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CAIR-Chicago to Renew Calls for Senator Sara Feigenholtz to resign over her promoting Hatred of Muslims
Illinois State Senator Sara Feigenholtz has a history of anti-Arab and racist remarks and a bias against Arab Americans and yet she is not held accountable because her victims are Arabs and Muslims. CAIR and other organizations have been demanding for years that she be censured for her racist views and conduct, but many elected officials in Illinois have turned their back on anti-Arab and Islamophobic incidents
On Wednesday, November 20, 2024, the Chicago Office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, will host a press conference renewing its demand for Illinois State Senator Sara Feigenholtz’s resignation following two weeks of inaction from Springfield, as well as sharing additional troubling allegations of anti-Muslim remarks.
A Muslim resident of Chicagoland will share her account of an in-person interaction with Senator Feigenholtz, during which the Senator allegedly made inflammatory and xenophobic comments.
According to the resident, the IL Senator insinuated that Muslims or people from the Middle East could one day “be on the streets shooting people” and expressed concerns about Muslims “taking over” by pushing for changes such as observing Fridays as holidays.
These remarks add to a pattern of bigoted rhetoric, undermining any previous apology by the Senator.
SEE: CAIR-Chicago and Leaders Host Press Conference Demanding for IL Senator Feigenholtz’s Resignation
“Two weeks have passed since our calls for action after the surfacing of Senator Feigenholtz’s promotion of vile Islamophobic content, and neither Senate President Harmon, nor other elected officials have taken action or spoken out against this anti-Muslim hatred, leaving Illinois’ Muslim community feeling increasingly unsafe and unwelcome. Meanwhile, hate crimes continue to target area Muslims,” says Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago, Ahmed Rehab.
SEE: Hate crime charges filed after anti-Palestinian attack at Downers Grove Panera Bread
Earlier this year, the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Council of Metropolitan leaders of Chicago levied similar criticism and condemnation over an anti-Catholic social media post by Senator Feigenholtz.
Community leaders are urging Senate President Don Harmon to address this unacceptable behavior by removing Feigenholtz from her two Senate committee leadership positions sending a message that promoting hatred of communities is neither befitting of these vested powers nor what the people of Illinois expect or deserve from their leaders. We reiterate our calls for Feigenholtz’s resignation.
CAIR-Chicago, the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), Muslim Civic Coalition, and The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC), together are calling on the public to support a petition urging Senate President Harmon to hold Senator Feigenholtz accountable. Sign and share the petition: bit.ly/DemandResignation
WHAT: Press Conference Renewing Calls for Senator Feigenholtz’s Resignation
WHEN: Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. (CST)
WHERE: CAIR-Chicago’s Azima Center, 17 North State Street, Suite 1500, Chicago, IL 60602
LIVE COVERAGE: Tune in via CAIR-Chicago’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/cairchicago
WHO:
– CAIR-Chicago Executive Director, Ahmed Rehab
– Muslim, Christian, and Jewish leaders (Imam Hassan Aly, Rabbi Brandt Rosen — Father Michael Pfleger and Father Brendan Curran, tentative)
– Local constituents Nedaa Alwawi and Fuzia Jarad
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Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
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