Chicagoland Muslim Federation to Celebrate 25th Anniversary on November 4th 2017

Chicagoland Muslim Federation to Celebrate 25th Anniversary on November 4th 2017

(CHICAGO, IL – 10/23/17) - The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC), a unifying federation of over 60 Islamic institutions across Chicagoland, will hold their 25th Anniversary Dinner, “Unity In Diversity,” on Saturday, November 4, 2017 at Shalimar Banquets in Addison, Illinois.

With Muslims from across Chicagoland and all walks of life attending, the event serves as one of the largest and diverse Muslim events in Chicagoland and illustrates CIOGC's culture of cooperation and commitment to diversity and unity. Special guests will include city and state officials as well as leaders from Chicago’s leading faith and civic institutions.

WHAT: 25th Anniversary CommUnity Dinner

WHEN: Saturday, November 4th, 2017 at 5:30pm

WHERE: Shalimar Banquets, 280 W. North Ave, Addison, IL 60101

CIOGC is pleased to announce that Dalia Mogahed will be the keynote speaker of our 25th Anniversary CommUnity Dinner, "Unity In Diversity," on Saturday, November 4, 2017. Mogahed is the former Executive Director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies, where she led the analysis of surveys of Muslim communities. Mogahed also has testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations about U.S. engagement with Muslim communities. Her 2016 TED talk titled “What it’s like to be Muslim in America” was named one of the top TED talks that year.

In 2009, President Barack Obama appointed Dalia Mogahed to serve on the role of Faith-Based and Community Organizations in Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation Task Force. Mogahed was one of six persons charged with identifying how to foster greater communication and cooperation among people of different religious traditions and encouraging religious leaders to be involved in foreign policy development and diplomacy.

Currently, Mogahed is the Director of Research at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), where she leads the organization’s pioneering research and thought leadership programs on American Muslims. As part of the ISPU, Mogahed is spearheading a Reimagining Muslim Spaces (RMS) initiative in which mosques and community centers are called on to evaluate the diverse social, civic, and economic needs of their congregants with special attention to often marginalized groups, including women, youth, and converts.

CIOGC's Annual Top Muslim Achievers program will also recognize educator, community activist, and civic leader. Dr. Dilara Sayeed and Dr. Ragab El-Rashidy, the founder and CEO of Genix and inventor of several pharmaceutical products. The two Achievers will be awarded at this year's dinner for their tremendous contributions and service to the Muslim community as well as to greater society.

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CONTACT: Aymen Abdel Halim, CIOGC Communications Director, Cell: (312) 772-5504, Office: (312) 506-0070, aymen@ciogc.org