On Saturday, March 7, ING’s Maha Elgenaidi presented to an audience of 85 women at Stone Church’s Women’s Retreat at the St. Francis Retreat Center in the beautiful hills of San Juan Bautista. The retreat was designed to expand the women’s intellectual and spiritual horizons by examining the similarities and differences between Christianity and Islam. Participating with Maha from the South Bay Muslim community were Sabahat Rafiq, Bothaina Salama, Dina Elsayed, Shehnaz Khan, Leila Muhtasib, Shaheen Naqvi, Arshia Baig, and Asma Ghori who engaged in conversation with Christian participants throughout the retreat. The event was an incredible opportunity for sharing and learning about each other’s commonalities and differences, and a testimony to the power of positive interaction and interfaith engagement.

You are Invited to Join ING’s
Interfaith Service Day on March 18

For the past few years ING has been holding Interfaith Service Days to join various faiths together in service. ING’s first Interfaith Service Day this year will be at the Second Harvest Food Bank’s South Bay location at 4001 North 1st Street, San Jose on Wednesday, March 18 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. We will be sorting and boxing food for distribution and will be joined by ING Board Chair Randy Pond who has also served on the board at Second Harvest. Only 20 volunteer slots available! For more information or to participate, please write to [email protected] This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Upcoming Events

“Jerusalem” Screening and Panel Discussion for Teachers
The Tech Museum of Innovation, San Jose

ING will be joining the film’s director Daniel Ferguson and panelists from other faiths represented in the film (Christianity and Judaism) following a special screening for teachers of a new IMAX movie titled “Jerusalem.” This event will be held Friday, March 13, 5:30-8:30 PM. For more information go here.

Key Women in Islamic History
Center for Islamic Studies/Center for Jewish Studies, Berkeley

On Monday, March 16, ING Content Director Ameena Jandali will speak on “Key Women in Islamic History” as part of a class on “Women, Gender, Sexuality in Judaism and Islam” offered jointly by the Center for Islamic Studies and the Center for Jewish Studies at the Graduate Theological Union. For more information go here.

ING at the American Academy of Religion – Western Region Conference: Interfaith Work in Silicon Valley
AAR Western Region Annual Conference, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara

ING’s Maha Elgenaidi will join scholars Prof. Philip Riley of Santa Clara University and the Rev. Andrew Kille of Silicon Valley Interreligious Council (SiVIC), to discuss the forms that interfaith work has taken in Silicon Valley and elsewhere in the San Francisco Bay area. The session will be held Sunday, March 22, 9:15-10:45 AM.

Canaries in a Coal Mine: How Islamophobia Threatens All Communities
Private research briefing, San Jose

On March 25, ING will be hosting ISPU’s (Institute for Social Policy and Understanding) research briefing on Islamophobia, focusing particularly on state-level anti-civil-rights legislation and its impact on all communities. Guests include Bay Area leaders from the political establishment, media, and interfaith and civic organizations. Joining the panel are ING’s Maha Elgenaidi, ISPU’s Director of Research Dalia Mogahed and ISPU’s COO and Director of Policy Impact Farhan Latif.

Halaqa and Seder: Muslim and Jewish Perspectives on the Exodus Story
Private residence

ING Content Director Ameena Jandali and Rabbi Laurie Hahn-Trapper will explore the Exodus story in both the Qu’ran and the Torah at a combined halaqa and seder, including a kosher/halal dinner and conversation. The event will be held on March 29, starting at 5:00 PM. For more information, write to [email protected] This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .