ING

Fall 2011

Current Political Environment of American Muslims

Greetings of peace friends:

I hope you will join us in supporting ING in our current campaign to raise $100,000 this fall in lieu of holding a physical event in the Bay Area that can cost upwards of $25,000 or more.

At no other time has the work of ING or your support for this work been more important as the nation faces the most extreme campaign of hate against Muslims and Islam, commonly referred to as Islamophobia. This campaign is led by a small but vocal minority of Americans who are waging a relentless war against American Muslims and their faith. Recent aspects of this campaign have been the narrowly-focused hearings by Representative Peter King on the alleged radicalization of Muslim Americans; protests against the building of Islamic centers and mosques throughout the country, particularly against the Park 51 ("Ground Zero") Center in NYC; and the "Shari'ah ban" movement which is expected to spread to forty states. This is compounded by the approaching tenth anniversary of 9/11 and the upcoming presidential election in which 45% of Republicans wrongly believe that Obama is a Muslim.

In order to prevent an escalation of harassment, bullying, and discrimination against Muslim students and employees, we need your support to expand ING's work across the country and provide ordinary American Muslims with the tools that ING has developed to help them organize and speak for themselves and defend Muslims and their faith, while building relations with all Americans. It is especially important to do this with the most vulnerable members of our community, our children attending public schools.

Inside please find a report of our recent accomplishments and the results of impact studies of ING's work. Feel free to let us know how we're doing by writing to ING's Executive Director, Maha Elgenaidi, at Elgenaidi@ing.org. Also please consider donating to ING in any amount you can during this month of Ramadan and beyond. You may donate securely by clicking here. ING is an accredited charity of the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance.

Thank you for your support.

Regards,

Javed Patel & Randy Pond
ING Board co-Chairmen

Maha Elgenaidi
President and Executive Director

ING Makes a Difference in Changing Perceptions and Attitudes

That's the lesson from our surveys of audiences after our presentations.

ING's mission is to promote understanding and respect among people of all faiths and of no faith; we envision an America and a world where there is no hatred, no prejudice, no discrimination, and no bullying on the basis of religion. We work hard not only to produce presentations of quality but also to gauge our impact to see what contribution we are making to realize our vision.
 

Over the 2010-2011 school year, ING speakers delivered presentations and panels to 543 diverse groups (a 3% increase from last year) that reached approximately 27,150 individuals face-to-face. Audiences ranged from healthcare providers, institutions of higher education, and faith-based networks to middle and high schools. While the bulk (57%) of ING's presentations are for adult audiences, 43% of ING's presentations are in middle and high schools.

Sixty-nine percent of the presentations were delivered by speakers from the Islamic Speakers Bureau (ISB), and 31% by the Interfaith Speakers Bureau (IFSB). This represents a modest increase in IFSB's share of the total outreach of ING as compared with the previous year.

The IFSB expands the educational outreach work of ING by partnering with interfaith organizations. Every panel includes a Muslim presenter with one or more speakers representing Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, or Hinduism.

Perception of Muslims Improve After ING Presentations

American Muslims today are heading toward what ING Executive Director Maha Elgenaidi terms "a perfect storm": the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 atrocities, the Peter King hearings on the supposed radicalization of American Muslims, the concerted efforts to enact "anti-Shari'ah" legislation in state after state, and the upcoming election season are all coming together to produce the likelihood of a significant increase in prejudice against and attacks on the Muslim community. As data from the surveys of students before and after experiencing Islamic Speakers Bureau (ISB) presentations attest, ING is playing a critical role in reducing this threat by changing perceptions of Muslims.

Before and after each ISB presentation, ING evaluates student attitudes toward Muslims with questions that revolve around six common stereotypes. Below, we look at how the ISB impacts perceptions on these crucial issues. Each of the following graphs combines the responses to groups of questions, one group reflecting negative perceptions of Muslims before the presentation and the other reflecting a more positive view.

Based on 1,507 student respondents to surveys following an ING presentation, the results were as follows:

1. Muslims are insular and isolated from the rest of America

This group of questions asks whether students see Muslims as "weird," "foreigners who don't speak English," and so forth on the one hand, or diverse citizens who have long been part of U.S. history on the other.



