice Steering Committee and reviewed and polished by the Ad Hoc Advisory Committee is now being tested through focus groups to ensure it gains traction. If you want to review a copy of the draft before it is publicly unveiled, please mailto:[email protected].

--------------------------------------------------

MIM: This letter from ISNA president Sayyid Syeed shows that there are zero degrees of separation between the Council of Islamic Organisations of Greater Chicago, and ISNA and by extension the IAP and Hamas.

http://www.ciogc.org/events/10th_anniversary/support_messages.html#Othman

Message from ISNA, our Valued National Partner:

The Council cherishes our strong bonds with the Islamic Society of North America & its wise leadership. These ties have been strengthened over years of collaboration on many projects including the annual ISNA Conventions that the Council has been proud to co-host successfully. We offer with particular pride the following message from our strong supporter & an inspiring leader, ISNA's Secretary General, Dr. Sayyid Syeed.

"Congratulations on the 10th anniversary of the Council. What a joy it has been to watch the birth and the growth of the Council in one decade. May Allah reward all those dedicated and hardworking leaders of Chicago who steered the Council to the present strength.

The emergence of the Council has helped us to appreciate the potential of such coordinating federations in metropolitan settings. The Council is already serving as a model for Islamic unity in other big cities from coast to coast. Your experience of institution building needs to be made available to others. For ISNA, the Council has provided a firm and credible foundation for launching our largest gatherings of Muslims, professional conferences and other projects. We are proud of our partnership The Council has been involved in building bridges of understanding between different Muslim communities and forging alliances between Muslims and other faith groups. This pioneering role of celebrating diversity within the Muslim community and in the wider mainstream has earned Chicago the popular title of being the "American Madina." It reminds us of our beloved Prophet's vision of his city Madina built on a pluralist model. The Council has taken the right role and shown the right vision. We hope and pray for continued success and blessings of Allah for the Council, Muslims of Chicago and for the Chicagoland. Amen!"

Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed
Secretary General Islamic Society of North America

MIM: The radical Islamists on the Bernardin Center Advisory Board includes Sayid Syeed, the Secretary General of ISNA, a Wahhabist funded umbrella group which spreads Islamism in North America.

Dr. Ghulman Haider Aasi
American Islamic College
Chicago

MIM: Ghulman Haider Aasi's seemingly non existent American Islamic College consists of website with a photograph of a building and brazenly trumpets it's Islamist agenda. The fraudulent nature of of the school is summed up by this unintentionally absurd caveat; " The American Islamic College is an equal opportunity employer and is not affiliated with any political, or religious group or denomination..."

"...The mission of the American Islamic College is to provide quality educational programs within an Islamic environment and philosophic orientation. Education is provided to enable students to become acquainted with a wide and varied field of learning in the context of the Islamic view of nature, man, culture, civilization, as well as in the arts and sciences.

Our purpose is to present Islam to students as a philosophy with a global and unique perspective that appeals to people of various languages, cultures, and ethnic and racial backgrounds. Studies in the Arabic languages are utilized as a vehicle for understanding the vast and historical legacy of Islamic literature, poetry, philosophy and religion..."

The American Islamic College is an equal opportunity employer and is not affiliated with any political, or religious group or denomination..."http://www.aicusa.edu/temp/11.htm

-------------------------------------------

MIM: In 2002 Scott Alexander invited Hamas members Mustafa Abu Sway and Azzam Tamimi to a CTU/Bernardin interfaith event where he announced plans to start a student exchange program between the Hamas run Al Quds University and the CTU with the help of both men. In 2004 Alexander was planning to defend the Cleveland Imam Fawaz Damra, who is now awaiting deportation on terrorism related charges. Alexander's testimony involved justifying Damra's calls to shoot Jews.

Dr. Scott Alexander
Assoc. Professor of Islamic Studies, Catholic Theological Union
Chicago

I"....n June 2004, Dr. Alexander elicited a storm of protest when he was slated as a defense witness for Fawaz Damra, the Imam of the largest Mosque in Ohio, located in Cleveland.

Damra was convicted on June 16, 2004 in Federal Court on charges of unlawfully gaining U.S. citizenship in 1994 by lying about past associations with terrorist organizations.

Criticism of Alexander by Jewish board members of CTU, [which also boasts Islamists like John Esposito and Syeed Sayid head of the Wahhabist Islamic Society of North America] as well as fears of having his other controversial activities further scrutinized, caused Alexander to withdraw from testifying on Damra's behalf

An important facet of the prosecution case against Damra was a series of wiretapped conversations that Damra had with Sami Amin Al-Arian, formerly a professor at the University of Southern Florida.

