MCC held a grand gala to commemorate Milestones 55th anniversary.

The Muslim Community Center, Chicago organization celebrated its 55th anniversary on Saturday, October 19th, 2024, with its annual gala, this year's theme for the annual dinner was "55 Years of Commitment & Excellence." The keynote speaker was Dr. Rami Nashashibi, a prominent academic. A researcher of Islamic studies, sociologist, activist, and community organizer of Palestinian American descent, Dr. Nashashibi serves as the executive director of the Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN) Held at the Skokie North shore Holiday Inn. The largest and oldest democratic Muslim organization in the Chicagoland area was founded in 1969. A group of a few Muslim members of Muslim met and joined together 50 years ago and decided to open a Mosque for community needs.
The Muslim Community Center is an official non-profit institution. In addition to mosques, it is one of the oldest and is recognized as the Founding organization of many other American Muslim organizations. It is also one of the leading centers for community outreach, education, and volunteerism among Muslims in the greater Chicago region.

In attendance, over 1100 people, making the sold-out event a huge success. Representatives from various elected positions attended the historic occasion, including Illinois Senator Ram Villivalam, Mayors of Chicago Brandon Johnson, Skokie George Van Dusen, and Morton Grove Dan DiMaria and several others elected officials.

The event was emceed by renowned Azam Khan The event began with a stunning recitation of the Quran and translation by the MCC Academy School Student. Welcome and opening remarks were conducted by MCC President Masood Bijapuri. He welcomes everyone and explains about MCC outlined the goals, activities and highlighted Forthcoming activities. Mr. Masood said,” Our Muslim Community Center has grown in the last few decades and it now runs two additional mosques and schools educational centers. We also offer many different programs to Muslims and non-Muslims in the Chicagoland area, including outreach, health screening programs, and counseling. Today we are honoring our founding members.”
He continued, "Many Muslims in Chicago and other American cities have pleasant memories of the Muslim Community Center Chicago, which was founded in 1969 to provide many immigrants their first Islamic institution in which to practice their Islamic faith."

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson was the Chief guest of the gala dinner. He congratulated the Muslim community and said, " it was fitting that the world's most diverse city—Chicago—saw the building of its first mosque in 1969. MCC is a big part of this variety, and he stated that we need the Muslim Community Education System to safeguard Our Children's future generations. He continued by expressing his gratitude and appreciation for the job being done by the Chicago Muslim Community. I told my husband that in the unlikely event that I lost my job, I would begin teaching at MCC."
Through the video documentary MCC shared its past and present activities and the upcoming exciting projects that it has been busy with over the past years.
Today there are about 100 mosques across the metro area. Like the others, MCC offers prayer gatherings, weddings, funerals and religious education for Muslim adults and children, including a K-12 school.
Palestinian-American activist Rami Nashashibi shared a message of unity with a sizable crowd on MCC Annual Gala and Dinner
The mosque also works to draw together people of many faiths. It hosts what is believed to be the longest-running Interfaith dialogue series, a monthly gathering that's been going strong for 55 years.
This year the recipient of the prestigious Distinguished Award was Sister Ms. Aamal Muhsin. From the many years the Chicago community has known her, Ms. Aamal Muhsin certainly deserved this recognition. She is an active member of the Chicago Muslim community, one who has been quietly supporting several humanitarian causes in the Chicago region
Mayors of Morton Grove and Skokie, Dan DiMaria and George Van Dusen, received awards from MCC. This award is given in appreciation of their dedication to helping the underprivileged, as well as their involvement in the community and devotion to individual development.

Several organizations Support and Sponsor this event Including CIOGC, IFANCA, Zakat Foundation of America and many others.

At the conclusion, special prayers were offered for the Muslim community worldwide