Staff Insights

American Muslim Groups as “Native Informants” of Neo-Orientalism: Essentialism, Reproduction, and Intellectual Manipulation

y Maha Elgenaidi, Executive Director. This paper originally appeared in Avicenna: The Stanford Journal of Muslim Affairs. This paper seeks to show how U.S. Muslim organizations are inadvertently contributing to a new form of Orientalism by reproducing old tropes in their efforts to combat it. The paper begins… Read More

Talk to Others, Transform Yourself: Interfaith Dialogue Combats Ignorance

y Tim Brauhn, Communications Manager. This opinion originally appeared at the Interfaith Youth Core blog. I took Interfaith Youth Core up on their challenge for Better Together Day on April 14th and reached out to others of faith or philosophical tradition to have a conversation about what they… Read More

ING Speech at Women’s Interfaith Dialogue

By Maha Elgenaidi, Executive Director. This speech was delivered on November 15th, 2014, for a gathering of over one hundred Christian, Muslim, and Jewish women who came together at Congregation Shir Hadash in Los Gatos for a discussion of the book “The Faith Club” by Suzanne Oliver, Ranya… Read More

ING Speech at Women’s Interfaith Dialogue

By Maha Elgenaidi, Executive Director. This speech was delivered on November 15th, 2014, for a gathering of over one hundred Christian, Muslim, and Jewish women who came together at Congregation Shir Hadash in Los Gatos for a discussion of the book “The Faith Club” by Suzanne Oliver, Ranya… Read More

Being UnMosqued and Complacent is No Longer an Option

By Maha Elgenaidi, Executive Director. This opinion originally appeared at Patheos. I broke down in tears recently while recording an interview for the Taleef Collective, which really surprised me. I was talking with the filmmaker Mustafa Davis about my views on the purposes of… Read More

Face-to-Face Interaction is Key to Changing Misperceptions of Muslims

By Maha Elgenaidi, Executive Director. This opinion originally appeared at the Huffington Post. Pastor Michael Barnes of Gordon Uniting Church in New South Wales, Australia, said it best, “I have found connection with people of other religious traditions to be fascinating and stimulating. It… Read More

ISIS is the Antithesis of Hajj, the Holy Pilgrimage

By Ameena Jandali, Content Director. This opinion originally appeared at TIME. Every year during the time of hajj a feeling of nostalgia overcomes me as the media begins covering one of the world’s largest annual religious gatherings. Although I performed hajj almost nine years… Read More

Fewer Americans view Muslims favorably, but the door is wide open to better understanding

Maha Elgenaidi, Executive Director. This opinion originally appeared at the Huffington Post. A new poll by Zogby Associates, a leading public opinion research firm, has both disquieting and encouraging news about Muslims. Disquieting is the fact that the percentage of Americans viewing Muslims favorably has declined over… Read More

Coming in from the Cold: Pew Survey Reveals Continuing Icy Attitudes toward Muslims

By Maha Elgenaidi, Executive Director. This opinion originally appeared at the Huffington Post. Prejudice against Muslims and Islam is still rampant among the U.S. public, according to a recent survey by the Pew Research Institute. The widely respected polling organization took a novel approach, asking… Read More

Ramadan 2014: Reclaiming the Sacred, Five Uniting Religious Principles

By Maha Elgenaidi, Executive Director. This opinion appeared at the ING blog. As the holy month of Ramadan begins in earnest, we are excited to launch a new series on the First Principles of Religion. Each week during this month, we will provide a detailed reading of… Read More