ING Meets With Congressman Mike Honda

L to R: Diane Fisher, Maha Elgenaidi, Mike Honda, Harjit Kaur   ING Organizes Meeting With Congressman Mike Honda to Discuss Bullying Prevention ING’s Maha Elgenaidi, together with interfaith partners Harjit Kaur, attorney from the Sikh Coalition, and Diane Fisher, director of the Silicon Valley Jewish Community Relations Council, met with Congressman Mike Honda, Chair of the Congressional Anti-Bullying Caucus, to discuss best practices for preventing bullying on the basis of religion or ethnicity. Such bullying is considerably more frequent than bullying in general. One out of 3 students overall suffer bullying, but between fifty and seventy percent of Muslim and Sikh students are bullied. It is possible, however, to prevent such bullying through education and a school culture that accepts cultural diversity. Working with Congressman Honda, ING, together with our interfaith partners, hopes to highlight this type of bullying and test best practices for its prevention with regional district superintendents and schools as preparation for disseminating strategies nationwide.

Only a few spots remain at our upcoming INGYouth Workshops in San Jose, CA and Longwood, Florida

Students age 11 through 22 as well as their parents are invited to join us at our upcoming INGYouth workshops in San Jose, CA and Longwood, FL.

• SBIA/WVMA in San Jose. Register here.
• American Muslim Community Centers in Longwood, FL. Register here.

INGYouth Workshops help ensure that our youth are equipped to address and respond to stereotypes and prejudice while maintaining a positive attitude and confident self-identity.

Here are some examples of the educational materials provided to workshop participants. They represent selections from our professional curriculum specially tailored for younger audiences:

Getting to Know American Muslims and Their Faith

American Muslims are very diverse in many ways, but the overwhelming majority of them adhere to the American values of democracy, liberty, and hard work—and see them as very much in line with Islamic values.

Muslim Women Beyond the Stereotypes

One of the most misunderstood areas in Islam is the topic of women. From misconceptions about women’s role and rights, to images of Muslim women covered in black from head to foot, this is a topic that is often stereotyped in public perceptions.

A History of Muslims in America

Muslims have been a part of U.S. history for centuries, but most Americans are unaware of this fact. Here we depict the substantial, documented presence of Muslims among enslaved Africans in the Americas, describe both the successive waves of immigration that have brought Muslims to our country from the 19th century on and the rediscovery of Islam among African Americans in the 20th century, and highlight notable American Muslims today.

Muslim Contributions to Civilization

Many different peoples and cultures have contributed to world civilization, and it is important to acknowledge all of them. Yet contributions made by Muslims, particularly those made during the Golden Age of Islam in medieval times, have often failed to be fully recognized and acknowledged.

After a recent workshop, young Muslims were asked “What are some ways that you can prevent the negative effects of Islamophobia at your school?”

“We can educate others, respect them, correct them if they make an inaccurate statement about Islam.” 

“You can organize a presentation about the real fundamental principles of Islam in front of your peers.”

Event open to the public:
Muslim Voices Against Extremism
Tuesday, January 27

This event features noted Muslim leaders in the Bay Area who work to increase public awareness of Muslim opposition to extremism and violence. They will address fundamental questions about Islam and present Muslim perspectives on freedom of speech, pluralism, and human rights. Speakers will also be available to answer questions on current events relating to terrorism and their effect on civil rights and Islamophobia. Speakers will include ING Content Director Ameena Jandali, Dr. Ozgur Koca, Abdullah bin Hamid Ali, and others. Educators and students are welcome. The event begins at 6:45 pm on January 27th at the Pacifica Institute Silicon Valley, located at 1257 Tasman Drive, Units A&B, Sunnyvale, CA 94089.

Event is free and open to the public. More details here.

For questions, write to [email protected].