Hundreds Attend Unity Event | ING Ramadan Iftar | Upcoming Events

Hundreds Attended ING Panel
Featured During Sunnyvale Unity Gathering

ING and the city of Sunnyvale co-organized a Unity Gathering in response to a recent hate crime in Sunnyvale where a man drove into pedestrians believing that they were Muslim. The victims were Hindu. Hundreds of faith leaders, local nonprofits and community members gathered together to honor the 8 victims of the tragedy and find ways to heal and strengthen our community.
 
During this event, Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian facilitated an ING intercultural panel on the theme “Unity in All Our Rich Diversity.” Panelists discussed the experiences of bigotry in their communities and shared ways to make members of their communities feel respected. Sunnyvale mayor, Larry Klein and various community members praised the panel for creating an engaging discussion that was unifying, peaceful and informative. The event concluded with an iftar, or breaking of the fast, which featured small plates from local restaurants. You can find media coverage of this event on NBC Bay Area and KTVU Fox.

Thank You for Attending Our ING Iftar Event!

INGYouth speakers share their experiences in the INGYouth program
 
Thank you to everyone who attended our 26th anniversary ING iftar event last week at the Lucie Stern Community Center in Palo Alto. We had a wonderful time reflecting on our impact and goals, hearing from our Bay Area team, listening to INGYouth speakers, and spending iftar with all of you. The youth speakers shared the impact of their involvement in the INGYouth, including increased senses of confidence and awareness to address questions about their faith and identities, both for themselves and for others.
 
We would like to thank everyone who supports ING and are excited to continue in our peacemaking efforts together. If you were unable to attend the event and would like to support ING, please consider donating here.

Upcoming Events

Sunday, June 2nd, 2019:
  • Creating Inclusive and Equitable Communities – A Call to Action: Understanding the origins and impact of bigotry in the US. today and what we can do about it, Trinity Church, Menlo Park, CA. Find more information here.
Tuesday, June 18th, 2019:
  • Muslim Women Beyond the Stereotypes, St. Mark’s Chapel, Santa Clara, CA. Find more information here.
Sunday, June 23rd, 2019:
  • Faith Matters Interfaith Panel, KSQD 90.7 FM Santa Cruz Radio Station. Find more information here.
Monday, June 24th, 2019:
  • Muslim Parent Workshop: Education at Home, Tenderloin Family Housing Community Room, San Francisco, CA. Find more information here.
If you are interested in attending any of these upcoming events, please write to [email protected].

Highlights of Past Events

ING Spoke on Ramadan at Islamic Center of
Santa Cruz Open House Event

ING Executive Director Maha Elgenaidi delivered an overview of Islam and Ramadan and answered questions during an open house event for the Islamic Center of Santa Cruz which was attended by many government and community guests including a county supervisor, the sheriff, the city police chief with one of his commanders, UCSC professors, and local interfaith leaders. Learn more about Ramadan with our public content here.

ING Welcomed U.S. Department of
State Delegation from Germany

A U.S. State Department delegation from Germany visited ING to learn more about the work we do and to share their experiences. We had an engaging conversation filled with questions about working to promote peace and counter bigotry in the U.S. To learn more about ING’s programs, visit our site.

Stone Church of Willow Glen Members
Grateful for Our Work

ING Executive Director Maha Elgenaidi presented “Muslim Women Beyond the Stereotypes” to Stone Church of Willow Glen Presbyterian in San Jose. Several members of the audience told Maha afterwards what a tremendous impact ING has made in their lives over the years by enabling them to learn about Islam and Muslims from our speakers, and how important it is that the Muslim community carry on this work. To book a presentation about Muslim women, visit our site.

ING Delivered Cultural Diversity Seminar to Tenderloin Community School Educators

ING Deputy Director Ishaq Pathan spoke to a group of educators at Tenderloin Community School in San Francisco. He addressed Muslim traditions and their impact on a student’s life in school and presented important considerations for accommodating Muslim students. To book a seminar for educators, visit our site.

ING Spoke About American Muslims on
Panel at Masjid Zakariya’s Open House

ING Content Manager Ameena Jandali delivered an overview about Muslims and their faith for a Ramadan open house dinner on Saturday at Masjid Zakaria in Fremont. She described basic terms, demographics, outlined the history of American Muslims, and gave an overview of the major beliefs and practices of Muslims. She also answered audience questions along with other panelists. Many guests expressed their appreciation for the succinct and comprehensive presentation. For guidance on hosting your own open house, use this resource.

ING Addressed Religious Pluralism to
Harvard Club in San Francisco

ING Deputy Director Ishaq Pathan spoke on a panel at Grace Cathedral for the Harvard Club of San Francisco. Panelists discussed thoughts on religious pluralism as a founding principle of the United States and presented current examples and challenges of interfaith work around the world. Ishaq discussed ING’s various programs, including the Interfaith Speakers Bureau, Know Your Neighbor, and Halaqa-Seder. To learn more, visit our site.

ING Spoke at Opening of Immigrants Are Us Exhibition

One of the Muslims featured in the exhibit is Zareen Umair of Zareen’s Restaurant
 
ING Executive Director Maha Elgenaidi gave an overview of ING, described the contribution of Muslims to our community, and discussed how we can combat Islamophobia during the kickoff exhibit of “Immigrants are US,” featuring photographs by Mark Tuschman at Art Ventures Gallery in Menlo Park. The exhibit will run until June 6th. The gallery is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from noon to 6 pm and Fridays and Saturdays from 10 am to 6 pm. For more information, go here.

ING Speaker Spoke at
Santa Cruz Community Ramadan Iftar

ING Speaker Ismael Nass-Duce recited verses from the Quran and led the call to prayer at the annual Santa Cruz community Ramadan iftar hosted by the Muslim Solidarity Group of Sanctuary Santa Cruz. The organizers commented, “We are grateful for the presence of ING in our community, for your support, and for the friendship we have forged with Ismael! His presence and contribution to our program were deeply appreciated.” To book an ING speaker for your event, visit our site.
 
 
Islamic Networks Group (ING) is a non-profit organization with affiliates and partners around the country that are pursuing peace and countering all forms of bigotry through education and interfaith engagement while working within the framework of the First Amendment’s protection of religious freedom and pluralism.