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Get Ready for the New School Year, Join Us for Upcoming Muslim Teen Speakers Training to Counter Islamophobia
ING will be co-hosting a series of workshops with the Evergreen Islamic Center (EIC) in San Jose to certify Muslim teens to speak about their faith and supplement education about Islam and Muslims in their schools and communities. The first workshop will be held on September 6th from 4:30 to 6:30 PM and will cover school experiences and bullying. The second workshop on September 13th from 4:30 to 6:30 PM will train teens with skills and tools to counter Islamophobia through education. After this training, students can choose to go through a certification process to further develop their skills and join a cohort of INGYouth speakers across the country. The certification process will continue on September 20th and September 27th. Register for the program here.
Other Muslim Teen Trainings
- INGYouth Speakers Training on September 5th at MCA Granada High School in Santa Clara.
- INGYouth Workshop on September 8th at Masjid al-Rahman in Richmond.
- INGYouth Speakers Training on September 24th at a public high school in the East Bay.
If you are interested in attending any of the above three events, please email Ishaq Pathan at [email protected]. If you’re interested in hosting the same training at your mosque or school, contact us at [email protected].
Join Us for a Separation of Church and State Panel in Mountain View
Sept. 12, Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts
Join ING for an exciting interfaith panel moderated by Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian and co-sponsored by the City of Mountain View. This panel will consist of Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist and Christian representatives who will address the different ways that their religious communities have interacted with the state. The panel will answer questions such as: What are normative teachings in your tradition about separation of church and state? How has your religious community traditionally interacted with the state? How does this relationship play out in the United States today? What happens when your religious practices conflict with the state? What are some of both the challenges and benefits of religious communities’ relationship with the state or lack thereof? The session will also include a period of Q&A with the audience. RSVP here.
Other Upcoming Events
Sunday, August 25th, 2019:
- Faith Matters Interfaith Panel, KSQD 90.7 FM Santa Cruz Radio Station. Find more information here.
Thursday, September 5th, 2019:
- National Day of Prayer for Faith, Hope and Life, San Mateo County Government Center, Redwood City, CA. Find more information here.
Friday, September 6th, 2019:
- Overview of ING’s Know Your Neighbor Campaign and Opportunities for Collaboration, Doelger Senior Center, Daly City, CA. Find more information here.
- Compassionate Conversations: Growing into Forgiveness at Interfaith Spiritual Retreat, Land of Medicine Buddha, Soquel, CA. Find more information here.
Sunday, September 8th, 2019:
- Interfaith Panel: Shared Values Among Faiths, St Patrick’s Episcopal Church, Kenwood, CA. Find more information here.
Saturday, September 14th, 2019:
- Sunnyvale State of the City Interfaith Event, downtown Sunnyvale, CA. Find more information here.
Monday, September 16th, 2019:
- Faith Communities, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Interfaith Panel, Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Services, San Jose, CA. Find more information here.
Thursday, September 19th, 2019:
- Progress of Muslim Americans Today, Palo Alto Sheraton, Palo Alto, CA. Find more information here.
If you are interested in attending any of these upcoming events, please write to [email protected].
Highlights of Past Events
San Francisco Schools Administrators Were Eager to Receive Seminar on Islamophobia and Countering Bigotry
ING Bay Area Director Ishaq Pathan and Content Manager Ameena Jandali delivered a workshop on “Countering Islamophobia & Other Bigotries: Fostering an Inclusive Environment” for principals and other administrators at a conference hosted by the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD). Participants were energized and excited to learn and discuss this topic, and many expressed their desire to share the information with their staff and teachers. To schedule an ING seminar for educators, visit our site.
ING Among Muslim Leaders to Accept Muslim Appreciation Month Commendation
Joining South Bay Muslim leaders, ING Executive Director Maha Elgenaidi accepted the Muslim Appreciation Month commendation by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. In regards to this event Santa Clara Mayor Lisa M. Gillmor said, “As a City, we continue to stand with the Muslim community and recognize their rich history, cultural traditions, and significant contributions that have strengthened the Santa Clara community as a whole.”
Middle School Educators Were Excited to Learn Ways to Counter Bigotry and Accommodate Muslim Students
ING Bay Area Director Ishaq Pathan delivered a workshop on “Countering Islamophobia & Other Bigotries: Fostering an Inclusive Environment” for educators and staff at a San Francisco middle school. The educators were interested to learn about the current environment for Muslim students and ways they could teach against bigotry and accommodate students. To schedule an ING seminar for educators, visit our site.
While Commemorating Tisha B’av, ING Joined Other Faith Leaders in Expressing Solidarity for All Those Currently Seeking Asylum
ING Executive Director Maha Elgenaidi joined Jewish and other faith leaders in reading a litany that commemorated Tisha B’av while expressing solidarity with those seeking asylum on our border. Tisha B’av is a Jewish day of mourning for the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 586 BCE by the Babylonians and in 70 CE by the Romans. This was one of dozens of events held throughout the country by Jewish communities.
ING Discussed Sacred Texts on KSQD Faith Matters Radio Series
ING Executive Director Maha Elgenaidi joined a KQSD Faith Matters Santa Cruz radio panel as a representative of Islam with Ba’hai and Catholic panelists to discuss sacred texts. Panelists discussed their personal approaches to reading the texts and how they allow them to inform and shape their lives. Maha discussed the verses around pluralism in the Qur’an and their impact on the work we do at ING. Listen to the program to learn more about the origins and connections of these faiths here. The last panel in this series will occur on August 25th.
ING Joined Other Prominent Leaders to Celebrate Gandhi’s 150th Birthday
ING Executive Director Maha Elgenaidi spoke on an interfaith panel during an all-day event hosted by the India Community Center in partnership with Indians For Collective Action celebrating Gandhi’s 150th birthday in Milpitas. Maha spoke alongside prominent leaders such as Dolores Huerta and two Stanford professors on “Non Violence at a Crossroads, Intolerance and Applying Gandhi’s Principles.” Maha’s speech on Islam’s influence on Gandhi, which she’s turning into an editorial in response to requests for it, will be published soon on her blog.
ING Interfaith Panelists Spoke on Commonalities Between Faiths
ING Bay Area Director Ishaq Pathan facilitated an ING panel on religion and pluralism with members of the Interfaith Speakers Bureau at the Bill Wilson Center in San Jose. The panelists answered questions on personal practice, commonalities between faiths, and ways we could work together to bridge divides. To book an interfaith panel, visit our site.
ING Discussed War and Peace on KSQD Faith Matters Radio Series
ING Content Manager Ameena Jandali spoke on an interfaith panel for a KSQD FM Radio program called Faith Matters in Santa Cruz. The panel also included a Catholic and a Baha’i speaker who addressed the topic of war and peace from their respective faith traditions. All three cited religious teachings which emphasize peacemaking and resisting some of the drivers of war and conflict such as greed, tribalism and anger. Listen to the full show here. The last panel in this series will occur on August 25th.
ING Participated in History of Islam in the East Bay Panel
ING Content Manager Ameena Jandali spoke alongside other panelists at Lighthouse Mosque in Oakland on the history of Islam in the East Bay. She described some of the early institutions, mosques, and programs that existed in the area in the 80’s and 90’s and gave a brief history of ING and the various programs we’ve developed over the years. To book a similar history of ING presentation visit our site.
Islamic Networks Group (ING) is a peace-building organization providing face-to-face education and engagement opportunities that foster understanding of Muslims and other misunderstood groups to promote harmony among all people.