Blessed Eid, and Interfaith Forums

BLESSED EID, AND INTERFAITH FORUMS

Eid Mubarak (Blessed Eid) to all our Muslim readers…!

ING News & Information, 12/08/08

Current News:

ING’s response to Mumbai attacks:
American Muslims Condemn Mumbai Attacks

Upcoming Muslim-Jewish Common Ground Speaker Series: “Common Rituals in Our Traditions,” Thursday, Dec 13, 7:00pm:

Highlights of October Events:

• Interfaith Speakers Bureau Addresses Diverse Forums, September – October, 2008
• ING Presents at the Rancho San Antonio Forum, 10/30/08
• ING Presents at the Chaplaincy Institute, 10/22/08
• Keynote Address on Women’s Rights at Chico Dinner, 10/19/08
• ING Participates in San Jose’s Faith Leaders Appreciation Breakfast, 10/16/08
• ING Participates in San Francisco Human Rights Commission, 10/07/08
• Healthcare Presentations at UCSF and Alta Bates Summit Hospitals, 10/06 and 10/08/08
• Joint Holiday Celebration at Graduate Theological Union, 10/02/08
• Ramadan Fast-a-thon at Emory University, Atlanta, 9/29/08
• Upcoming Events of Interest
• Thank You for Your Support!

Interfaith Speakers Bureau Addresses Diverse Forums, September-October 2008

The newly formed ING Interfaith Speakers Bureau or IFSB was launched last year as a new initiative to promote interreligious understanding and mutual respect through religious literacy and dialogue between the major faiths. Samplings of IFSB events in September and October include the following:

Interfaith Speakers Bureau Training, 10/14/08
ING hosted one of many regularly held Interfaith Speakers Bureau (IFSB) trainings on October 14th at the ING office in San Jose. Lasting a little under three hours, the training was attended by nearly 20 representatives of the five major faith traditions. For more information on how to become a panelist for the IFSB program or an upcoming IFSB training schedule, contact Grace Fong, ING’s Programs Director at [email protected]

Interfaith Speakers Bureau Panel at Santa Clara University, 10/17/08
On October 17th, a Religious Studies class at Santa Clara University hosted an IFSB Jewish-Muslim panel. Interfaith speakers Richard Heiman, of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), and Maha ElGenaidi of ING spoke about their personal backgrounds, and what drew them to interfaith work before addressing the topics of Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. The dialogue was followed by an hour long discussion between the panelists and students on the impact of interfaith work on Jewish-Muslim relations, 9/11, and the government’s role in promoting religious pluralism.

Interfaith Speakers Bureau Panel at Los Medanos College, 9/25/08
On September 25th, Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, CA hosted a two hour long IFSB four faith panel on the topic of “peaceful coexistence.” The panel was comprised of representatives from the Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Buddhist faiths, who each spoke briefly on their faith traditions that emphasize pluralism and coexistence. They also addressed some of the contemporary challenges to these ideals, and proposed solutions for making these aspirations a reality. After the discussion, one student observer commented that “the panel brought him hope that peace was possible between the religions.”

ING Hosts South Bay Interfaith Dialogue, 9/24/08
ING hosted a South Bay Interfaith Dialogue at its office in San Jose on September 24th as part of the IFSB program, introducing members of the San Jose interfaith community to the IFSB. Participants were gratified to learn about the program, and promised to help recruit speakers and publicize the program.

Interfaith Speakers Bureau Panel at Moreau High School, 9/22/08
On September 22nd, Moreau High School in Hayward hosted an IFSB three faith panel for three Social Studies classrooms on the topic of “shared values.” Representing Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism, the three speakers began with a brief introduction of their respective faiths before addressing some of the commonalities relating to family, worship and community.

Interfaith Speakers Bureau Panel at Temple Beth Sholom, 9/20/08
On September 20th, Temple Beth Sholom hosted an IFSB Jewish-Muslim panel on the topic of Jewish Muslim Relations in the U.S. at a Ramadan fast breaking dinner. The two speakers discussed some of the commonalities and challenges faced by both communities, as well as some of the specific issues experienced by each group.

To learn more about the Interfaith Speakers Bureau or to schedule a panel, visit the ING website at https://ing.org. If you would like to join the program as a speaker, contact Grace Fong at [email protected]

Other Major Events
September – October 2008

ING Presents at the Rancho San Antonio Forum, 10/30/08

An ING speaker visited the Rancho San Antonio Forum retirement community in Cupertino on October 30th to deliver the “Getting to Know American Muslims and their Faith” presentation to a group of 70+ seniors. The lecture lasted for 40 minutes, which was followed by a Q & A session for another 40 minutes, during which the audience of mainly senior citizens plied the speaker with questions about contemporary issues relating to women’s rights, extremism, Middle East politics and 9/11. For many of the attendees, this was their first opportunity to meet and hear an American Muslim.

