'Rise of Islam' Conference Controversey

Oak Lawn, Ill. - As many as 700 people may pack the Hilton's Grand Ballroom on Sunday for a series of lectures and question and answer sessions on a topic that troubles Muslim and Jewish groups alike.

Promoted on YouTube the conference is entitled the "Fall of Capitalism and Rise of Islam."

The group behind it, Hizb ut-Tahrir is not on any terror watch list according to the FBI. But it's presence in the Chicago area is raising concerns.

Jay Tcah, of the Jewish Federation of Chicago, said, “This conference is of great concern because it marks a new beginning, a troubling new beginning for a group that has been banned in Europe and has been banned even in a number of

The group bills itself as non-violent, but advocates a unified Islamic state under one supreme religious ruler.

"They remain on the margins of the community. They’re not embraced by any of the mosques in Chicago, in fact as a matter of fact I don’t believe they can pass out any of their literature in these mosques they have to pass them outside,” said Ahmed Rehab, with the Council on American Islamic Relations.

And in fact the Hilton was not their first choice of venue. The group initially booked a Bridgeview Muslim school, but claiming it had been duped, the school cancelled.

Dave Heilmann, Oak Lawn Mayor, said: “Certainly if the Muslim school cancelled it and now they move over to this venue that raises all sorts of red flags.”

But this is America, so I asked the question: What about free speech and freedom of assembly?

Heilmann, said, “There’s protections under the constitution, but I doubt our framers ever anticipated some of the things that happen in the world today.”