(Don't be misled by the small percentage of students holding—or admitting to—negative perceptions of Muslims in the "before" survey. Students hearing an ISB presentation have typically had some prior teaching about Muslims that challenged their stereotypes. If this is the effect of an ISB presentation on the "holdouts" who clung to such stereotypes even after initial teaching, imagine how vital ISB's work can be for the general public who have never been exposed to any authentic experience of Muslims at all.)



(Here too the caution applies that students experiencing an ISB presentation are likely to hold—or at least to claim to hold—more positive views of Muslims than the general public. Yet even with the preparation the students have received, ISB speakers raise the percentage of students seeing Muslims in a positive light.)

Here are the results for other stereotypes applied to Muslims:

2. Muslims are misogynist





3. Muslims are "Islamists" hostile to America





4. Muslims are intolerant of other religions and cultures





5. Islam promotes violence





6. Muslims are locked into low-paid and menial occupations






Protest in NYC against Islamophobia.

The positive impact of ISB presentations on attitudes toward Islam and Muslims is unmistakable. No less striking is the enthusiasm teachers and others who request ISB presentations show for our work. Here too the numbers tell the story.

Teachers Give Extremely High Ratings to ING Speakers and Content of Presentations

Based on 78 respondents, teachers give high ratings to our presentation content, with 100% rating it as "excellent" (80.8%) or "good" (19.2%).

Evaluations of our speakers are likewise positive, with 97.3% rated as "excellent" (83.1%) or "good" (14.2%).

Requesters were particularly impressed with

• our speakers' knowledge of their material (90.4% "excellent," 9.6% "good");
• their ability to convey it (82.2% "excellent," 17.8% "good");
• their delivery skills (82.2% "excellent," 15.1% "good"); and
• their ability to connect with their audience (83.6% "excellent," 9.6% "good").

Requesters were likewise pleased with ING's administrative support, with 95.9% reporting that their requests were dealt with in a timely manner and 94.5% saying that they received everything they needed to prepare for the presentation.

The result of this is that all but one of the 73 respondents to our requester survey said they would call on ING for a presentation again.

Perhaps more telling than these figures, however, are the verbal responses requesters give to our surveys. The table below gives representative statements.

In the current political situation, a national expansion of ISB's outreach is crucial. ING is meeting this need by fostering the development of affiliates throughout our country. Programs Director Duaa Elzeney is spearheading this effort. When she came on board in March, ING had eight affiliates; we now have fourteen and expect to have thirty-two by the end of 2011, covering 64% of the US population. We will therefore be in a strong position to affect the national climate on Muslims and on interfaith relations generally.

ING Building Interfaith Understanding and Mutual Respect

ING has long understood that seeking a better climate for Muslims requires improving interfaith relations generally. That is the reason ING started the Interfaith Speakers Bureau (IFSB) in 2007.

IFSB's role within ING is growing. There has been a modest but real growth in the percentage of IFSB presentations as a portion of the total work of ING over the past two years (refer to article above ING Makes a Difference in Changing Perceptions and Attitudes). At least as important as the growth of IFSB within ING, however, is the diversity of venues where IFSB delivers presentations:



Given this variety of venues, IFSB is clearly well positioned to expand ING's overall outreach beyond the educational institutions that have been (fittingly) the bulk of our work into other community settings.

Still more important than the diversity of IFSB's outreach is the demonstrated effectiveness of its presentations in opening hearts and minds to embrace the religious diversity of our nation and our world.

Of the 329 respondents to surveys following IFSB presentations, 95.7% rated the presentations excellent (57.8%) or good (38%).

The respondents' comments clearly show that IFSB changes attitudes toward those of different faiths. The text box below gives representative responses.

Equally telling are the responses of the requesters of IFSB presentations:

The demonstrated effectiveness of ING's work increases our determination to expand our outreach into new outlets for our presentations, both building our audiences in the venues where we already have a substantial presence (educational and faith-based organizations) and moving into new markets, especially local TV and talk radio programs.
 

