INNER-CITY MUSLIM ACTION NETWORK

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Dear IMAN Friends and Supporters,

Assalamu Alaikum (Peace Be Upon You.) The Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN) was formed and driven by the awareness that the Muslim American community has the resources and principled commitment to advance a vision for positive change and hope in the inner-city. Fiscal year 2007 marked ten years of this effort. Each event, organizing action, and program this last year offered an opportunity for reflection on IMAN’s growth.

Some of you may remember the first Takin’ it to the Streets, when a diverse assembly of 1,000 Muslims came together with a vision for change and unity. That more than 10,000 people attended this year’s festival speaks to the exponential growth of our organization.

Through your generosity, IMAN’s budget grew by 260% in 2007. The size of our staff tripled and our operating space doubled after we moved into a newly renovated building that we are leasing to own. Our Board of Directors engaged in a strategic planning process during which we crystallized our mission, vision, and plans for the next three years.

At our tenth anniversary luncheon, IMAN announced The Grow Your IMAN Campaign, a three-year effort to raise $1.75 million to purchase our building and build a base of support for our programs. By year-end, you – our friends and donors – helped us raise 50% of the three-year goal in pledges.

Yet, we know that every success brings new challenges and opportunities. As IMAN embarks upon the next decade of growth, we pray that The Most High blesses our work with that special passion to effect positive change, serve our communities, and inspire each other to new heights of creativity.

Your prayers and support are integral for such success. We will do everything we can to become and remain worthy of this amana (Sacred Trust. )

Sincerely yours,

Rami Nashashibi

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MissiOn

IMAN is a community-based nonprofit that works for social justice, delivers a range of direct services, and cultivates the arts in urban communities.

BackgROund

Responding to the pervasive symptoms of poverty and marginalization on Chicago’s Southwest Side, a group of Muslim community members created IMAN and incorporated as a 501 c (3) organization in 1997.

VisiOnIMAN will be, insha’Allah, a national Muslim nonprofit leader in social change, service delivery and artistic excellence. Muslims in other urban centers will draw on IMAN’s model for dynamic civic engagement in their communities and the larger society.

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TaBLE OF cOnTEnTs

p1. Mission & Vision

p1. Board & Staff

p1. Community Organizing And Advocacy

p1. Community Safe Zone

p1. Know Your Rights

p1. Immigration Rights

p1. Equal Voices

p1. Leadership Development: Organizing Training 101

p1. Iman Sessions

p1. Statewide Justice Initiative

p1. Iman Arts & Culture

p1. Iman Youth Council

p1. Youth Board Of Directors

diREcTORsclyde k. El-amin- Ph.dPresident, Kennedy King College

Yasmine abou-El-kheirCommunity Leader

seemi choudryLoyola University

sherene Fakhran M.d, M.P.h - Medical chairPhysician, Northwestern Memorial Hospital

Tariq iftikhar M.d.Physician

Maha JaradTeacher, Taft High School

Maaria Mozaffar J.d.Attorney

ameenah Muhammad University of Illinois at

Chicago

Laila MuhammadExecutive Director, Al Shamsiyyah Domestic Violence Center

Feroz PatelTechnical Project Manager

Rafi PetersonIMAN’s Project Restore

Coordinator

Tariq simkins Kenwood Academy High School

OFFicERsamir al–islam - chairmanExecutive Director, Center for Professional Education,Medgar Evers College, City University of New York

david kelly J.d - secretaryAttorney, Katten Muchin Rosenman

ali saqib - TreasurerInternational Tax Consultant, Price Waterhouse Coopers

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Rami nashashibiExecutive Director

kyle J. ismailAssociate Director

angela RosarioExecutive Assistant

Madeehah MuhammadOffice Coordinator

Mariam azamHealth Clinic Administrator

shamar hemphillYouth Coordinator & Organizer, Public Allies Graduate*

asad JafriDirector of Arts and Culture

sultan MuhammadLead Community Organizer

ahlam saidCommunications Coordinator

Veronica ZapataICDI Coordinator

awards • RamiNashashibi

LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation) Community Hero Award

National Housing Service Community Leaders Award

• RafiPeterson was recognized, along with his former Ceasefire

team, for his work in reducing violence in Chicago Lawn.

LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation) Community Hero Award

2008 inTERns

haneen alwawi Health Clinic Intern

Joliet Junior College

Mahmoud alshaikh Youth Council Intern

Bogan High School

Megan anderson Arts and Culture Intern

Emil G. Hirsch Metropolitan School of Communication

Paris Banks Health Clinic Intern Fox College

Manal Farhan Education Reform Extern

Northwestern University

ambar Flores Immigration Reform Intern

Boston College

amany hussein ICDI Intern

Bogan High School

Widad hussein Youth Council Intern

Moraine Valley Community College

Omar kamran Organizing Intern

Loyola University Chicago

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Fathima khan Communications Intern

Northwestern University

anas Mahafzah Communications Organizing Intern

DePaul University

ameenah Muhammad Arts and Culture Intern

University of Illinois at Chicago

ari Plost JCUA Fellow

Rabbinical Student at Hebrew Union College

Rajaa Qadri Organizing Intern

Bucknell University Pennsylvania

ahlam saidCommunications Intern

Zakee shahid Community Safe Zone and Development Extern

Northeastern University

Tariq simkins Youth Intern

Kenwood Academy High School

saquib usmanCareer Development Intern

University of Michigan

cOMMuniTY ORganiZing & adVOcacYFocusing on marginalized urban communities, iMan’s community organizing model emerges from a deep spiritual commitment to social justice and human dignity.

cOMMuniTY saFE ZOnE In response to the pervasive violence across the city and on Chicago’s Southwest Side, IMAN took the lead in creating a Community Safe Zone around an 8 block radius. Working in collaboration with local organizations, such as Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP), we engaged more than 1,000 residents in block parties that featured music, food, games and direct neighborhood engagement. This generated connectivity and deep institutional involvement within the designated safe zone area.

REP YOuR hOOdWe employed 25 inner-city youth through a summer long program, called “Rep Your Hood,” which provided an understanding of social problems that arise in inner-cities as well as community organizing training to lead our Community Safe Zone project. Youth worked to assess the needs

of the local community through door-to-door surveys and then used this information to create alternatives to those urban issues such as basketball tournaments and block parties

On May 1st, iMan joined a citywide May day March that called for a moratorium on raids, an end to the separation of families, an end to a system of exploitation of undocumented labor, a living wage for workers, and a comprehensive and humane path to citizenship for america’s undocumented residents.

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EducaTiOn REFORMIMAN organized community members around education reform through a program known as Parents and Residents Invested in Schools and Education (PRISE). This initiative is based on the philosophy that people who are aware of the needs, goals and achievements of students in their community can serve as mentors and resources to youth, their families and their schools. Through an informed partnership, students begin to understand their community’s commitment to education and academic achievement.

iMan sEssiOns: A Bi-Weekly Community DiscussionEvery other Saturday evening, a diverse group of Muslims and non-Muslims gathered at the IMAN center to share stories and perspectives about their faiths. After a short introduction, participants are encouraged to learn about each other’s traditions as well as talk about issues within the community.

dEVELOPing JusTicE cOaLiTiOn (dJc) Wins 2008 cOMMuniTY ORganiZing aWaRd The 2008 community Organizing award was given to dJc by the chicago community Trust Fund, Woods Fund, Macarthur Foundation, and the Wieboldt Foundation for demonstrating excellence in community organizing to effect policy change. iMan serves as a steering committee head of dJc, an alliance working towards criminal justice reform in illinois.

Equal Voice for America’s Families Campaign that presented a national, multi-issue platform for poor and working families. The Youth Council also tackles issues of immigration, media justice, education reform, and juvenile justice

EQuaL VOicEs caMPaignIMAN mobilized Muslim families and youth leaders to the Equal Voice for America’s Families Convention around a platform of social-justice issues that advocate legislative and community change for low-wage families. The platform, organized by the Marguerite Casey Foundation, addressed education, healthcare, criminal justice, public safety, and immigration reform. As a regional steering committee member, IMAN helped shape the event program which gathered 3,000 families at Navy Pier, in Chicago.

