Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC)

History and Activities

The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC) claimed to have been founded to unite the reported 400,000 Muslim Americans living within the Chicago and greater Illinois region. As of October 2024, CIOGC claims to have 70 member organizations including mosques and Islamic schools with members from several backgrounds including Black Americans, Nigerians, South Asians, Turkish Americans, Albanians, and Bosnian Americans.  ³

Beginning in 2006, CIOGC began publishing a monthly print and online newspaper called the Chicago Crescent. ³

CIOGC’s main areas of advocacy include social justice; the left-of-center concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and anti-racism; the Islamic principle of Zakat (charitable giving); civic engagement including congressional advocacy and get-out-the-vote efforts; and interfaith outreach. ¹

CIOGC claims social justice “is defined by the efforts of African Americans” and that “the murder of George Floyd, however, quashed notions that we, as a nation, have achieved social justice for all.” Following the death of George Floyd in 2020, CIOGC crated an Anti-Racism Task Force it claims would help “remedy incidences of systemic racism.” ⁴

CIOGC previously endorsed the January 13, 2024 “March on Washington for Gaza” in Washington, D.C. ⁵ The March was organized in response to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza which followed the Hamas terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023 against the State of Israel. The March called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war operations, for the end of U.S. funding for what the organizers called “Israel’s genocide against Gaza and the occupation of Palestine,” and for Israel to be charged with war crimes in the International Criminal Court. ²

CIOGC also urges its members to phone bank and protest to “spread awareness about our initiatives callinmg[sic] for Ceasrfire[sic].” ¹

People

The executive director of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC) is Chekh Ahmed Mbarek. Mbarek studied in traditional Quranic Schools in the West African nation of Mauritania and holds a BA in Arabic sciences and literatures from the University of Nouakchott in Mauritania. Mbarek was previous the executive director of the Islamic Leadership Council, also known as the Marjlis Ash Shura, of New York. ^{6 7}

The chairman of CIOGC is Abdulgany Hamadeh.  Hamadeh is an associate professor of medicine at the University of Illinois-Chicago. ^{6 8}

Financials

According to tax filings, in 2022 the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago reported $1,909,020 in assets, $1,677,132 in revenue, and $1,372,334 in expenses. This was down from its 2022 revenue of $2,410,095 and expenses of $2,050,548. ⁹

In 2022, CIOGC reported spending $43,314 on housing assistance to those affected by COVID-19 and on an eviction prevention project, $754,770 on religious charities “based on… income guidelines per Sheria,” and $32,293 on civics education. That same year, CIOGC reported receiving $122,0978 from government grants and $1,315,895 from gifts, grants, and other contributions. ⁹

Grantees

According to tax filings, in 2022 the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago gave grants to the Gary Muslim Center ($10,250), the Southside Community Center ($5,429), Masjid Al Dawah ($25,429), the Nigerian Islamic Association ($14,429), Masjid Taqwa ($5,429), Sudanese American Charity ($24,000), Al Nahda Center ($27,400), Chicago-Care ($55,000), Masjid Al Amin ($33,250), Sanad ($40,000), American Muslim Health Professionals ($12,500), Gain Peace ($15,000), Center on Muslim Philanthropy ($50,000), Muslim Chaplaincy ($25,000), Khan Siddiqui Foundation ($5,000), Noblest People Learning Center ($7,000), Viator House of Hospitality ($20,000), Forging Opportunities for Refugees in America ($6,500), Humanity For Relief & Development ($10,000), and Help from USA to BIH ($11,783). ⁹