Area Muslims will welcome the start of Ramadan tonight with a return to in-person, nightly communal gatherings for prayer at suburban mosques, and monthlong daytime fasting.
Driving north along I-294, half a mile north of I-290, you might notice a billboard showing an illustration of a covered Muslim woman with an outstretched hand and closed fist. It s part of a four-week "My Hijab-My Right" campaign launched by three Chicago-area Islamic groups to combat negative stereotypes about Muslim women.
As of Feb. 1, more than 1,890 Afghans have resettled in Illinois since last fall’s evacuations in Afghanistan. Another wave of Afghans about 400 are expected to arrive this month in Illinois.
Classrooms that have been dormant since the start of the pandemic at Masjid Rahmah Great America Islamic Center in Lake Villa soon will serve as a temporary shelter for refugee families. The center is among several suburban mosques preparing to host a new wave of Afghan refugees expected to arrive any day.
Since last fall, more than 1,890 Afghans have made Illinois their new home, and another wave is expected to arrive in the Chicago area in February, officials say.