Sorting Truth from Fiction

ING Online Seminar about Shari'ah in the U.S.

Across the country in up to forty states, legislators have introduced "anti-Shari'ah" bills. The most extreme version of these bills was introduced recently in Tennessee, where a Republican legislator introduced a bill that would make following Shari'ah a felony punishable by up to fifteen years in prison. This anti-Shari'ah movement is part of the Islamophobic hysteria that has gripped the nation over the last year. This topic has dominated the discourse on American Muslims recently, with dire warnings of a "creeping Shari'ah" in America. In the coming month, as we approach the ten year anniversary of 9/11 and head towards elections, this trend is sure to escalate.

In an effort to create an understanding of this issue and an appropriate response, ING convened an online webinar on the topic of Shari'ah in the U.S. on May 7. The webinar examined some of the most important aspects of this topic including responses to the following questions: Who is behind the "Shari'ah scare" and what are their motives and arguments? Are Muslims really trying to implement Shari'ah in the U.S. and, if so, is it "un- American" to follow Shari'ah in the U.S.? What states have banned or are planning to ban Shari'ah? How is the concept of "taqiyya" related to the Shari'ah scare arguments? The webinar also provided answers to some of the most common questions relating to Shari'ah and its application, including the nature of Shari'ah, hudud (criminal) laws, issues relating to women, and other commonly misunderstood aspects of Shari'ah.

ING plans to host follow-up seminars on how to answer questions about Shari'ah. Please refer to the events calendar.

ING Continues to Expand Nationally through Affiliate Development

ING speaker in the classroom.

In the spirit of expanding ING's mission to utilize education and dialogue to promote understanding and mutual respect across religions, ING will expand its affiliate bases to thirty-two affiliates by the end of 2011 – a 40% increase in the ING affiliate network over a nine- month span. (For a full list of current affiliates, please see ING's website.)

According to recent Gallup and Pew polls:

• 53% of Americans still have an unfavorable view of Islam.
• 52% admit to feeling prejudice toward Muslims.
• 66% disagree that Muslims accept other religions.
• 68% disagree that Christians' and Muslims' religious beliefs are similar.
• 81% disagree that most Muslims believe women and men should have equal rights.
• Trends within the United States took a dramatic turn for the worse in 2010 with the rise of highly visible anti-Muslim sentiment as well as an increase in cases of domestic radicalization. In July 2005, 41% of Americans held a favorable view of Islam. By the end of last summer, that number had declined to 30%.
• During the recent GOP presidential candidate debates, American Muslims were attacked by more than one candidate who ignored major polls by Gallup, Pew, and others that show that the vast majority of Muslims are mainstream, middle class, and politically integrated into American society.
• While Muslims make up 1% of the population, they are victims in 14% of religious discrimination cases.

Given that recent polls continue to indicate that perceptions about Islam improve by 50% if people have a personal relationship with a Muslim, these latest affiliate additions to the ING network will have a significant impact on perceptions of American Muslims. You may donate securely by clicking here. ING is an accredited charity of the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance.

ING Affiliates Spotlight: Atlanta and Minnesota

The ING Affiliates spotlight is a space to publicize recent accomplishments of ING's affiliate bureaus. Each newsletter will focus on highlights of select bureaus' programs among the numerous initiatives they are involved in throughout the year.


Affiliate Director Soumaya Khalifa (far left) speaking at a U.S.
State Department-sponsored Women's International Day in
Kuwait.

Atlanta: The Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta (ISB)

ISB Executive Director Soumaya Khalifa participated in the International Women's Day Symposium in Kuwait in March to speak to women on self-empowerment through education, work, and civic service. Key issues discussed by Soumaya included her responses to questions such as "Why do Arab women have more opportunities in the West than in their homelands?"


Somali students in the U.S., largely concentrated in Minneapolis.