Arian organized two front groups, the Islamic Committee for Palestine [ICP} and the World and Islam Studies Enterprise [WISE] the purpose of which was - according to INS affidavits - funding the entry of terrorists into the United States. Another piece of the evidence against Damra was a video clip of a fundraising speech that he made to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a major terrorist group that contained the following pitch.

"...[Muslims should be] directing all rifles at the first and last enemy of the Islamic nation, and that is the sons of monkeys and pigs, the Jews..." Fawaz Damra, 1991 . In another speech Damra stated, "...terrorism and terrorism alone is the path to liberation..."

Unfazed, Dr. Alexander submitted in writing, the following exculpatory "expert" testimony on behalf of Damra's motives to the court.

"The rhetoric is principally used by political and religious leaders to galvanize resistance to what Palestinian Arabs consider to be the patent persecution of their people by Jewish immigrants to the Middle East. As unquestionably hate-filled and thus morally reprehensible as such language is, when Palestinians refer to Jews as 'descended from apes and swine' or encourage support for those who 'kill Jews,' they do so with the reasonably justifiable self-image of victim and persecuted, not of victimizer and persecutor."

Another of Alexander's CTU/Bernardin 'interfaith' outreach programs was a 2003 event which featured Hamas funder and Bridgeview Mosque Foundation board member, Oussama Jammal.

When asked, in a telephone conversation with Pipeline News editor William Mayer, how he could justify inviting the Imam of a Mosque which had earlier been literally wall-papered with Hamas recruiting posters, Alexander replied - in his Islamist weltanschauung - that he could find no difference between the terrorist activity of Hamas and Jerry Falwell's fundamentalism, since Alexander alleged, people like Falwell blow up abortion clinics.

In 2002, Scott Alexander has initiated a student exchange program - funded by a $2 million dollar grant from the Lilly foundation - with Al-Quds University in Jerusalem, an institution known for its Hamas sympathies. Two guests at a CTU symposium announcing the program included known Hamas members professor Mustafa Abu Sway and Azzam Tamimi.

Any doubts that Scott Alexander is more accommodative and understanding of Islam than Catholicism, can be dispelled by merely calling his CTU office which will be answered with a recording that begins with the traditional Muslim salutation, "Al-salamu alaykum!" ..."

http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/623

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. Imad Y. Almanaseer
Advocate Lutheran General Hospital
Park Ridge, IL

Dr. Scott R. Appleby
Director, Kroc Institute, University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN

Dr. M Cherif Bassiouni
Professor of Law, DePaul University
Chicago

Dr. John Esposito
Director, Center for Christian-Muslim Understanding, Edward A. Walsh School of Foreign Service
Washington, DC

Dr. Asad Husain
President, American Islamic College
Chicago

Dr. Kareem Irfan
Council of Islamic Organizations, Council of Islamic Org.
Lombard, IL

Dr. Sayyid Syeed
Secretary General, Islamic Society of North America
Plainfield, IN

-----------------

MIM: Oussama Jammal a member of the board of the Bridgeview Mosque Foundation, whose spokesman is Rafiq Jabeer the head of the Islamic Association of Palestine, spoke at this event . The participants were all provided with information about Jammal's terrorist ties, but did not cancel their participation in the event with the exception of Emily Soloff of the AJC. One year later Soloff joined the board of advisors of the Bernadin Center together with the AJC's Midwest regional director Jonathan Levine.-

http://www.conversationsinfaith.org/

CHICAGO CONVERSATIONS IN FAITH

A series of public conversations between Jews, Christians, & Muslims sponsored by the Bernardin Center at Catholic Theological Union and the Chicago Community Trust

Choosing Peace: Jews, Christians, & Muslims Preparing Our Children for Life Together

Featured speaker:
Arne Duncan, CEO, Chicago Public Schools

With leaders from Chicago's Jewish, Christian, and Muslim communities:

Oussama Jammal, President, The Mosque Foundation, Bridgeview, IL;



Elaine Schuster, President and CEO, Golden Apple Foundation, Chicago



Emily Soloff, Executive Director, American Jewish Committee-Chicago chapter

Moderated by: Carol Marin, columnist for the Chicago Tribune



Sponsored by the Bernardin Center at Catholic Theological Union, Chicago

For more information:
Phone: 773.684.1056
Email [email protected]

Conversations in Faith is a series of public conversations that draws together Chicago's Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faith communities to discuss critical issues, form partnerships, and engage in cooperative social action.

