ING’s Healthcare Cultural Competency Presentations

ING News & Information, 02/13/08

In this Edition:

• News of Interest: “First Church in Qatar since Coming of Islam”
• Saturday, February 16 – “ING’s Islamic Speakers Bureau Trainings in February”
• Thursday, March 13- “Beyond Us and Them: Confronting Hidden Bias in Our Community”
• ING Hosts Women in Religion Dialogue, 2/10/08
• Presentation to Stanford School of Medicine, 2/08/08
• ING Speakers Visit Schools of Other Faiths, 2/06/08 – 2/08/08
• Thank You for Your Support!

News of Interest: “First Church in Qatar since Coming of Islam”

“Worship Allowed by Tradition of the Prophet” by Omar Elkeddi & Michel Hoebink, 2/08/08
http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/080208-qatar-church

“The Arab emirate of Qatar witnesses the building of the first church since the coming of Islam … Like other countries in the Arabian Peninsula, Qatar does not have an indigenous non-Muslim minority, but among the guest-workers that have come there in the past decades are many Christians…. The new church will serve no less than a hundred thousand Catholics residing in the tiny emirate, most of whom are from the Philippines, India and Lebanon. A Protestant church is also under construction… Since 2001, a yearly ‘Conference of the 3 Religions’ is held in Qatar during which representatives of Judaism, Christianity and Islam engage in dialogue. Dialogue between Muslims and Christians is rather common in the Arab world, but a religious dialogue including Jews is revolutionary. And in 2005, the emir announced that churches would be built for the Christians in Qatar, who until today have to conduct their religious services in private homes or schools…”

Mark Your Calendars:

Saturday, February 16 – ING’s Islamic Speakers Bureau Trainings in February

ING held its first in a series of three trainings this past Saturday at the MCA in Santa Clara. The training, which was coordinated by ING’s Sr. Program Manager, Grace Fong, was attended by over 20 people and was conducted by Maha Elgenaidi and Ismael an-Nass. The training began with an introduction of ING’s history and work, followed by a live demonstration of ING’s most common presentation, an “Orientation on Islam and Muslims”. Trainers also covered tips for speakers and organizational procedures, with an emphasis on First Amendment Center guidelines, which stress the importance of teaching about religion in an objective manner that doesn’t proselytize, denigrate other religions or impose any religious belief. These guidelines are at the core of ING’s work and mission. Following testing on the subject matter, and certification, new speakers will join ING’s pool of speakers who supplement education about Islam and Muslims and engage in interfaith dialogue for the purpose of increasing religious literacy and mutual respect.

ING will be sponsoring two additional trainings in February:

East Bay: February 16, 2008
CSU East Bay Oakland Conference Center
Room 2, 1000 Broadway, Suite 109, Oakland, CA
Trainers: Farhan Syed & Ameena Jandali

San Francisco: February 23, 2008
UCSF Conference Center Laurel Heights
Chancellor’s Room, 3333 California Street, San Francisco, CA
Trainers: Fouzi Husaini and Reema Qadry

To register for one of the workshops, please contact Grace Fong, ING’s Sr. Program Manager at [email protected].

Thursday, March 13 – “Not in Our Town: Beyond Us and Them: Confronting Hidden Bias in Our Community”

Co-sponsored by ING, A Leadership Workshop of Not in Our Town – Silicon Valley
Thursday, March 13, Noon – 5:30 PM
Palo Alto Art Center, 1313 Newell Road, 94303

The innovative breakthroughs that made Silicon Valley the epicenter of the technology revolution were created by a diverse group of thinkers, leaders and employees who came here from around the world. But there are tensions here, like everywhere else. While hate crime may not be a prominent problem, everyday intolerance felt by many often goes unaddressed. What more can we do in the area of social innovation to create a model community where everyone feels welcome and included? Confronting bias and standing up to intolerance requires effort and courage. We invite you, as a Silicon Valley Peninsula leader, to engage in a half-day discussion and workshop that can help launch new efforts to build a stronger, more inclusive community. Cost: Free, includes lunch.

Breakout Sessions include: “New Models for Confronting Bullying and Harassment at School”, “Communities of Faith: Standing Against Bias”, the “Challenge of Diversity in the Workplace”, “Working Together With Law Enforcement”, and “Action Steps: A Launch Pad for New Activity”. ING’s President, Maha Elgenaidi is one of the many advisors for the event and among the program’s speakers. For more information or to reserve a spot, email: [email protected]

ING Events of Interest

ING Hosts Women in Religion Dialogue, 2/10/08

ING was a co-sponsor of an event on Sunday, February 10th at the Women’s Lounge of the MCA in Santa Clara titled, “Women’s Dialogue Encounter” where participants discussed “the Role of Religion in Public Life: Work, School and the General Public.” Over 20 Muslim, Jewish, Christian, and Buddhist women attended and took part in a group discussion where participants explored how faith and cultural traditions guide us in finding a bridge between sacred and public space, and how do we respectfully express our values in school, work and public settings and come up with meaningful responses. Maha Elgenaidi from ING and Sharla Kibel from Congregation Shir Hadash of Los Gatos led the discussion, helping to facilitate a meaningful conversation. This South Bay women’s group meets every other month at different houses of worship. For more information, contact Sharla Kibel at [email protected]  or 408-353-4349.

Presentation to Stanford School of Medicine, 2/08/08

An ING veteran speaker delivered an overview of “Women’s Health Care for Muslim Patients” to the Primary Care Associate Program at the Stanford School of Medicine on Thursday, February 08. The presentation, which was attended by about 35 students covered a brief overview of what it means to be a Muslim, before explaining some of the issues specific to Muslim women patients that might impact their treatment, such as modesty, daily rituals, therapeutics and other issues, including Islam’s ethical positions on contraception, abortion, assisted reproduction & infertility treatments. Understanding such areas of concern to Muslim women helps both the health care provider and the patient. For more information on ING’s cultural competency presentations specifically designed for different types of healthcare providers, contact Grace Fong at  [email protected].

ING Speakers Visit Schools of Other Faiths, 2/06/08 – 2/08/08

ING speakers visited schools of other faiths across the Bay Area last week, including St. Andrews School in Saratoga, Jewish Community High School in San Francisco, and the Immaculate Conception Academy in San Francisco, where the speaker addressed a group of about 250 students & teachers. While the bulk of ING’s visits are to public schools, a significant percentage are to private, mainly religious schools, in the context of social studies curriculum, or as part of religious studies. Students at faith-based schools are often more religiously litera
te than their public school counterparts, and are therefore better equipped to discuss topics of commonality to all faiths. Students at the Jewish Community High School were struck by the parallel in many of the practices, and were particularly intrigued by the similarity in many of the religious terms. Learning about the beliefs and practices of other faiths not only breaks down barriers and stereotypes about that faith and its practitioners, but helps clarify one’s own beliefs.

Thank You for Your Support!