Community Statements

ING Condemns Deadly Attack at Ft. Hood; 11/6/09

Islamic Networks Group (ING) Condemns Deadly Attack at Ft. Hood and Offers Condolences to the Victims and Their Families (San Jose 11/5/09) Islamic Networks Group (ING) condemns in the strongest terms the deadly attack on Ft. Hood that left at least 12 people dead and 31 injured. ING states, “We condemn this heinous attack on fellow Americans that has taken the lives and injured so many. We urge and support law enforcement in their investigation and prosecution of this criminal act to the full extent of the law. We offer our heartfelt condolences to the victims, their families, and the entire local and national community. While the motive behind this shocking attack is still unclear, we strongly assert that such actions have no place, no validity and no support in our society and community and we categorically abhor and reject such senseless violence, which cannot be justified by any motivation. ING stands with fellow Americans in supporting and praying for the victims and theirfamilies.” Read More

Guide to Preventing Hate Crimes and Reporting Harassment; 11/6/09

To plan and coordinate a response to potential hate crimes and incidents that may result from the Ft. Hood attack which occurred on Thursday, November 5, 2009, ING President Maha Elgenaidi joined the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Incident Community Coordination Team (ICCT) conference call today between federal agencies–that included the Dept of Defense, FBI, Dept of Justice and Dept of Homeland Security–and national Muslim, Arab, and South Asian groups. On the call, Maha expressed concerns for the immediate and human impact of this tragedy on innocent Arabs and Muslims who may be associated with the perpetrator’s ethnicity and religious identity irrespective of his motivations, which are still unclear. Several agencies said they would release guidelines for ensuring the safety and security of Muslim and Arab populations, which are forthcoming. Read More

ING Statement on Religious Extremism; 12/11/09

ING is saddened and disturbed to learn of the recent alleged attempt at terrorism on a flight to Detroit by a Nigerian national. This incident comes closely on the heels of the arrests of 5 missing young American Muslim students in Pakistan where they had allegedly traveled to join groups that promote a twisted ideology that sanctions indiscriminate violence and chaos. Ameena Jandali, founding member of ING stated in a recent forum, “we must all takes steps in our mosques and other organizations as well as in the greater society to counter the threat that extremist ideology poses to our youth, and take steps to address it by providing education on Islam’s teachings about moderation, mercy, the sanctity of innocent human lives and the primacy of skecurity in society.” Read More

Wishes for a Happy Holiday Season and New Year; 12/8/09

This year the Islamic New Year falls this week, heralding the new hijri year of 1431, coinciding with the season that celebrates holidays in many religious traditions as well as the Gregorian New Year. Wishing all a happy holiday season, and a prosperous new year that brings good days and peace for all. Read More

Thank you for your continuing support!

As we approach the start of a new year, I wanted to express my gratitude for your ongoing support of ING. Because of people like you, our work is able to reach and influence growing audiences of students, teachers, doctors, nurses, police officers, corporate employees, rotary club members, faith based congregations and others — changing misperceptions, one person at a time. In the past academic year alone, our educational outreach impacted more than 22,000 students and adults. Read More

ING Statement on Church Attacks in Malaysia

(January 12, 2010) In light of the recent string of church vandalism which brings the number of attacks to nine in Malaysia following a December 31st court ruling that overturned a ban on Christians using the word Allah for God, ING condemns these senseless attacks and calls on those Muslim Malaysians responsible to return to prophetic and Qur’anic teachings regarding relations with their Christian brothers and sisters, and the sanctity of their houses of worship. Read More

ING Statements on Religious Expression in American Public Life/Church Attacks in Malaysia; 1/15/10

ING joins fellow Americans in offering its condolences to the people of Haiti and its prayers for their future recovery. Natural tragedies are a test not only for those affected directly, but by the rest of humanity upon whom it is incumbent to help. We encourage people to donate generously to the many organizations soliciting aid. ING Statement on Church Attacks in Malaysia In light of the recent string of church vandalism which brings the number of attacks to nine in Malaysia following a December 31st court ruling that overturned a ban on Christians using the word Allah for God, ING condemns these senseless attacks and calls on those responsible to return to prophetic and Qur’anic teachings regarding relations with their Christian brothers and sisters, and the sanctity of their houses of worship. Read More

Can you have religious freedom without limiting free speech? 1/15/10

America.gov asked five experts including ING president, Maha Elgenaidi: Is it possible to protect religious freedom without limiting free speech? Here’s what Maha had to say: Read More

A Conversation on Education Reform with U.S. Department of Education

Peter Groff and ING President Maha Elgenaidi In partnership with the U.S Dept of Education and the White House Office of Public Engagement, ING (Islamic Networks Group) convened a meeting on Monday, April 26th at the Muslim Community Association Center in Santa Clara, the first mosque in the country to… Read More

ING Condemns NYC Plot and Supports Efforts against Extremism; 3/6/10

(San Jose, CA 05/05/2010) – ING (Islamic Networks Group) joins American Muslims and all Americans in voicing outrage at the latest in a string of attacks or plots in recent months that have been perpetrated by Muslims. Saturday’s plot to explode an SUV in Times Square was foiled due to the bravery of New York residents – including a Senegalese Muslim Aliou Niasse, who was the first to notice the smoking car – and the swift work of law enforcement agencies. Plots or attacks such as this that target innocent people are nothing less than hiraba, an Arabic word that means “sowing corruption on earth.” Hiraba is strictly condemned by the Qur’an in the strongest terms, as is the taking of innocent lives, one of the most egregious crimes in Islam. This heinous strategy of targeting innocent civilians going about their lives has become the hallmark of groups claiming to represent Islam against their fellow countrymen and co-religionists in places like Iraq and Pakistan. We support all efforts to both counter the ideology that twists Islamic teachings and sanctions prohibited actions, and prevent the reoccurrence of such unspeakable acts. We applaud the efforts of organizations such as the Muslim Public Affairs Council which is working with law enforcement agencies in concrete ways to combat extremism through its recommendations in a report titled, Forging an Effective Counterterrorism Enterprise between Muslim Americans and Law Enforcement. Read More