Through a generous grant from The Chicago Community Trust, Chicago Conversations in Faith harnesses the vision, values, and cooperative spirit of Chicago's Abrahamic Faith communities to work together toward common goals.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.ctu.edu/Bernardin_Center/The_People/Board_of_Advisors.html Bassiouni recently spoke at a CAIR event. He no longer even attempts to keep up the pretext of being a moderate.

The People

Board of Advisors

Bernardin Center National Advisory Board

Dr. Ghulman Haider Aasi
American Islamic College
Chicago

Mrs. Elaine Addison
Cardinal Bernardin's sister
Marietta, GA

Dr. Scott Alexander
Assoc. Professor of Islamic Studies, Catholic Theological Union
Chicago

Dr. Imad Y. Almanaseer
Advocate Lutheran General Hospital
Park Ridge, IL

Dr. Scott R. Appleby
Director, Kroc Institute, University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN

Dr. M Cherif Bassiouni
Professor of Law, DePaul University
Chicago

Dr. Georgette Bennett
President, Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding
New York, NY

Marshall Bennett
Chicago Real Estate Executive, Chicago Real Estate
Northbrook, IL

Sr. Dianne Bergant, CSA
Professor of Old Testament Studies, Catholic Theological Union
Chicago

Robert L. Berner, Jr.
Baker & McKenzie
Chicago

Rev. Jeremiah M. Boland
Administrator, Holy Family Parish
Chicago

Thomas J. Boodell, Jr.
Boodell & Domanskis
Chicago

Dr. John Borelli
Georgetown University
Washington, D.C.

Rabbi Herbert Bronstein
Rabbi Emeritus, North Shore Congregation Israel
Glencoe, IL

Rev. John M. Buchanan
Fourth Presbyterian Church
Chicago

Dr. Cynthia Campbell
President, McCormick Theological Seminary,
Chicago

LeRoy Carlson, Jr.
President, CEO Telephone Data Systems, Inc. T.D.S., Inc.,
Chicago

Dr. Donna Carroll
President, Dominican University,
River Forest, IL

Mrs. Renée Crown
Wilmette, IL

Mrs. Margaret Daley
Pathways Awareness Foundation
Chicago

Rev. Stanley L. Davis, Jr.
Chicago

Mrs. Catherine Denny
James and Catherine Denny Foundation
Chicago

James Denny
James and Catherine Denny Foundation
Chicago

William J. Devers, Jr.
President, Devers Group, Inc.
Wilmette, IL

Thomas J. Donnelly, Esq.
Mary J. Donnelly Foundation
Pittsburgh, PA

Virginia Duncan
Fond du Lac, Wisc.

Dr. John Esposito
Director, Center for Christian-Muslim Understanding, Edward A. Walsh School of Foreign Service
Washington, DC

Dr. Nancy Furey, M.D.
Internal Medicine Northwestern Mem. Hospital
Chief of Medicine Mercy Hospital
Chicago

Dr. Warren W. Furey, M.D.
Chief of Medicine, Mercy Hospital
Clinic of Medicine Mercy Hospital
Chicago

Harold Gershowitz
Chicago

Most Rev. Raymond Goedert
Auxiliary Bishop, Retired
Chicago

J. Ira Harris
The Pritzker Organization
Chicago

Dr. Shakeela Hassan
Chicago

Rev. J. Bryan Hehir
Catholic Charities
Boston, MA

Dr. Asad Husain
President, American Islamic College
Chicago

Dr. Kareem Irfan
Council of Islamic Organizations, Council of Islamic Org.
Lombard, IL

Elizabeth Kane
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Chicago

Dr. Eugene Kennedy
Prof. Emeritus, Loyola University
Chicago

Dr. Michael Kotzin
Executive Vice President, Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago
Chicago

Mrs. Joan Lavezzorio
CEO, Loyola Paper
Northfield, IL

Jonathan Levine
Midwest Regional Director, American Jewish Committee
Chicago

Archbishop Oscar H. Lipscomb
Archdiocese of Mobile
Mobile, AL

William E. Lowry, Jr.
Vice President Human Resources, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Chicago

Joe Madden
President, Madden Funds
Oak Park, IL

His Eminence Roger Cardinal Mahony
Archbishop of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA

Dr. Eugene T. McEnery
Oak Park, IL

Sr. Joan McGuire
Director, Office of Ecumenism and Inteerrelisious
Archdiocese of Chicago
Chicago:

Lester H. McKeever, Jr.
Managing Partner Washington, Pitman and McKeever,
Chicago

Andrew McKenna, Sr.
President, Schwarz Paper Co.,
Morton Grove, IL

Newton Minow
Sidley, Austin Brown & Wood, Bank One Plaza
Chicago

Daniel R. Murray, Esq.
Partner, Attorney, Jenner and Block
Chicago

Rev. Thomas J. Nairn,OFM
Associate Professor of Ethics, Catholic Theological Union
Chicago

Joan F. Neal
Catholic Relief Services
Baltimore, MD

Talat Othman
Vice President, Council of Islamic Org.
Long Grove, IL

Mrs. Margaret Paluch
Chairperson Paulch Fam. Found.,
Arlington Hgts., IL

Rev. John Pawlikowski,OSM
Professor of Ethics, CTU,
Chicago

Rev. Michael Place
President and CEO of the Catholic Health Association of the United States
St. Louis, MO

Thomas J. Reedy
President, Reedy Industries
Northfield, IL

William E. Reidy
William Reidy Associates
Winnetka, IL

Thomas Reynolds, III
Winnetka, IL

Rev. Gary Riebe-Estrella, SVD
Academic Dean Catholic Theological Union
Chicago

Anna-Eleanor Roosevelt
Boeing World Headquarters
Chicago

Mrs. Shirley Ryan
Pathways Awareness Foundation
Chicago

Manuel Sanchez
Attorney, Sanchez & Daniels
Chicago

Rabbi Herman Schaalman
Adjunct Professor of Jewish Studies, Catholic Theological Union
Chicago

Rev. Robert Schreiter,CPPS
Vatican II Chair of Theology, Catholic Theological Union
Chicago

Dr. Elaine Schuster
Chicago

Sr. Katrina Schuth, OSF
Professor, St. Paul Seminary, St. Thomas University
St. Paul, MN

Mrs. Carole Segal
V.P. Civic Affairs, Crate & Barrel
Winnetka, IL

Rev. Donald Senior, CP
President, Catholic Theological Union
Chicago

Patricia Shevlin
Development Office, Catholic Theological Union
Arthur J. Schmitt Foundation CO-Director,
Countryside, IL

Norman A. Shubert
Shapiro Foundation, Gamble Foundation,
Chicago

Emily Soloff
American Jewish Committee
Chicago

Rev. Kevin Speiss, Pastor
Sts. Faith, Hope and Charity
Winnetka, IL

Rev. Alphonse Spilly, CPPS
Former Director, Bernardin Center
Whiting, IN

Howard L. Stone
Exec. VP American Express Tax and Business Services
Chicago

Jerome Stone
Stone Container, Inc.,
Chicago

Dr. Howard L. Sulkin
President, Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies
Chicago

Dr. Sayyid Syeed
Secretary General, Islamic Society of North America
Plainfield, IN

Mary-Frances Veeck
Chicago

Msgr. Kenneth Velo
President, Big Shoulders Foundation
Rosemont, IL

Maynard Wishner
Attorney at Law
Wilmette, IL

Rabbi Ira S. Youdovin
Executive Vice President, Chicago Board of Rabbis
Chicago

Sr. Dominga Zapata, SH
Chicago

--------------------

http://www.ciogc.org/events/10th_anniversary/support_messages.html#Othman

Celebrating A Decade Of Community Service

The Council derives its strength from active involvement and support of our valued member organizations. Their dedicated leaders and representatives keep the Council going with collective decision-making, planning, and implementation. Their heart-felt messages below are treasured and a source of inspiration as we forge ahead together. All we can say here is THANKS for this appreciation!

Local Muslim Organizations

Message from the Muslim Community Center

"MCC is proud to be one of the founding members of the Council of Islamic Organizations, the CIO. Congratulations are in order to the CIO on its tenth anniversary, Alhamdulillah. It is through the Council that the Muslim community has earned recognition among communities of other faiths, media, & govt'l agencies. It is a good sign indeed that much more is expected out of the Council. It is this expectation that will draw the community closer & closer to the CIO, & enable it to achieve its vast potential for the community & society at large. MCC will continue to take pleasure in working with the CIO, Insha'Allah."

Mohammed Kaiseruddin,
President Muslim Community Center, Chicago

>> Top <<

Message from the Inner-City Muslim Action Network

"The Inner-City Muslim Action Network congratulates the CIOGC for 10 years of seeking a common platform for Muslims to come together & work for a common cause. May Allah continue to strengthen your efforts & provide us all with an opportunity to collectively excel in excellence for this noble cause."

