ING Featured in 9/11 Specials on PBS and KGO

Register online now for ING’s Annual Ramadan Iftar and Interfaith Dinner on Saturday, October 14th, between 6:00 and 8:00 PM sharp. Featured speakers: Fr. Jose Rubio from the San Jose Diocese and Rabbi Dana Magat of Temple Emanu-El. We look forward to seeing you there, and thank you for all your support! Ramadan Mubarak to Muslim members of the list, and peace and blessings for the High Holy Days to our Jewish members! Updates:

* ING Begins the New School Year with a Flood of Presentation Requests

* ING Speakers/Physicians Address Health Care Providers, 9/7/06

* ING Spokespeople Featured in 9/11 Specials on PBS and KGO

* ING Speaker Addresses Annual Quad EEO Training Conference in Concord, 9/14/06

* ING Speakers Present at Interfaith Institutions, 9/18, 9/21 & 9/26/06

* ING Speakers Present at Bay Area Campuses, USF and SJSU on 9/26 and 10/02/06

* ING Speaker Address Professional Women, 10/02/06

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ING Begins the New School Year with a flood of Presentation Requests

ING began the new school year with a flurry of presentation requests that ranged from the usual middle and high schools to requests from universities, chaplains, hospitals, law enforcement agencies, faith groups and others. The interest and enthusiasm expressed by those requesting presentations is a testimony to the thirst that people have for learning more about Islam and Muslims, while having their questions answered and perceptions challenged. Their appreciation upon learning that many of their misconceptions and stereotypes are misinformed is gratifying. More than ever, it is vital for American Muslims to become a trusted source about their own identity and faith, and more than ever is it critical that we reach out and build relationships between all Americans. For more information about our presentations in schools, visit our site at: https://ing.org/speakers/page.asp?num=1

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ING Speakers/ Physicians Address Health Care Providers, 9/7/06

Long time ING speaker, Dr. Sarah Azad, a recent medical graduate in Gynecology addressed the Family Services Dept of California Transplant Donor Network in Oakland on Tuesday, September 7th. In addition to delivering ING’s Healthcare Presentation, Dr. Azad focused on issues specifically related to death and organ transplant, including the Islamic perspective on organ donation and transplantation, providing bereavement counseling as well as becoming a resource for religious comfort, funeral planning, and victim services. The group was interested in general information that enables them to better service Muslim families, and were delighted to find the resources to learn more about the impact of Islam on culture.

On the same day, ING speaker Dr. Shiraz Maskatia delivered ING’s healthcare presentation to a group of 50 residents at Children’s Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto. This presentation has become increasingly popular in recent years, and is especially well received when delivered by Muslim physicians.

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ING Spokespeople Featured in 9/11 Specials on PBS and KGO, as well as KQED’s California Report

ING’s president, Maha Elgenaidi was one of the many Bay Area Muslim leaders featured in a 9/11 special on the NewsHour With Jim Lehrer that aired Monday, September 4th.

Elgenaidi was also featured in a piece on KQED radio that was aired repeatedly on the topic of American Muslims today in a post 9/11 world that was taped at an interfaith event held between ING and the Campbell United Methodist Church in commemoration of 9/11. Around 50 Muslims and Christians came together for the event.

ING’s vice president, Ameena Jandali was also one of the guests featured in a special report on Channel 7 KGO that focused on the challenges facing Bay Area Muslims five years after 9/11. While the interview focused on the various difficulties faced by Muslims, Ameena also emphasized some of the positives, such as ING’s outreach work, and American Muslim’s professional and academic successes.

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ING Speaker Addresses Annual Quad EEO Training Conference in Concord, 9/14/06

An ING speaker addressed an audience of human resource managers at an Equal Employment Opportunity Training Conference in Concord on Thursday, September 14th. The conference was attended by over 150 people from a variety of corporate backgrounds and companies.

ING’s corporate presentation on interacting with Muslim employees in the workplace has become a feature at these conferences and seminars in recent years, as increasingly corporations realized the importance of preventing workplace discrimination and related problems. To schedule an ING presentation at your workplace, please contact the ING office: [email protected]

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ING Speakers Present at Interfaith Institutions, 9/18, 9/21 & 9/26

On September 18th, an ING speaker delivered a lecture on the topic of the Prophet Muhammad to a class at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley. The topic and venue were timely coming shortly after the Pope’s comments on the same topic, but the class of graduate students showed nothing but appreciation and interest in the topic. The Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology is part of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, which is now sponsoring a center for Islamic Studies, a welcome development for the institution.

On Thursday, September 21st, the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment in San Jose featured ING’s president, Maha Elgenaidi in its keynote address in an interfaith prayer and worship service in honor of the UN’s International Day of Peace. The event was attended by over 200 people. Joined by Rabbi Dana Magat, Elgenaidi’s talk focused on “three elements of our mutual response to extremism: Inter-religious solidarity, keeping hope alive, and prayer.”

On Tuesday, September 26th, Elgenaidi was also joined by four other interfaith leaders at an event sponsored by the Bay Area Cultural Connections. Attended by 100+ interfaith leaders, Elgenaidi’s talk focused on The Sacred in Islam, outlining the goals or maqasid of Shariah or Islamic law, and explained why Muslims today often stray from those lofty principals.

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ING Speakers Present at USF and SJSU on 9/26 and 10/02/06

ING speakers addressed university students at two major campuses in late September and early October. The first was for students in the Sociology Department at the University of San Francisco and focused on the challenges facing American Muslims post 9/11.

The second presentation at San Jose State on Monday October 2nd addressed the subject of Islam and Contemporary Muslims Today. Both presentations were received enthusiastically by students and faculty, who plied the speakers with questions.

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ING Speaker Address Professional Women’s Organization, 10/02/06

On Monday, October 2nd, a senior ING speaker was the keynote for the Sophomorist Club in Vallejo for their monthly luncheon meeting. The Sophomorist Club is a group of business and professional women, which requested the presentation for their annual United Nations program. The speaker covered the topic of Women in Islam, but covered questions on a variety of topics. The talk was received enthusiastically, continuing past its allotted time. The host expressed the appreciation of the group in the following follow-up note:

“I had so many
excited women telling me how much they loved your presentation today… Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and heart. Truly, it was a great learning experience for all of us, and I know it opened lots of hearts and minds.”

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ING is a national, educational outreach organization with partners in 20 states, Canada and the United Kingdom. ING promotes interfaith dialogue and education about world religions and their contributions to civilization by annually delivering thousands of presentations and other educational programs in schools, universities, law enforcement agencies, corporations, healthcare facilities, and community centers. Reaching hundreds of thousands of groups and individuals a year at the local, grassroots level, ING is building bridges between people of all faiths.