CHICAGO - Last week, Governor Quinn's office sent out a press release announcing a new council set up to advise him on reaching out to the growing Muslim American community in Illinois.
"The council will advise the Governor on appropriate policy developments, official directives, and other issues of significance impacting Illinois’ Muslims. It will bring important faith-based issues based on factual findings to the Governor’s attention and make recommendations to address those issues," the press release said. "It will also strengthen communication between the state and Muslim leadership and the general community."
However, we could find no similar Governor's advisory council listed specifically for counsel from Illinois evangelicals, Protestants or Catholics. There is a council, however, devoted to advising on Holocaust-related issues.
Governor Quinn appointed the following individuals to serve on the Muslim American Advisory Council, including the secretary general of the controversial Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and executive director of the Council of American Islamic Relations (CAIR) :
- Council Co-Chair Samreen Khan, senior policy advisor and liaison to Asians and Muslims for the Office of Governor Pat Quinn
- Council Co-Chair Kareem M. Irfan, Esq., president of the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago
- Safaa Zarzour, security general of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)
- Dr. Irfan Ahmad, associate director at the University of Illinois Center for Nano Scale Science and Technology
- S. Jafer Husnain, partner, Lifeline Assets
- Maryam Moustafi, member of the Islamic Society of Greater Springfield
- Dr. Inamul Haq, adjunct professor at Elmhurst College
- Rami Nashashibi, executive director of the Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN)
- Dr. Mohammed Zaher Sahloul, chairman of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC)
- Ahmed Rehab, executive director of Council of American Islamic Relations (CAIR)
- Murad Moosa Bhaidani, president, His Highness Prince Aga Khan Shia Imami Ismaili Council for the Midwestern United States
- Clyde Elameen, retired president of Olive Harvey College
- Tariq I El-Amin, executive director of Bridging the Gap
- Dr. Bambade Shakoor Abdullah, executive director of the Leadership Development Institute, and principal of Cmecca School
- Anas Usman, director of sales strategy and Operations, Americas at Google
- Maaria Mozaffar, Esq., principle attorney at the Law Offices of Maaria Mozaffar
- Eboo Patel, executive director of Inter-Faith Youth Core (IFYC)
- Imad Rahman, chief financial officer of Avicenna Community Health Center, and board of directors for Central Illinois Mosque and Islamic Center (CIMIC)
- Nia Odeoti-Hasan, board member for the Islamic Society of Greater Springfield
- Jeff (Dzafer) Kulenovic, senior vice president of CenTrust Bank
- Mumtaz Champsi, founder of Enviro Capital
- Tariq Malhance, chief financial officer of the Cook County Board
- Laila Muhammed, president of the Alshamseyya Social Service Organization, and daughter of the late WD Muhammed
- Salim Al Nurridin, chief executive officer for the Healthcare Consortium of Illinois
- Najjar Abdul-Musawwir, associate professor of fine arts at Southern Illinois University
- Wasley (AbdurRazzaq) Lebron, Muslim Association of Greater Rockford (MAGR)
