Share in ING’s Promotion of Interfaith Dialogue and Education

Special greeting to Muslims on our list: May you have blessed last days of Ramadan, and an early Happy Holidays for Eid, which marks the end of Ramadan on either October 23rd for some or October 24th for others. Thank you for all your support!

ING NEWS UPDATE 10/20/06

* ING Responds to Numerous Presentation Requests in Middle and High Schools

* ING Invited to US State Department for Annual Iftaar (Ramadan Breaking of the Fast) Dinner – 10/18

* ING Speaker Discusses Role of Muslim Women at St. Mary’s College – 10/17

* ING Speakers Provide Cultural Competency Training to Health Care Providers and Chaplains – 10/9, 10/16, and 10/18-20

* ING President Addresses Women’s Conference at the Graduate Theological Union – 10/13

* ING Invites You to Share in ING’s Promotion of Interfaith Dialogue and Education.

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ING Responds to Numerous Presentation Requests in Middle and High Schools

ING speakers have been responding to a large volume of requests from Middle and High Schools since the school year began, even before the fall school mailing was sent to teachers and administrators. These include a good percentage of requests from Catholic & Jewish schools. Since the beginning of the school year in September, ING has engaged in dialogue and presentations on several topics to 160 middle and high school social studies and world history classrooms.
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ING Invited to US State Department for Annual Iftaar (Ramadan Breaking of the Fast) Dinner – 10/18

Maha Elgenaidi, ING’s founder and president, along with Ameena Jandali, ING’s vice president and Soumaya Khalifa, Executive Director of ING’s affiliate in Atlanta were invited along with other Muslim Americans to join in the annual U.S. State Department Iftaar Dinner, which was held on Wednesday, October 18th. Speeches were made at the event by Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, R. Nicholas Burns, and Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Karen Hughes.

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ING Speaker Discusses Role of Muslim Women at St. Mary’s College – 10/17

An ING speaker addressed the role of women in Islam, and the role of hijab (nun-like modest clothing which some Muslim wear) in particular at two classes on Women in Religion at St. Mary’s College in Moraga on Tuesday, October 17th. The class watched a film about Arab women and the significance of hijab before the lecture. The dialogue which followed between the Muslim speaker and the audience revealed an eagerness to learn more about Islam’s influence on culture and the topic of women specifically. St. Mary’s, a Catholic college offers one class on Islam that is always filled to capacity; ING speakers have been frequent guests at the college to discuss the role of women and other topics.

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ING Speakers Provide Cultural Competency Training to Health Care Providers and Chaplains, 10/9, 10/16, and 10/18-20

ING speakers provided Cultural Competency Healthcare Training to chaplaincy students at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Oakland on Monday, October 9th, and to nursing students at UCSF the following Monday. The presentation covers both physical and spiritual needs of Muslim patients, and is therefore suitable for both audiences; chaplains are particularly interested in the spiritual needs of Muslims, while healthcare providers are more interested in the medical needs and protocols.

The Chaplaincy Institute in Berkeley completed an intensive course on Islam and Administering Healthcare to Muslim Patients over a three day intensive course on the basics of Islam and Muslims, as well as the specific needs of Muslim patients. The five hour course presented by both a senior speaker and a Muslim physician concludes this Friday with a visit by the students to a mosque and an opportunity for further dialogue. The Chaplaincy Institute trains chaplains of various denominations in spiritual care, and has received ING trainings for the last three years, but this year greatly increased the level and intensity of the module. We greatly appreciate their dedication to non-denominational spiritual and pastoral care that now is reaching out to Muslim communities, especially as there are few Muslim chaplains to fill this vital need.

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ING President Addresses Women’s Conference at the Graduate Theological Union – 10/13

ING’s president, Maha Elgenaidi was one of the many Bay Area women, who are interfaith leaders to take part in an all day conference organized by members of the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) in Berkeley on Friday, October, 13th. She was part of a panel that described their individual organization and work, and shared ideas and opportunities for interfaith dialogue. The GTU has increasingly involved diverse populations in its various interfaith events and classes, and ING has been a long time participant in its many programs. We appreciate their willingness to reach out and involve Muslims & other minority religious groups in inter-religious dialogue.

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ING Invites You to Share in ING’s Promotion of Interfaith Dialogue and Education

Never before has the effort to build bridges between Americans of all faiths been as important as it is today. We are witnessing an unprecedented level of interest and enthusiasm from the public to learn about Islam and build bridges between Muslim Americans and Americans of all faiths. ING is doing its best to fill this important demand and provide excellent speakers and material. ING speakers are sacrificing their time and energy for this cause that benefits the entire community at large; we invite you to share in this vital effort and support the work that ING has been doing successfully for the past 14 years.