I sat down with Heena Musabji, Legal Director of CAIR-Chicago, and Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago, for a wide-ranging conversation on the urgent legal and political challenges facing Arab, Muslim, and South Asian communities in Illinois and across the country. Heena detailed the legal landscape—from doxxing and discrimination to immigration enforcement and ICE encounters—and explained how CAIR-Chicago is responding through civil rights protections, community support, and strategic legal action in an environment where fundamental liberties are increasingly under pressure.
Ahmed expanded the conversation to the broader political climate, addressing the surge in misinformation and targeted attacks against Muslim civil rights organizations. Our interview occurred just hours after Texas Governor Greg Abbott falsely designated CAIR—at the national level—as a “terrorist organization,” escalating a pattern of hostile rhetoric nationwide. Ahmed spoke to the real-world impact of these narratives on local communities, the necessity of unified advocacy, and the work CAIR-Chicago is doing to safeguard rights and strengthen resilience at a critical moment.
