Listening Across Illinois: Continuing Conversations with Muslim Communities Around the State

Chicago, IL (Sept. 29, 2026) — Over the past two months, the Muslim Civic Coalition has been traveling across the state as part of our Statewide Listening Tour: Building Civic Justice in Illinois, connecting with community members, faith leaders, and organizers to hear directly about their experiences, priorities, and vision for the future.

Since launching the tour, we’ve held listening sessions in Champaign, Rockford, Springfield, and Decatur to understand local issues, connect communities to statewide advocacy efforts, and break down barriers to participating in civic life.  

What we heard was strength. In each city, community centers were the hub: the place where food pantries and mutual aid networks already feed neighbors, welcome new immigrants and new Americans, and remind families they are not alone. Parents said what parents everywhere say—they want their children protected, and they want them to learn and thrive like everyone else’s children. We sat with business owners, neighbors, health care professionals, and teachers. We saw history and power: communities rooted in civic life, interfaith partnerships that look after the local good, and a shared insistence that we all deserve to live in dignity, with our tax dollars invested in our neighborhoods and our schools.

We rooted these conversations in data from the Illinois Muslim Report, and we left with a clear commitment: show up and vote, so that voice is heard at the ballot box—not only in the room.

In Rockford, Muslims serve on the mental health and library boards. ICNA Relief and local partners run hot lunches, welcome new families, and provide direct services. We also named a hard truth: racism exists within our community, and it has to be confronted.

In Springfield, when a local masjid was burned by arson, Muslims prayed at First Presbyterian Church for four years. People want those stories recorded while the witnesses are still here. The city can feel siloed and abandoned; interfaith tables, potlucks, and shared service are how they stitch it back together.

In Decatur, we met at Masjid Wali Hasan, one of the city’s first mosques and a former Nation of Islam temple, where Black Muslim roots meet and welcome immigrant families. A sixth grader asked for a place to pray at school. Nearly every city council member has visited the masjid.

Together, these conversations are ensuring that diverse voices and experiences of Muslim communities across the state are part of shaping not only what comes next for the Muslim Civic Coalition, but also determining the future of civic justice in Illinois. 

We have two more stops scheduled: Friday, Oct. 2 in Bloomington (McLean County), and Saturday, Oct. 3 in Peoria. We continue connecting and organizing with communities throughout the year.

Stay tuned: In October, we’ll share more about what we’ve heard across northern, downstate, and rural communities – and how these conversations will help inform our next steps.