Rami Nashashibi
Executive Director, IMAN (773) 434-IMAN www.imancentral.org

>> Top <<

Message from the Islamic Center of Naperville

"Islamic Center of Naperville (ICN) is very thankful to Allah Suhanahu Wa Ta'alaa (SWT) that He gave us the opportunity to be part of the group of Chicagoland Muslims who were instrumental in forming the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC). We pledge to continue to work with CIOGC in the future in its good works, & to promote the ideals for which it stands. We also pray to Allah (SWT) to bring all the Chicagoland Muslims together under the CIOGC umbrella & to send us His help in coping with the difficult times befallen our communities in the aftermath of 9-11."

Tawfik Abdel-Moneim,
Ameer Majlis-e-Shura & ICN Community

>> Top <<

Message from the Muslim Society, Inc.

"MSI wishes the Council a heartfelt congratulations on its 10th anniversary. It is a great pleasure to see that the hard work & dedication of Muslims in Chgo has given them an organization that could represent & speak on their behalf in these difficult times. We appreciate the benefits the Council has given to the Chgo Muslim Community by being a representative organization that could communicate with the media & participate in the political arena. Again congratulations on this milestone & we pray Allah (swt) for those who have devoted their time & efforts to bring this organization to this level. Ameen."

Syed Shamshad Husain,
President

>> Top <<

Message from Islamic Foundation North

"We, the community of IFN feel proud to be a part of CIOGC & we are committed to fully support its efforts. We also support its endeavors of bridging the gap between Muslims & the extended community of greater Chgo. We congratulate the leadership of CIOGC for its foresight, dedication, & sense of direction for the last decade. With best wishes and support,"

M. Inam Hussain,
President, Islamic Foundation North (Libertyville)

>> Top <<

Message from ISNA, our Valued National Partner:

The Council cherishes our strong bonds with the Islamic Society of North America & its wise leadership. These ties have been strengthened over years of collaboration on many projects including the annual ISNA Conventions that the Council has been proud to co-host successfully. We offer with particular pride the following message from our strong supporter & an inspiring leader, ISNA's Secretary General, Dr. Sayyid Syeed.

"Congratulations on the 10th anniversary of the Council. What a joy it has been to watch the birth and the growth of the Council in one decade. May Allah reward all those dedicated and hardworking leaders of Chicago who steered the Council to the present strength.

The emergence of the Council has helped us to appreciate the potential of such coordinating federations in metropolitan settings. The Council is already serving as a model for Islamic unity in other big cities from coast to coast. Your experience of institution building needs to be made available to others. For ISNA, the Council has provided a firm and credible foundation for launching our largest gatherings of Muslims, professional conferences and other projects. We are proud of our partnership The Council has been involved in building bridges of understanding between different Muslim communities and forging alliances between Muslims and other faith groups. This pioneering role of celebrating diversity within the Muslim community and in the wider mainstream has earned Chicago the popular title of being the "American Madina." It reminds us of our beloved Prophet's vision of his city Madina built on a pluralist model. The Council has taken the right role and shown the right vision. We hope and pray for continued success and blessings of Allah for the Council, Muslims of Chicago and for the Chicagoland. Amen!"

Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed
Secretary General Islamic Society of North America

>> Top <<

Remarks from the President of the Council's Founding Committee

"As the president of the ad hoc committee that found the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, I am very grateful to Allah (swt) for the success that we were blessed with during the first ten years of the Council's existence. God willing, the next ten years will be even more fruitful with love and peace among peoples of all races, faiths, and ethnicities. The less time needed to put out fires of fear, hate, and discrimination, the more time will be spent on improving relations within our community, society, and country for the benefit of all people in the great nation.

It is appropriate at this time to reflect on the founding and growth of this organization. Much of the credit goes to Dr. Ibrahim Elghindy for planting the seed and for calling the first meeting of heads of Muslim associations. That action resulted in the election of the Ad Hoc Committee to look into the formation of an umbrella organization. The nine members of the Ad hoc committee, including vice-president Dr. Mohammed Kaiseruddin, spent days and months in research, preparations, and meetings until Alhamdulillah, the by-laws were accepted and endorsed by all the major (in size of membership) Mosques and Islamic Centers. Other organizations later joined the Council.

