Source: Chicago Sun-Times

On September 3, 1999, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that 25,000 Muslims, including Hakeem Olajuwan and Cat Stevens, will gather in Chicago for the annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America at McCormick Place. The event will attract 10,000 of the Chicago area's 300,000 Muslims. The opening night features an address by Cardinal Francis George, leader of 2.3 million Catholic in Cook and Lake Counties. The event comes after a report on Tuesday, August 31st from the Council on American-Islamic Relations that notes an increased acceptance of the hijab in the American workplace. Talat Othman, vice president of the Chicago area's Council of Islamic Organizations, stated: "People seem to be becoming more accepting...As Americans begin to understand Muslims and where they're coming from, there is a lot more tolerance."