Supporters rally for region’s only radio show on national politics, and Arab and Muslim issues

More than 100 supporters attended the annual fundraiser celebrating the third anniversary of The Lightning Strike Radio Show, the only program that addresses both domestic national politics and Arab and Muslim issues in the Midwest.

The fundraiser dinner was held at the Bolingbrook Community Center on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, and featured an assortment of guests and supporters to celebrate the radio show, which broadcasts every Sunday from 8 AM until 10 AM on WCPT AM 820 Radio.

Host Mohammed Faheem welcomed the guests promising that the show, which began three years ago as a one-hour program and today is now two hours, will continue to grow “and address the issues and provide perspectives that many other programs miss.”

Guest speakers included Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas, who is an unannounced candidate for Chicago Mayor, Bolingbrook Mayor Mary Alexander-Basta, the country’s only woman Egyptian American municipal mayor, Marie Newman, the progressive former U.S Congresswoman representing the Southwest region of Chicago, and an assortment of local officials.

More guests and celebrities included Radio co-hosts Mike Patina and Chris Hilbert, and John Argoudelis, Michelle Alfano, and Karina Villa. Maaria Mozaffar hosted a roundtable discussion on issues facing the community. Columnist Ray Hanania at Hanania.com served as the program emcee.

Sponsors for the program included SLAW Burger, and the Taste of Jerusalem Restaurant, both in Plainfield, providing the phenomenal food fo rthe evening dinner.

The Lightning Strike Radio Show is the only radio show that addresses Muslim and Arab issues with guests in its broader programming which speaks to all of the important regional issues locally, statewide, nationally and internationally.

Every week, The Lightning Strike brings you the conversations others avoid, asks the difficult questions, and gives a platform to voices that deserve to be heard. We are independent because we answer to our listeners, not to corporations, PACs, or special interests.

Get more information on The Lightning Strike Radio Show on WCPT AM 820 Radio and host Mohammed Faheem by visiting the website at TLSRadio.com or watch the show video podcasts on Youtube by clicking here.

Photos below courtesy of Mohammed Faheem and photographer Syed Khalil Ullah:

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Ray Hanania

Syndicated columnist, radio host, writer at Ray Hanania

Ray Hanania is an award-winning columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

His award winning columns can be found at www.HANANIA.COM Subscribe FREE today

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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