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Thank you to those who have already issued statements of solidarity
(March 15, 2019, San Jose)
As you might have learned by now, an attack on two crowded mosques in Christchurch during Friday congregational prayers has left 49 people dead on what Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described as “one of New Zealand’s darkest days”.
It is with a heavy heart that we sent the following email to mosques in New Zealand this morning, as well as to mosques throughout the United States. We keep the injured and families of the deceased in this horrific attack in our prayers, and recommit to challenging bigotry and hate in all its forms.
If you belong to a mosque, or want to be an ally, we invite you to do the following:
- Consider issuing a statement of solidarity with Muslims such as the one that was issued by the New Zealand Jewish Community
- Consider spreading the word about a campaign to donate funds to the affected victims and families
- Offer to provide security if needed at mosques throughout the country
- Check out our online resources about Muslims and Islam listed below and feel free to share them with your communities. We also have Islamic Speakers Bureaus around the country and an Interfaith Speakers Bureau you may want to connect with. All of our services are offered at no charge
Working together, we will overcome Islamophobia and all forms of bigotry while building more peaceful and harmonious communities.
Thank you,
ING team
Salam alaikum/Greetings of peace:
Inna lilahi wa inna ilayhi rajiun (from God we come and to Him we return). Our thoughts and duas (prayers) are with you and all Muslims in New Zealand at this most difficult time. May Allah (God) grant the deceased paradise, ease the pain of their families and friends, and help the community deal with this terrible tragedy. Ameen.
We are an educational non-profit organization named Islamic Networks Group (ING). We are based in California and have been in operation for over 25 years. We are reaching out to you to share some of our online resources which we created to help educate the general public about Islam and Muslims. We hope that they might be useful for you at this time in the event that you are asked to provide education on topics relating to Islam and Muslims. We also provide links to curricula which can be shared with teachers who may be looking for resources to teach about this subject in the wake of this tragedy.
Resources for Muslim Youth
ING’s Youth Program empowers young Muslims to counter Islamophobia through the following tools:
- Formal presentations at their schools: https://ing.org/youth-presentations/
- Answers to more than 50 frequently-asked questions: https://ing.org/youth-faq/
- Guidelines for talking about their faith: https://ing.org/talking-about-your-faith/
ING’s Youth Program also offers anti-bullying resources for students and parents in schools:
- Bullying Prevention Guide: https://ing.org/bpg
- Student Resource Guide to Bullying in Schools: https://ing.org/student-handout
- Parent Resource Guide to Bullying in Schools: https://ing.org/parent-handout
Resources for Muslim Adults Presenting about Islam:
- An overview of Islam and Muslims: https://ing.org/gtkam-public
- A presentation on Ramadan: https://ing.org/ramadan
- A presentation on Islamophobia: https://ing.org/islamophobia
ING also provides answers to over 100 frequently asked questions about Islam and Muslims: https://ing.org/faq as well as on sharia: https://ing.org/sharia.
Resources for Educators:
You can also refer educators to the following curricula on various topics relating to Islam and Muslims as well as interfaith curricula as they apply to you; they will need to register before gaining access:
- Getting to Know American Muslims and Their Faith: https://ing.org/gtkam
- Muslim Contributions to Civilization: https://ing.org/contributions
- Muslim Women Beyond the Stereotypes: https://ing.org/women
- Emir Abd Elkader: A Muslim Hero for Our Time: https://ing.org/emir
- Multifaith Curriculum: Shared Values Among Faiths: https://ing.org/shared-values
- Multifaith Curriculum: Living the Faith: https://ing.org/living-the-faith/
Regards,
ING Team