IMAN provided community organizing training to more than 40 leaders from across the city. The training focused on strategies to help address issues such as disproportionate incarceration, substandard education, access to healthcare, inhumane immigration policy, and criminalization of marginalized communities.

knOW YOuR RighTs WORkshOPsIMAN’s Know Your Rights Workshop series provided effective and useful hands-on guidance from experts in immigration, criminal justice, education, housing and healthcare.

iMan YOuTh cOunciL IMAN’s Youth Council is a forum through which youth engage in community organizing driven by issue identification, direct actions, and policy reform. The Youth Council mobilized and trained more than 50 young people to become active leaders for the nationwide

LEadERshiP dEVELOPMEnT: cOMMuniTY ORganiZing TRaining 101

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uniTEd cOngREssAs a leading member organization of UCCRO, IMAN joined other organizations in hosting a State of Race Conference to explore historic and contemporary racial constructs within the context of a grassroots human rights while informing how we organize and win together as communities of color.

FasTing FOR FaiTh and JusTicE : YOuTh iFTaRIMAN, through the United Congress of Community and Religious Organizations (UCCRO), teamed up with community members from Little Village to host a Ramadan Iftar program entitled “Fasting for Faith and Justice” on Friday, September 26, 2008. Youth examined the role of fasting in different racial, ethnic and religious communities. They also learned about the hunger strike and the struggle for Little Village North Lawndale High School and connected it to fasting in the Muslim community as a demonstration of faith and principles.

Comparing 2007 to 2008 [The additional capacity has enabled the clinic with the ability to accommodate more than 800 patients though 1200 visits]

iMan hEaLTh cLiniciMan’s health clinic has become a leading service in the community, providing primary healthcare and supporting services, including referral coordination and medication assistance program enrollment to the largely uninsured population of the chicago’s southwest side. in addition to treating patients every sunday, the clinic’s hours were expanded to include Thursday afternoons. With more than 25 volunteer doctors, physicians, nurses and other medical staff the clinic continues to grow in its effort to meet the

tremendous community need.

hEaLTh cOVERagE FOR aLL chiLdREnIMAN partnered with the Arab American Family Services on December 2nd to host its first All Kids Enrollment workshop. All Kids is a state sponsored health insurance plan that seeks to offer comprehensive health coverage for all Illinois children who need it, regardless of immigration status or

any other external factors.

knOW YOuR RighTs WORkshOP: hEaLTh caRE accEss

Many times people are not able to get the healthcare they need and deserve because of a simple lack of knowledge about the healthcare system and programs that they can benefit from.

The workshop provided uninsured people with information on hospital charity care programs and public aid programs. The participants were given basic information on improving their access to healthcare (without insurance).

diaBETEs PREVEnTiOn and ManagEMEnT WORkshOP Often patients lack a basic understanding of what common diseases

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actually are, and how they are harmful to one’s body. This leads to non compliance with medical treatment. Basic patient education often goes a long way in improving health outcomes. The workshop educated patients on what diabetes is, how to prevent it or manage it—(if you already have diabetes)

iMan caREER dEVELOPMEnT iniTiaTiVEiMan career development initiative - Making stridesThe IMAN Career Development Initiative (ICDI) has offered basic computer literacy training since its inception in 2001. The program has provided students not only with computer skills, but also with the confidence they need to enter the business world and gain successful employment. ICDI has grown in the number of direct services it continues to provide to its constituents through its development of relationships with key institutions and career based organizations in the area. More than 700 community members have been provided the skills and confidence to succeed in the work through ICDI just in 2008.

Through emphasis on instructor training, career opportunities and the educational interests and needs of the students, IMAN has created an environment in which students thrive and go on to become leaders in the community.

FinanciaL ManagEMEnT:summer Reading Program The IMAN Career Development Initiative conducted a free weekly summer reading program for students in grades 1-7. The program helped students learn the English language through

vocabulary building, spelling and comprehension exercises.

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digiTaL MEdia MasTERsICDI worked in the summer of 2008 to develop future leaders by helping to bridge the digital divide often found in low income neighborhoods. The program empowered students to gain control of the creation and distribution of digital media via the Internet using the latest tools, techniques and open source software. The skills gained during the sessions will be highly useful in allowing communities to create their own streams of income as well as imparting marketable job skills for further career development.

kids & dOcsIMAN facilitated a course “Kids and Docs” that taught #? young people how to produce original documentaries. Students learned all aspects of the filmmaking process from concept development and filming to editing.

PiLLaRs OF iMan We worked to empower youth into effective community leaders, who can help to facilitate social change in our communities and give back to the greater society through individualized mentorships and weekly programming.

ICDI created Pathways to Success, an approach that empowers youth to lead while still acknowledging the importance of guidance and intergenerational communication.

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IMAN PATHWAYS OF ENGAGEMENT

SPECIAL EVENTS

REP YOUR HOOD

VISUAL ART CLASSES

CIPHER SESSIONS

FRIDAY NIGHT MOVIESCOMMUNITY CAFE

AFTER SCHOOL COMPUTER LAB

YOUTH ORGANZINGAND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

RITES OF PASSAGE AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

IMAN YOUTH COUNCIL

PILLARS OF IMAN

YOUTHPROGRAMS

DROP IN OPTIONS

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MUSIC CLASSES

DIGITAL MEDIA MASTERS

IMAN BOARD

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iMan aRTs & cuLTuREdelivering a vast array of stories, sounds, movement and visual art from rich cultures across the world, iMan continues the Muslim tradition of creating some of the most powerful artistic movements in the world; movements that celebrate our oneness as humans.

We have found the arts to be an effective tool in cross cultural communication and creating mutual understanding as well as serving as an impetus and tool towards social change.

cOMMuniTY caFéCommunity Café, established in 2003, is one of the few Muslim-led efforts that provides a space for socially conscious people to collectively celebrate and engage in diverse and creative artistic expression. Community Café allows for community members to use the arts as a tool for cross-cultural communication, civic engagement and social change.

IMAN engaged over 1,500 people through community café this past year. In February. Community Café brought more than 600 people from the community. To accommodate the increase of attendance, Community Café moved to Parkway Ballroom, a historic ballroom located in the heart of Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood., where there is always a standing room!

aRTs and LEadERshiP RETREaT In October, IMAN held its biennial Arts and Leadership Retreat, sponsored by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art. The spiritual retreat brought together 70 musicians, vocalists, film makers, dancers, comedians and community activists from around the country to discuss Muslim cultural identity and the role of artists as agents for social change. The retreat was also a time for the artists to share their creative work and make connections for future collaborative projects.

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cOnnEcTing gLOBaLLY: iMan’s work continues to provide critical insight to those seeking to understand the american Muslim identity and the important civic role Muslims play in the inner city. Towards this end, people and organizations from all over the world visited the iMan center in 2008. some examples include:

us dEPT. OF sTaTE’s inTERnaTiOnaL VisiTOR LEadERshiP PROgRaM

• BravesGarçonsd’Afrique(BGA),anon-profitassociationforminority youth based in Paris, France.

• IslamicScholars&ClericDelegationfromPhillipines

• WomengraduatestudentsinIslamicStudiesattheUniversity of Jordan.

• YouthsocialworkersfromGermany

• BoardMembervisitsNetherlandsonU.S.Delegation

• ExecutiveDirectorvisitsLondonthroughtheRadicalMiddleWay and Switzerland through?...

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IMAN is mentioned in former President William Clinton’s book, Giving.

