Our Team
Ahmed Rehab
Ahmed Rehab is Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago and CAIR’s National Strategic Communications Director. With two decades of experience, he leads on civil rights and media advocacy and serves on several boards supporting immigrant and Muslim communities.
Noah Hanif
Noah is entering his senior year of high school. He is passionate about civic engagement, inclusive representation, and protecting free expression. He also volunteers as a translator, enjoys reading, and exploring Chicago’s local food scene.
Aliya Badr
Aliya is a student at the University of Illinois Chicago studying Political Science and Arabic. She is passionate about advocacy, representation, and civil rights. She explores these through writing and community work, and in her free time, she enjoys playing tennis and learning the keyboard.
Sharanya Maulik
Sharanya is a student at Barnard College studying Political Science and Economics. She is passionate about civil rights, political engagement, and fighting religious discrimination. She also volunteers at legal aid clinics, plays piano, and enjoys reading novels.
Taqio Rahman
Taqio Rahman is the Outreach Coordinator at CAIR-Chicago. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from DePaul University, with a concentration in American politics, going on to earn a Master’s in Business Analytics. Taqio previously worked for the City of Chicago as a special staff assistant to a representative. He enjoys playing and watching soccer and he is also an avid movie enthusiast.
River Preston-Gage
River Preston-Gage is attending the London School of Economics and Political Science for her MSc in International Migration and Public Policy. She is particularly interested in exploring how culture and politics intersect to drive grassroots-led social and systemic change.
Hasan Hedayat
Hasan is an Indo-Iranian Muslim American entering his senior year of high school. He is passionate about Muslim human rights, advocacy, representation, and free speech, and enjoys history, law, Islamic studies, visual arts, and storytelling.
Deen Syed
Deen Syed is an Outreach Intern at CAIR-Chicago. He recently graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Religion. By joining CAIR, he hopes to immerse himself in, contribute to, and learn from an esteemed professional organization with a history of defending civil rights, fighting bigotry, and promoting equality, especially in light of the current sociopolitical climate.
Amani Rashid
Amani Rashid is an Outreach Intern at CAIR-Chicago for the Winter & Spring 2026 session. She is a senior at Dominican University, graduating this May with a Presidential Scholarship and a B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Criminology. After completing her undergraduate studies, Amani will continue at Dominican to pursue her master’s in Library Science.