U.S.: Illinois

Academics & Education

CAIR systematically trying to influence K-12 education across US, investigation finds A new Jewish Onliner investigation found that CAIR's efforts to influence young students extend far beyond Philadelphia, spanning New Jersey, Oklahoma, Florida, and Illinois

September 10, 2025   

(Jewish Onliner) Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) this week petitioned the Department of Education to investigate the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) for running what he termed “possibly illegal” anti-Israel educational initiatives in public schools, following investigative reports that exposed controversial lesson plans […]

Academics & Education

In a previous life, he ran an organization that funneled money to Hamas. Now he’s a journalism professor at Northwestern Ibrahim Abusharif teaches a mandatory seminar promoting Qatar after a lawsuit from a Hamas terror victim crippled the group he cofounded

September 9, 2025   

(Free Beacon) Northwestern University describes journalism professor Ibrahim Abusharif as a “former book publisher” who “has been involved in projects to translate — from Arabic into English — the Quran.” It does not give examples of those projects, perhaps because they include […]

Academics & Education

UChicago prof, the brother of a convicted Iranian spy, says the ‘only hope for peace is the power and durability of Iranian missiles’ Alireza Doostdar is a member of the school's Faculty for Justice in Palestine chapter

June 20, 2025 and   

(Free Beacon) A University of Chicago professor whose brother was convicted of helping the Iranian regime spy on dissidents in the United States is cheering on Iran’s missile attacks against Israel. Alireza Doostdar, an associate professor of Islamic studies and a dual […]

Clothing

‘Outrageous,’ says Chicago Jewish Alliance of city’s mayor wearing keffiyeh 'The keffiyeh isn’t just a cultural symbol. Not anymore,' the organization wrote. 'It’s a flag of war.'

April 24, 2025   

(JNS) The Chicago Jewish Alliance denounced Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Wednesday after the local chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations posted a photo of him wearing a keffiyeh to celebrate Arab Heritage Month. “This is outrageous,” the alliance wrote. “For […]

Academics & Education

Northwestern vandals spray-paint Hamas triangles, ‘Intifada Now’ on campus building housing Holocaust center The university's president promises to suspend any students involved in the incident, which took place during Passover

April 15, 2025   

(Free Beacon) Anti-Semitic vandals used red paint to write “Death to Israel” and draw Hamas triangles on a Northwestern University building that houses the school’s Holocaust center as Jewish students observe Passover. Unity of Fields, a self-described “militant front against the US-NATO-zionist […]

Academics & Education

Northwestern SJP chapter, quoting PFLP terrorists, urges members to ‘build an Intifada’ and ‘destroy amerika’ ‘Feel your fear and channel it into anger,’ student org says during 'Organizing Safety 101' training session

April 9, 2025   

(Free Beacon) Northwestern University’s Students for Justice in Palestine chapter held an anarchist training session for its members at which it cited propaganda from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine terror group urging U.S. students to “build an Intifada” and […]

Academics & Education

Northwestern University mandatory anti-discrimination training pushes unverified CAIR data 'This omission is not an oversight; it reflects Northwestern's ongoing pattern of sidelining Jewish concerns in response to activist pressure,' anti-Semitism expert says

February 24, 2025   

(Free Beacon) Northwestern University’s mandatory anti-discrimination training relies on unverified data from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) that inflate Islamophobic attacks, giving the false impression that those attacks vastly outpace anti-Semitic hate crimes. The training also questions anti-Zionism’s ties to Jew-hatred […]

Crime

Gunman, who allegedly shot Jewish Chicagoan, dead after apparent suicide 'There is no evidence of foul play at this time,' the Cook County Sheriff’s Office told JNS of the death of 22-year-old Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi.

December 1, 2024   

(JNS) Cook County Sheriff’s Office staff found Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, 22, “unresponsive due to an apparent suicide attempt by hanging in his cell” at about 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, the Illinois sheriff’s office told JNS. Abdallahi, who faced 16 felony counts, including […]

Crime

Hate crime suspect accused of looking up synagogue locations before shooting Jewish man The shooting Oct. 26 in the West Ridge neighborhood was a ‘planned attack’ according to prosecutors. Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi was captured after he was wounded in a shootout with police.

November 22, 2024   

(Chicago Sun-Times) A man now facing hate crime charges after shooting an Orthodox Jewish man and firing on police and paramedics last month had mapped the locations of several Chicago synagogues and Jewish schools in the days leading up to the attack […]

Crime

Chicago Police announces hate crime, terror charges against gunman accused of shooting Orthodox Jew 'We did not secure these charges because of public pressure or because of media attention,' said Larry Snelling, superintendent of the Chicago Police.

October 31, 2024 and   

(JNS) Chicago is adding one felony count each of terror and hate-crime charges to the 14 felony charges it has brought against Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, 22, who is accused of shooting a 39-year-old Jewish man who was walking to synagogue on Shabbat, […]

Crime

Illegal immigration status revealed in shooting of Jewish man in Dem-controlled city There have been significant concerns about the potential for terrorists to cross the southern border

October 30, 2024 , and   

(Fox) The suspect charged with shooting a Jewish man multiple times on his way to a Chicago synagogue last week is a Mauritanian illegal immigrant who was released into the U.S. last year, Fox News has confirmed. Four law enforcement sources said […]

Crime

No hate crimes among 14 felony charges against Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, who allegedly shot Chicago Jew The 22-year-old man, who is also accused of shooting police officers and paramedics, is reportedly an illegal immigrant from northwest Africa.

October 28, 2024   

(JNS) The Chicago Police Department is drawing criticism for the lack of hate crime charges among 14 felony charges it announced on Monday against Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, 22, who is accused of shooting a 39-year-old Jewish man, as well as firing at […]

Crime

Neighbor of Chicago Jewish man shot by gunman shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ speaks out ‘My gut is telling me that it was a hate crime,’ the eyewitness said. ‘He wanted to kill people and police officers and Jews.’

October 28, 2024   

(Daily Wire) Malka was home alone with her baby in the West Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago on Saturday morning when she heard gunshots ring out. The gunman, who shot Malka’s Orthodox Jewish neighbor as he walked to synagogue, returned to the […]

Demonstrations

Iran attack widens rift between activist left and Dem moderates The latest flashpoint in the Israel-Gaza war shows both sides calcifying their stances.

April 16, 2024 , and   

(Politico) Moments after Iran launched an attack on Israel, around 400 pro-Palestinian protesters in Chicago broke out in chants of “Hands off Iran!” The head of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights organization, claimed Iran “is responding […]

Government & Politics

Confusion over CAIR’s role in planned Biden meeting with Muslim leaders in Chicago The White House claims no one from CAIR was invited, but the group organized a letter claiming otherwise

March 15, 2024   

(Jewish Insider) The White House was snubbed this week by the Muslim community in Chicago after Biden administration officials sought a meeting with Muslim, Arab and Palestinian American leaders. At least, that’s what several Muslim advocacy groups said on Thursday. More than […]

Government & Politics

Arab, Muslim and Palestinian leaders refuse to meet with White House aides in Chicago The protests continue, this time in the Windy City.

March 14, 2024 and   

(Politico) More than three dozen Arab, Muslim and Palestinian-American leaders blasted a White House effort to meet with community organizations in Chicago over the administration’s position on the Israel-Hamas conflict. In a joint letter addressed to the White House, the groups criticized […]

Government & Politics

Orland Park mayor rejects Gaza cease-fire resolution, suggests those opposing U.S. interests ‘go to another country’ The Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned Keith Pekau’s comments, calling them ‘ignorant and dangerous.’ Pekau said he valued the ‘respectful views of all my constituents.’

February 6, 2024   

(Chicago Sun-Times) The Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations on Tuesday condemned Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau’s suggestion that those who disagree with America’s interests regarding the Israel-Hamas war can “go to another country.” The southwest suburban mayor made the remarks […]

Government & Politics

Muslim community leaders will meet in Chicago to push campaign against Biden as deaths mount in Israel-Hamas war Chicago’s #AbandonBiden event is scheduled to coincide with the annual Muslim American Society and Islamic Circle of North America convention, expected to draw more than 30,000 to McCormick Place over the weekend.

December 29, 2023   

(Chicago Sun-Times) Muslim community leaders from across the country will rally in Chicago Saturday, calling for voters to drop their support for President Joe Biden because of his administration’s refusal to call for a cease-fire in Gaza as the civilian death toll […]

Interfaith

CAIR director says he was ‘happy’ to witness Oct. 7 attacks, Israel ‘does not have right to self-defense’ CAIR co-founder Nihad Awad also stated that Israel had no right to defend itself from Hamas attacks because it is an 'occupying power'

December 7, 2023   

(Fox) One of the top executives of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said he was “happy” to witness the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel. Nihad Awad, executive director and co-founder of CAIR, expressed his feelings on the terrorist attack at […]

Alcohol & Drugs

Lombard man pleads guilty to trafficking fentanyl and providing support to ISIS Jason Brown, 41, has been in custody since his 2019 arrest. He was accused of shipping fentanyl from California to the suburbs and sending money to the Islamic State of Iraq.

December 6, 2023   

(Chicago Sun-Times) A suburban man pleaded guilty Wednesday to trafficking drugs and attempting to provide materials to the Islamic State of Iraq in 2019. Jason Brown, 41, was charged with one count of attempting to provide material support to ISIS, one count […]

Children & Teens

Man who plotted mass murder at Chicago synagogues, mosques as teen asks for 6 years in prison Xavier Pelkey, nicknamed 'The Bomb Guy,' became radicalized into extremist Islam while surfing internet in his bedroom

September 22, 2023 , , and   

(WLS) Authorities said they interrupted a terror plot against metro Chicago mosques and synagogues when they arrested a Maine teenager more than 1.5 years ago. In a rural Maine town, 1,200 miles from Chicago, Xavier Pelkey sat in his bedroom and devised […]