ING Presents at the Chaplaincy Institute, 10/22/08

As it has for the last few years, the Chaplaincy Institute requested ING to address its class of chaplains on caring for Muslim patients. The presentation is part of a series of events for the unit that includes visiting a mosque, and learning about specific aspects of Islam that impact their role as spiritual advisors and chaplains. The three hour overview by the ING speaker emphasized those aspects of the faith and traditions that would impact the chaplains’ interaction with Muslim patients, such as Islamic views about illness, health, death and dying, and specific rituals they may need assistance or accommodation.

Keynote Address on Women’s Rights at Chico Dinner, 10/19/08

ING speaker, Ameena Jandali was the keynote speaker at an Eid holiday celebration in Chico, California, sponsored by the Muslim Women’s society of Northern California on Sunday, October 19th. The woman only event was attended by many prominent government officials or the wives of officials. The event included dinner which was followed by the keynote speech that highlighted some of the basic principals in Islam which emphasize gender equity. She cited various verses that emphasize the common origin, nature, duties and responsibilities of Muslim men and women, and emphasized that Muslim culture’s failure to live up to these ideals stems not from the faith itself, but from cultural practices and attitudes.

ING Participates in San Jose’s Faith Leaders Appreciation Breakfast, 10/16/08

ING President, Maha Elgenaidi was one of the invited faith leaders at San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed’s 2nd Annual Faith Leaders Appreciation Breakfast on Thursday, October 16th. The event took
place at the City Hall in downtown San Jose, and was attended by multiple faith leaders representing various regional religious organizations. Each participant was asked to present three photographs representing their organization’s work that was included in a slideshow that featured an overview of the various groups attending.

ING Participates in San Francisco Human Rights Commission, 10/07/08

ING President, Maha Elgenaidi joined a panel of five speakers for a discussion that brought together community leaders and policy makers in a forum sponsored by the City of San Francisco’s Human Rights Commission on Tuesday, October 7th. Maha’s focus was on informing the audience on what Muslim employees want their employers to understand about their needs in the workplace, and how companies can take concrete steps to be more inclusive of all diverse employees. The panel was followed by public testimony. Results of the hearing will be considered by the San Francisco Human Rights Commission for policies that will impact city and county employees as well as anyone doing business in San Francisco.

Healthcare Presentations at UCSF and Alta Bates Summit Hospitals, 10/06 and 10/08/08

ING speakers delivered presentations to two separate healthcare agencies in October. The first presentation on Monday, October 6th was to a class of future nurses at UCSF’s School of Nursing. The class focuses on cultural competency among diverse populations, which is the focus of ING’s healthcare presentation. The second presentation was to a group of student chaplains at Alta Bates Summit Hospital on Wednesday, October 8th whose job is to provide spiritual support to patients of all faith backgrounds. Both presentations included an overview of what it means to be a Muslim followed by specific issues that impact both healthcare and spiritual providers.

Joint Holiday Celebration at Graduate Theological Union, 10/02/08

ING speaker Ameena Jandali joined a professor from the Center for Jewish Studies in describing their respective holidays at a joint celebration of Eid ul Fitr (Festival of Breaking the Fast) and Rosh Hashanah sponsored by the Center for Islamic Studies and the Center for Jewish Studies. The event, which took place at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, began with a meal, which featured dishes from both cultures. The two speakers gave a brief description of each of their celebrations, noting similarities between them. Audience members picked up on other similarities and had various questions for both speakers.

Ramadan Fast-a-thon at Emory University, Atlanta, 9/29/08

ING President, Maha Elgenaidi was the keynote speaker at Emory University in Atlanta for a Ramadan fast-a-thon and celebration on September 29th, which was attended by hundreds of students, teachers and college administrators. The goal of the event was to raise awareness about the faith observance, and to raise money for Myanmar refugees through the non-profit organization, Doctors Without Borders. In her address, Elgenaidi emphasized the importance of charitable giving in Ramadan, and the importance of remembering and helping those less fortunate. The Q&A which followed offered rich roundtable discussions between Muslim students and other members of the Emory University community.

Thank You for Your Support!