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UMAA Introduces Spring Candidates To Community
by Dina Rashed
CHICAGO, March 23 (IslamOnline) - As April 3rd approaches, a date important to most localities in the state of Illinois marking local spring elections, the United Muslim American Association, a leading organization working with the Muslim and the Arab community in Chicago, held a Candidates' Night.
Located in Bridgeview, a southside suburb of Chicago with a heavy Arab concentration, the organization has been working hard to reach out to all Muslim and Arab communities in the Chicagoland area.
The event served as a meeting ground for both electoral candidates and the community.
"We are trying to serve our community through sponsoring the Muslim and Arab American candidates, and also by working with the running American candidates to ensure that they serve our community when elected," said Sabri Samirah, UMAA president.
A number of community leaders attended the event, showing their support for the organized effort. Among those attending were Karim Irfan, president of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, and Rafeeq Jaber, president of the Islamic Association of Palestine.
Steven Landek, mayor of Bridgeview and a key speaker, thanked the audience for their confidence and support for him in the last election and pledged to carry on with campaign promises to serve the community.
Saffiya Shillo, from the Lieutenant Governor's office, Mike Monseur, from the Illinois Department of Transportation, and Gabe Fakhouri, the Cook County Recorder of Deeds, were some public figures that attended the event.
Following Samirah's presentation briefing guests about recent UMAA activities and announcing its future agenda, electoral candidates for public office were asked to address the audience and present their issues and campaign lines.
Several non-Muslim candidates presented themselves to the attendees, their campaign lines reflecting a sense of rivalry amongst one another vying to get the community's votes.
"It is good that we finally see American candidates competing to win the votes of our community," said Samirah.
Two competing local parties, the Palos Citizen Action Party and Palos Township Leadership Party, presented their slates, each included nine candidates running for the Palos Heights Township.
Three other candidates were running for trustee positions at Morine Valley Community College, and two groups of three candidates each were running for trustee positions at Bridgeview.
The event also highlighted Muslim and Arab American candidates running for various positions, including high school boards, board trustees of villages and Sheriff's office.
Mohammad Farouqi, running as a board trustee for Skokie village; Asif Yousif, running for the same position in Oak Brook village; Samir "Sam" Khalil, running collector for the Palos Heights Township; and Safa Zarzour, running unopposed for the Bridgeview Library Board trustee, are only a few names of Muslim and Arab candidates who addressed the audience.
For others not up for election in the coming polls, the Candidates' Night offered an opportunity to get an early start on future votes. Among those vying for future votes were Jack Mclnerney, candidate for the position of Lieutenant Governor, and Nasri Zeyadeh for Cook County Sheriff, both running in elections in 2002.
During last November's elections, the UMAA organized similar events and sponsored a number of candidates who pledged to serve the community. They also worked heavily with the community in the voter registration process.
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