Ishaq Pathan standing with State Superintendent-Elect Tony Thurmond

ING Deputy Director Ishaq Pathan and Content Manager Ameena Jandali attended an event celebrating the election of California State Superintendent-Elect Tony Thurmond. Over the course of the event, Superintendent-Elect Thurmond reaffirmed his commitment towards improving schools climate statewide. We are looking forward to working with him on making California schools’ more inclusive for all students, including those of faith, and reducing bullying through the implementation of AB 2291 School Safety: Bullying, for which ING expressed support as it was debated and passed in September.

Muslim-Jewish Relationships in the United States

ING Executive Director Maha Elgenaidi and Rabbi Melanie Aron spoke on a panel at a private school in San Jose on Muslim-Jewish relations in the United States against the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. They set the tone for the conversation by speaking about the importance of Muslim-Jewish allyship in regards to countering bigotry, promoting security, and establishing stability for their communities. Muslim and Jewish groups in America face similar issues confronting the underlying bigotry of Islamophobia and antisemitism, through policies including racial and religious profiling and the Travel Ban. Their security is similarly under threat in regards to high numbers of hate crimes and attacks on synagogues and mosques alike. Finally, these two communities are both dedicated to sustaining their identity and religion as two of the largest religious minorities in the United States. When the conversation turned towards international issues, both panelists spoke about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from their own perspectives, not seeking to come to a mutual agreement but rather to understand the other side. Students joined in on that conversation though comments and questions. To book an interfaith panel, visit our site.

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To all of our Christian allies, please consider signing this message of Christian welcome to Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib by Faithful America.

 

“Christians reject the religious right’s hateful Islamophobia and welcome Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib to Congress. Our faith teaches us to prioritize the common good, not to reject leaders whose faith differs from our own.”