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ING NEWS UPDATE 4/20/06
* ING President Participates in Conference with Dalai Lama, 4/14-4/15/06
* ING Speakers Address Comparative Religion Class, 4/12/06
* ING Presents at “Islam and Education” Conference, Georgetown University, 4/06/06
* ING Speaker Presents at Modesto Jr. College, 4/05/06
* ING Participates in SFUSD In-Service for Teachers, 3/30/06
* ING Speaker Presents to Palo Alto Health Care, 3/27/06
* ING Participates in Panel at Boalt Law School, 3/21/06
ING Upcoming Events: https://ing.org
ING President Participates in Conference with Dalai Lama, 4/14-4/15/06
ING President, Maha ElGenaidi participated in a conference in San Francisco on Friday, April 14th to Saturday, April 15th, titled “A Gathering of Hearts Illuminating Compassion.” The two-day conference was organized by the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama for the purpose of combating the growing negative perception of Islam and Muslims worldwide. About 100 people on Friday, and over 500 people attended the event on Saturday, including about 50 Muslims leaders and scholars, including Sh. Hamza Yusuf, Imam Zaid Shakir, Dr. Umar Faruq Abdullah, Dr. Ingrid Mattson, and Dr. Sherman Jackson.
ING’s president spoke on one panel on Friday, and was one of 15 Muslim representatives who was invited to a private meeting on Saturday with the Dalai Lama. Each of the 15 was given the opportunity to ask him a question. She asked him how to bring together ordinary Muslims and Buddhists, and he responded that “ordinary” people are more important than politicians or leaders, and that it was vital to 1) bring together scholars for religious and social exchanges, 2) hold meetings between practitioners to share about each other’s faiths, and 3) go on pilgrimages to each other’s houses of worship. Interestingly, he concluded the general session on Saturday with these same three points.
The event received wide media coverage, including the following article:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lama16apr16,0,6586874.story?coll=la-story-footer
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ING Speakers Address Comparative Religion Class, 4/12/06
On Wednesday, April 12th, two ING speakers, addressed students in a Comparative Religion class at San Jose State on the topic of “Death and Dying in Islam”. The speakers, one of whom is a physician, explained Islam’s view of death, and cited related verses and hadith to illustrate Islamic principals, such as the belief in the Hereafter, and the importance of a quick burial. The students were fascinated by the similarities to Judaism, and had detailed questions on the topic.
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ING Presents at “Islam and Education” Conference, Georgetown, 4/06/06
ING’s president, Maha ElGenaidi presented an academic research paper, entitled “Cultural Competency Training in Healthcare and Law Enforcement” at a conference on Islam and Education at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. The paper included detailed analysis of the need for education in both these professions on the topic of Islam and Muslims, as well as federal and state mandates and institutional policies relating to cultural competency in these areas. She then presented ING’s initiatives and presentations in the two fields, and the success and benefits as evidenced by feedback and evaluations. The presentation was greatly appreciated by attendees, since most of the work in the field of education about Islam and Muslims focuses on schools, while the need for education in other arenas is enormous.
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ING Speaker Presents at Modesto Jr. College, 4/05/06
On Wednesday, April 5th, an ING speaker presented ING’s “Orientation on Islam and Muslims” to a standing room only crowd at Modesto Jr. College. The event was organized by a Muslim English professor in conjunction with the college’s English department’s joint reading of the novel, Kite Runner by 1500 English students. In an area of Northern California that is much less diverse than the Bay Area, it was a first for most of the students to hear a Muslim speaker, and many of them expressed their gratitude to have the chance to learn about the religion from an actual practitioner, rather than the media.
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ING Participates in SFUSD In-Service for Teachers, 3/30/06
An ING senior trainer delivered a teacher training presentation, entitled “Cultural Competency Training for Educators” to two groups of teachers during a day long in-service sponsored by the San Francisco Unified School District on Thursday, March 30th. The 1.5 hour long presentation focused on an overview of Islam and Muslims, as well as specific issues of concern for teachers, including resources for teaching about the subject, policies for addressing harassment against Muslim students, and religious practices that might impact a Muslim student during school hours. The teachers were grateful to learn more about this topic, and had numerous questions and experiences that they were eager to ask about.
While San Francisco is known nationally for its tolerance and openness, an article last year that focused on the experiences of Muslim students in recent years revealed that even in this city, the level of harassment and prejudice, often endured silently by Muslim students was shocking. Inclusion in such workshops that address the educators themselves is key to bringing about tolerance and change.
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ING Speaker Presents to Palo Alto VA Health Care, 3/27/06
On Monday, March 27th, an ING speaker delivered ING’s presentation “Women in Islam” to a group of health care providers at Palo Alto VA Health Care. The group of about 35 physicians and nurses were eager to learn more about one of the most stereotyped and misunderstood aspects of Islam, the role and treatment of women, especially as it related to their profession and delivery of mental health services. They had numerous questions about the topic and related issues that they encounter in their work, and are interested in further training and education from ING.
*************************************************ING Participates in Panel at Boalt Law School, 3/21/08
An ING speaker participated in a panel at UC Berkeley on Tuesday, March 21st in the evening at Boalt Law School entitled: “Western Jurisprudence and Islamic Fundamentalism: Can International Law Bridge the Gap?” Other panelists included Dr. Hatem Bazian, and law professors from the university. The format of the event was unusual in that it consisted of a series of questions that were posed to all five panelists who were given a limited time to respond. Questions revolved around issues of violence, foreign policy, the treatment of women, and the potential role of international law in solving some of the issues dividing Muslims and the West. The audience of over 100 students were engaged and appreciative of having the Muslim perspective represented.
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For upcoming ING events, go to: https://ing.org