The Council was blessed from the beginning, having dedicated persons to serve in leadership positions. The first chairman of the Council, Dr. Kaiseruddin initiated many programs including " food for the poor", and the media relations committee. Dr. Talal Sunbulli followed as chairman and strengthened the Council; he instituted the outreach program with interfaith dialogues. Br. Kareem Irfan, the current chair, improved and expanded the effectiveness of the Council in several areas including the media, dialogues, and outreach. Under his leadership, a Council office was opened, and of particular significance is the relationship with the Catholic Theological Union-Cardinal Bernardin Center, where a Catholic-Muslim Studies Program was initiated. I am honored to serve on the Bernardin Center's Advisory Board."

Talat M. Othman
President Founding Committee of CIOGC

>> Top <<

Message from the Islamic Association of Palestine

"Congratulations to the Council on its tenth anniversary. It is only 10 years young & getting better. May Allah (swt) guide & grant the leaders of this great organization the wisdom to build a great Muslim community, for a better America."

Rafiq Jabr,
President Islamic Assn of Palestine

>> Top <<

Message from the Superintendent of Police of Chicago

>> Top <<

Message from the National Conference for Community and Justice

"The National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ) Chicago and Northern Illinois Region has worked together with Chicago area Muslim communities for the last fifty years. Founded in 1927, it has always been the mission of NCCJ to fight bias, bigotry and racism in America by promoting understanding and respect through advocacy, conflict resolution, and education. Since the founding of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, its support of and cooperation with NCCJ to build inclusive communities has led to initiatives of even greater impact and import. Our greater civic community is fortunate because of the CIOGC's efforts to organize and galvanize the peaceful efforts of the diverse Muslim communities in the Chicago area. On the tenth anniversary of the C.I.O.G.C., we express our deep appreciation to the Council and all its members for its organization and leadership."

>> Top <<

Message from the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago on the Occasion of the Tenth Anniversary of the Council

Greetings of Peace! The Christian and Jewish leaders, who unite together with the leaders of the American-Muslim community in membership on the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago join in recognizing the ten year anniversary of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago. The presence of your organization in the life of our community is truly a cause for celebration.

Together we face daunting challenges. Together we share a common cause, to honor God, to serve God's people, to work for justice, to join in peace and harmony across lines that might easily divide us.

We are pleased and honored to mark the end of the first decade of your Council's life and work and the beginning of a new decade of service. The relationship which we share with CIOGC is one of our most important and valued realities. It will continue to grow in the years to come. We give thanks to God for bringing you to this anniversary time and for bringing us together to share the blessings of our All-merciful God.

>> Top <<

Message from the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights

"Assalamu Alaikum from the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.

We are honored to be working with the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago to uphold our country's immigrant tradition, to work for freedom and equality, and to promote our common values of family, faith, and hard work."

36 S. Wabash, Suite 1425 Chicago, IL 60603 312.332.7360 tel 312.332.7044 fax www.icirr.org"

>> Top <<

Congratulations from the Council's past Chairman

Islamic tradition has taught us that passage of years is not a merit for recognition. Rather dedicated effort and goals that were achieved is. Ten years ago Dr. El Gindi was the maverick who galvanized the receptive atmosphere in Chicago around the idea for a council in Chicago. Now the CIO has grown beyond recognition and acceptance to expectation and demands of it, that increased by the pressure of these difficult times.

Outside our community it is the CIO representatives which articulate our community's stand and concern and organize the Muslim participation in the civic responsibility in the Chicago area. Islam and Muslims are an integral part of America and we are here to stay, no matter how much pressure and intimidation we face. For that, our collective vision has to seek Allah's (S) direction in steering in this stormy, tidy sea. For sure those who strive for the cause of Allah (S), Allah (S) will guide them to the right direction.

Talal Sunbulli
Chairman 1996-2000

>> Top <<

Message from the Council's First Chairman

Chicago's Muslim community has been widely recognized as the best organized and cohesive among all the metropolitan communities in the U.S. This recognition has been given since the seventies and the eighties. The formation of the Council of Islamic Organizations, the CIO, in the early nineties gave the community the much needed platform for further strengthening the bonds and continuing to be the most cohesive community. True to its mission, the CIO has provided a unified voice to the Muslim community, and has accomplished feats that would not have been possible for individual organizations. It has put the community on the religious, civic and cultural map of Chicago, especially for the individuals, organizations that are not Muslim, and for governmental agencies and corporations. The CIO deserves the community recognition, and is rightfully receiving it. It has a vast potential for growth in the coming years, which will be realized support Insha'Allah, with help from Allah (swt) and community support.

Mohammed Kaiseruddin
First Chairman, 1992-1996

>> Top <<

Printer-friendly version   Email this item to a friend