Minnesota: Islamic Resource Group (IRG)

IRG's School Program to Prevent Hate, particularly relating to students of Middle Eastern and Muslim background, comes at a time when the domestic climate and federal attention is focused on anti-bullying initiatives. IRG's website features a helpful teacher's resource guide, including suggestions for addressing bullying that targets Muslim students. This is a timely project given the ongoing harassment of Somali students in Minnesota.

Wellness Priorities Among American Muslims

Muslim women stretching in a park.

While American Muslims represent a significant minority population, there is little data profiling their specific healthcare concerns. Our healthcare system would be well served by researching and profiling this demographic. Research that ING conducted under a grant from the HealthTrust Foundations shows that if organizations, systems, and providers of healthcare are not working together to provide culturally competent care, patients are at higher risk of having negative health consequences, receiving poor quality care, or being dissatisfied with their care. ING is working to mitigate this problem by educating physicians and healthcare practitioners about Muslims and their faith. With a more culturally competent healthcare workforce, healthcare practitioners can more effectively address the health concerns of Muslims and ensure that they have a more positive experience with the healthcare system.

ING is also undertaking a new project that addresses the specific public health problems in the Muslim American community.

Although American Muslims represent an ethnically diverse community, our research suggests that there are five overlapping areas that we consider to be American Muslim health concerns: language barriers, cultural barriers, mental health, women's/sexual health, and lack of knowledge. By creating educational resources and health interventions through wellness programs, ING will help resolve such problems and improve both the quality of healthcare and the health of Muslim patients.

If you're interested in learning more or becoming involved in ING's work in healthcare, please contact Michael@ing.org

ING Tackles the Rising Problem of Bullying

"Bullying can have destructive consequences for our young people. And it's not something we have to accept. As parents and students, teachers and communities, we can take steps that will help prevent bullying and create a climate in our schools in which all of our children can feel safe."- Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States

A Muslim high school student in Staten Island was spat on, punched, and harassed at school. Another Muslim student in Iowa was called "raghead" and had his jaw broken. From 2001 to 2009 the FBI reported 1,552 incidents of hate crimes that have been based on an "anti-Islamic" bias. According to a 2010 survey conducted by Muslim Mothers Against Violence, 80% of Muslim youth have experienced harassment, with 50% reporting being called names in front of teachers or administrators. As Attorney General Eric Holder states, anti-Muslim bigotry is the "civil rights issue of our time." ING is taking a leading role in addressing these problems with efforts that range from engagement with the Department of Education and White House representatives to conducting Bullying Prevention Workshops on a national level.

In March of 2011 the President and First Lady held a White House Conference on Bullying Prevention with approximately 150 participants that included ING Executive Director Maha Elgenaidi. The conference provided students, parents, educators, and community leaders with resources and solutions for implementing bullying prevention programs in their communities. ING has been promoting the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services' stopbullying.gov program, which provides a tool kit and educational resources so students can become leaders in preventing bullying and harassment on school campuses. ING has also held successful bullying prevention workshops at the Muslim Youth of North America (MYNA) and Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) conventions. Workshops have included discussions with youth and civil rights experts in this field who provide attendees with skills to start a bullying prevention program in their schools and instill in them the knowledge and the ability to make a difference. When one out of every four teens is bullied, it becomes imperative that we all find solutions to this problem. One of the best solutions is to empower youth to stand up against bullying. You may donate securely by clicking here. ING is an accredited charity of the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance.

ING Providing Lesson Plans & Films for Teachers and Professors Across the Country

Over the last two months we have been working on an exciting new curriculum initiative for teachers and college professors across the country. Eventually this initiative will expand to embrace our other clients such as law enforcement personnel, corporate managers, and healthcare providers.

We are not only designing curriculum to stand alone or to supplement our face-to-face presentations but are also adding dozens of film and video clips to complement the curriculum. For example, for our primary presentation "Getting to Know American Muslims and Their Faith," we are adding films that tell the stories of American Muslims. These will range from the new feature-length documentary "Fordson" about the Fordson High School football team in Dearborn, Michigan to Hip Hop videos and the films "Prince Among Slaves" and "Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet." Help us market our new curriculum to teachers and professors by donating to ING today. You may donate securely by clicking here. ING is an accredited charity of the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance.