Maaria Muzaffar received Life times achievement award from CIOGC

Pakistani American Maria Mozaffar received Lifetime achievement award form Council of Islamic Organization of Greater Chicago 33rd annual Gala

Report Syed Khalil Ullah, Chicago

Council of Islamic Organization of Greater 33rd annual Gala which was held on October 19th 2025 at Drury lane, Oak Brook, Illinois

Pakistani American Maria Mozaffar, She is an award-winning legislative attorney, mediator, speaker, author, and policy drafter.

The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC) held its Annual Gala, bringing together people of all faiths and backgrounds as one voice, one purpose, and one resilient community.
Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago is a federation of over 70 Muslim organizations that serves as a unifying force for the diverse Muslim community in the greater Chicago region and Illinois. Its mission includes civic engagement, education, community building, and interfaith collaboration.
This year’s theme, “Now More Than Ever, Stand Together,” served as a powerful reminder that our greatest strength lies in unity — in standing together through shared values of faith, justice, and compassion.

Maria Mozaffar has mediated dozens of conflicts ranging from employment and family law to cases of police brutality. Over a span of 15 years, she has drafted more than a dozen groundbreaking pieces of legislation that have become law in areas such as criminal justice reform, women's empowerment, inclusivity in schools, healthcare, and equity. Her legislation has impacted thousands of lives and is being replicated across the country, with many being first-in-the-nation initiatives. These include, but are not limited to, the Media Literacy Mandate, the Women's and Girls Council Mandate of Illinois, the Food Deserts Resolution, the Fresh Food Fund, and more.

Her work, specifically for the Muslim community, includes the Wadee Al Fayoumi Congressional Resolution, the Inclusive Athletic Attire Act, the Halal Kosher Act, Muhammad Ali Day, the Bias-Based Bullying in Mediation Act, the Inclusive Athletic Attire Act, the Halal Kosher Act, and Faith Behind Bars (access to Muslim Imam for the incarcerated).

Maria Mozaffar, a former student body president at the Illinois College of Law and the University of Illinois at Chicago, is dedicated to coaching the next generation of leaders. As co-chair of the Women and Girls Council's Leadership Committee, which Governor JB Pritzker appointed, she created the first Illinois Girls Lead program in the state.
Her articles about stopping dehumanization have appeared in both domestic and international journals. The Great Muslim American Road Trip, a PBS documentary, featured her as one of the top 20 changemakers in the country. How to Live a Life of Substance in an Artificial World, written by Maria, is a book that she says encompasses her mission and is profoundly influenced by God's mercy, grace, and direction.