Staff Insights

By Maha Elgenaidi, Executive Director. This opinion appeared at the ING blog. We as a society are in a tumultuous moment—not only politically but morally. Millions of people find the actions of the Administration, and of Congress also, deeply immoral, and they are taking to the streets… Read More

By Maha Elgenaidi, Executive Director, and Ameena Jandali, Content Director. This opinion originally appeared in the San Jose Mercury News. Last Saturday, we were privileged to address thousands of peaceful protesters at the Women’s Marches in San Jose and San Francisco. Together, we made… Read More

By Maha Elgenaidi, Executive Director. This speech was delivered at the Women’s March in San Jose on January 21, 2017. Salam alaikum, Shalom, and peace be unto you. I am honored to be with all of you today representing the American Muslim community. Attending today… Read More

By Maha Elgenaidi, ING Executive Director, Dana Magat, Rabbi at Temple Emanu-El, and Suzanne St. John-Crane, CEO of American Leadership Forum Silicon Valley. This opinion appeared in the San Jose Mercury News. As faith and non-profit leaders, we are deeply troubled by the increase… Read More

Jerusalem with Muslim, Christian, and Jewish sites. Photo by Eran Menashri on Flickr Creative Commons By Maha Elgenaidi, Executive Director. This opinion originally appeared at Patheos. If anyone doubts the strength of anti-Muslim sentiment in the U.S., a … Read More

By Maha Elgenaidi, Executive Director. This opinion appeared at the ING blog. The Vatican II document Nostra Aetate marked a watershed in the relationship of Catholics toward Muslims. For the first time, a major church document broke with the old missionizing and Orientalist way of looking at Muslims… Read More

By Maha Elgenaidi, Executive Director. This opinion originally appeared at iSLAMiCommentary. “We need more than the law to combat what are often deep-seated prejudices and attitudes that are the root causes of discrimination… Face-to-face interaction, education, and inter-religious engagement are key to breaking the grip of Islamophobia in this country.”… Read More

By Maha Elgenaidi, Executive Director. This opinion originally appeared at the Huffington Post. Some people ask the question, is there really such a thing as “Islamophobia,” or are Muslims merely indulging in a culture of victimhood? While most Muslims may feel that even to… Read More

By Maha Elgenaidi, Executive Director. This invocation was delivered at Notre Dame de Namur University’s Commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 9th, 2015. Maha was the first Muslim to present such an invocation. She was joined on stage by university President Judith Maxwell Greig, Ph.D. and Fedele Bauccio, Chief… Read More

By Maha Elgenaidi, Executive Director. This opinion originally appeared at Patheos. On April 7, congregants of Shaare Torah in Gaithersburg, Maryland, found their synagogue defaced with swastikas and profanity. The incident devastated congregants like Michael Weisel, who said, “When my wife called me and… Read More