Cardinal George To Visit Morton Grove Mosque Thursday

The Muslim Community Center in Morton Grove is making preparations to hold a notable interfaith gathering Thursday.

The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago will host CIOGC’s Annual Catholic-Muslim Ramadan Iftar (fast-breaking dinner) at the Morton Grove mosque. 

Cardinal Francis George of the Catholic Archiocese of Chicago is the honored guest, along with speakers such as Prof. Scott Alexander of the Catholic Theological Union and Prof. Cherif Bassiouni, Emeritus Professor of Law at DePaul University. Other religious, government and community leaders will also take part in the event.

According to the council, the annual Catholic-Muslim iftar is part of an ongoing dialogue between the Muslim and Catholic communities in Chicagoland and has been a tradition for more than a decade. Council leaders said they aim to promote relationships between Chicago's large Catholic community and its growing Muslim community. 

“CIOGC is honored to host the Cardinal and other religious leaders," said Dr. Mohammed Kaiseruddin, chairman of CIOGC. "The holy Quran tells us to promote relations with the people of previous scriptures by inviting them to ‘the tenet which we and you hold in common.’”

Mohammad Aleemuddin, president of the MCC, said, “The MCC is delighted to welcome the Cardinal and other religious and community leaders.

"This is a great way to understand commonality among various faiths and to promote peace and harmony in the society.” 

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