IMAN Recipient of Recognition at Zaytuna

Zaytuna InstItute

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TEEns LOOk FOR OPPORTuniTiEsIMAN Youth Job Fair Leaders Offer Suggestions and IdeasSouthwest News-Herald - City | July 11, 2008 By Dermot Connolly

Scores of teens turned out for a youth job fair co-sponsored by IMAN, the Southwest

Organizing Project and the Southwest Youth Collaborative on Tuesday afternoon at IMAN headquarters. The job fair gave youts from 13 to 21 the chance to apply for summer internships and get information about apprenticeships and other community

iMan FEaTuREd in BET nEWs IMAN staff, leaders and board members consulted BET reporters on “Heart of the City: Chicago’s War on Violence”, set to air on Sunday,December7th,2009.TheprogramwillfeatureIMAN&

SWOP’s Community Safe Zone, a collaborative effort to address the continuous rise of violence that affects the lives of youth and their families on Chicago’s

Southwest Side. The news special also gives “special thanks” to IMAN and will include a link to IMAN’s site on www.BET.com

MEdia:IMAN and Asad Jafri, its Arts and Culture Director, were recently recognized in The Chronicle of Philanthropy for “Leaders of the New School”, a project to help young people in Chicago’s South Side use hip-hop music, dance, and the visual arts to create and inspire social change.

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MusLiMs and ThE dEsTinY OF aMERicaOn Faith - Washingtonpost.com | June 16, 2008By Eboo Patel

Most Muslim events are held in anonymous rooms in suburban hotels, silently sending the message that American Muslims ought not concern themselves with the great issues of our time and place. Much of the talk is about the old days in other places - Pakistan, Egypt, Iran, the Palestinian territories. Most of the talkers are aging men with long beards (“uncles”, we call them), first generation immigrants who tell long stories about pure places far away. Their identities were formed in those settings. Their memories of other times on distant shores are sweet.

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Project Restore Transitional House Featured in Al-Jazeera Documentary IMAN Board member and Project Restore Coordinator, Rafi Peterson, and the IMAN Project Restore Transitional House were recently featured in the Al-Jazeera documentary “Islam in America-The American Crescent” (Part 3).

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LsiMan audiTEd REVEnuE and ExPEnsEsUnrestricted Revenue $1,010,408Expenses $959,878Net Revenue $50,530

iMan acknowledges the following institutions that provided support for our programs:

FOundaTiOnsDoris Duke Foundation for Islamic ArtLocal Initiatives Support CorporationMarguerite Casey FoundationMayer&MorrisKaplanFamilyFoundationPolk Bros. FoundationPublic Interests Projects, Inc., Four Freedoms FundThe Chicago Community TrustThe Field Foundation of Illinois, Inc.Woods Fund of ChicagoGovernment AgenciesIllinois Arts CouncilIllinois Department of Human ServicesU.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesMuslim Partners and InstitutionsThe Central Zakat CommitteeIQRA InternationalIslamic Center of NapervilleIslamic Foundation NorthIslamic Society of Northwest SuburbsThe Mosque Foundation

Marking our tenth anniversary, IMAN announced The Grow Your IMAN Campaign at a commemorative luncheon on December 16, 2007. Our first-time comprehensive campaign is a three-year effort to raise $1.75 million in community-generated gifts and pledges.

The Grow Your IMAN Campaign will enable IMAN to purchase the newly renovated building that houses our health clinic, community programs, and administrative offices as well as to secure two years of operating funds for our programs.

The grow your iman campaign committee provided leadership for the campaign by raising thirty percent of the campaign goal before the public announcement. by the end of year, iman had raised gifts and pledges of $875,000, or one-half of the total campaign goal.

IMAN acknowledges with deep appreciation the men and women who serve on The Grow Your IMAN caMPaign cOMMiTTEEZaher Sahloul MD, ChairFadi AkhrasIsmail AlsheikAnas Nahhas MDMahmood SiddiquiSoffiya Siddiqui

dOnOR REcOgniTiOn

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INNER-CITY MUSLIM ACTION NETWORK

2744West63rdStreet•Chicago,Illinois60629TEL773.434.4626•FAX 773.434.0260iman@imancentral.org•www.imancentral.org