Greetings!
We hope you enjoy your current issue of ISB news, which will come to you in a bimonthly format to keep you updated on our activities. February is Black History Month and we encourage you to celebrate the accomplishments of African-Americans by checking out the AJC's calendar of events. Atlanta is the birthplace of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., iconic civil rights leader and one of the nation's most honored sons. A visit to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Historic Site is a wonderful way to mark Black History Month. In recognition of this important history, the ISB has two special presentation s, Roots of Islam in America, which highlights the legacy of African-American Muslims, and Race Relations in Islam. The ISB also sponsored the Atlanta premiere of the PBS documentary, Prince Among Slaves, which tells the story of an African Muslim prince enslaved in Mississippi. For more information about these and other presentations, please contact us through our website. All the best, Soumaya Khalifa Executive DirectorISB Atlanta |
| Building Bridges at Dor Tamid |
Soumaya and Mohamed Khalifa visited Congregation Dor Tamid's Adult Education class on Sunday, January 24. The two-hour long session attracted over 20 participants and was held at the Monarch School in Duluth. The interactive event featured the ISB's signature presentation, An Overview of Islam and Muslims: Practices, Beliefs, Vocabulary, and Culture. The dialogue focused on how American Muslims live their faith, interact with members of other faith communities, and contribute to American society. Participants were especially interested in a recent Gallup study that found that people who do not view Muslims favorably also have the same views of Jews.
Adult Education Co-Chair, Paul Dickinson (pictured above with wife, Linda, and Soumaya and Mohamed Khalifa) wrote, "We learned a great deal and realize that despite specific and expected differences in religion and practice, there are indeed many commonalities between the religion of Islam and that of Judaism. In particular, the basic belief in the accountability for leading a righteous life struck me as a bridge between the faiths."
Congregation Dor Tamid is a Reform Jewish Synagogue located in North Fulton County. Their Adult Education class meets every Sunday.
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Lunch and Learning at North Decatur Presbyterian
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Abdullah Kapic and Soumaya Khalifa presented an overview of Islam and Muslims over lunch at North Decatur Presbyterian Church. The weekday presentation on January 5 attracted over 20 participants including Interim Pastor, Dr. Joel Alvis, and ISB speakers-in-training, Dr. Bilal King and Rania Atef.
The session featured an icebreaker, slideshow, and Q & A. The audience was very engaged and had so many questions that arrangements were made for a follow-up discussion and mosque visit. The day's activities concluded with a drawing for a Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet DVD, which was donated to the church library.
The ISB's hostess, Nancy Shoeber, wrote, "Because of your wonderful presentation, we are both better informed and enriched by our personal contact with you and members of your team. We appreciated very much your willingness to answer our questions and concerns...like the puffs from the dandelion, your thoughtfulness will spread in many ways."
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| ISB Team Presents at Holy Cross |
For the fourth consecutive year, ISB husband-and-wife team, Rashid and Jelena Naim, spoke to parishioners at Holy Cross Catholic Church on Sunday, January 24. Every year, participants choose a topic and the Naims create a tailored presentation that offers an Islamic perspective. This year's topic revolved around the existence of evil, pain, and suffering in the world.
The audience observed many points of similarity between the Christian and Islamic faiths including the concept of life as a test, human response to difficult circumstances as part of a divine plan, and how tribulation can bring hidden injustices to light.
ISB speaker-in-training, Dr. Bilal King, was also in attendance. The ISB would like to recognize John Murphy for organizing this fruitful dialogue.
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Panel on Healing in Faith Communities at KSU
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On Thursday, January 14, Amjad Taufique participated in an interfaith panel at Kennesaw State University's WellStar School of Nursing. For the past four years, the WellStar School of Nursing has invited representatives of the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths to dialogue on the intersection of faith and healing, religious requirements for patients, and end-of-life issues. The panel is designed to help nursing students provide appropriate care for diverse patients. Mr. Taufique's presentation covered the basic principles of Islam, Muslim worship, women's concerns, dietary requirements, Muslim family relations, and cultural practices.
Panel organizer, Donna Kremer, writes, "Mr. Taufique tailored his presentation to the target audience - nursing students learning about practicing in communities of faith. He integrated education about Islam (beliefs and practices) with information about patient care. He and the other panelists were so respectful of each other and modeled for the students the true essence of interfaith/cultural diversity. Thank you for providing this opportunity for our community."
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| About the ISB |
The Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta is a 501(c)3 non-profit, apolitical educational organization that provides certified Muslim speakers to promote awareness about Islam and Muslims. The ISB is a local affiliate of the Islamic Networks Group (ING). Donations to the ISB are tax deductible and may be mailed to ISB Atlanta, P.O. Box 2608, Peachtree City, GA 30269. Alternatively, supporters may send their contributions through our secure website. | |
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| ISB Joins Hands On Atlanta for Day of Service |
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In honor of the Rev. Martin Luther King's legacy, ISB Atlanta joined volunteers from across the metro area for a day of service with Hands On Atlanta. The day's project involved revitalizing Vine City. Volunteers worked on building park benches and cleaning up neighborhood streets. Soumaya Khalifa writes, "It was a great experience working with our fellow Atlantans to bring back Vine City."
The ISB thanks Mohamed Khalifa, Mansour Ansari, Justin Pascale, Ibrahim Awad, and Nehal, Jeff, Omar, and Yousuf Shamma for their support.
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| Unitarian Universalist Sunday School |
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On Sunday, January 17th, Mansour Ansari
and Abdullah Kapic presented to Neighboring Faiths, a religious education class at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta. There were approximately 15 adults and youth in attendance for a relaxed and friendly dialogue.
Mr. Kapic writes, "The audience was very focused and interested in learning about Islam. Participants expressed gratitude for the chance to meet and get to know 'real Muslims'."
The Neighboring Faiths class is designed to introduce middle school students to the major faith communities.
The class visited Atlanta's Al-Farooq Mosque this past Sunday. |
| Atlanta Jewish and Muslim Women Roll Out Pie Dough |
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Atlanta's Jewish-Muslim Baking Group met once again for an afternoon of pie-making and sisterhood on Sunday, January 31. Participants included women from all three Abrahamic traditions.The potluck gathering included an icebreaker, an introduction to the group's history by co-founders, Audrey Galex and Soumaya Khalifa, and a recap of media coverage of the interfaith initiative.
Hostess Jennifer Weismann led the session with her award-winning pie crust recipe. Ms. Khalifa shares, "The event was warm and friendly and each participant had an opportunity to meet new people or renew old acquaintances. Now, I know how to make pies from scratch and will start practicing." |
| Theology Students Tour Al-Farooq Masjid of Atlanta |
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On Friday, January 22, the ISB facilitated a tour of midtown's Al-Farooq Masjid for Columbia Theological Seminary students at the request of Dr. Carlos Cardoza-Orlandi, recipient of the 2007 Building Bridges Award.
Dr. Cardoza-Orlandi writes, "I wanted my students to be exposed to Atlanta's diversity, the faith/religious experience, and how it functions for people who are first-generation Americans. As I have visited the 14th street Mosque, my observations are that this is a significant diverse Islamic community."
The afternoon program included a conversation with ISB Executive Director, Soumaya Khalifa, an opportunity to observe the Friday service, and a dialogue with Mosque Director, Dr. Khalid Siddiq. |
| ISB Invited to Marist School |
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On Tuesday, January 26, Huma Faruqi visited Marist School to speak to a World Religions class. She was accompanied by speaker-in-training, Rania Atef. Students were assigned different religions to research and contacted the ISB to present an overview of Islam and Muslims.
The audience was very engaged and asked a number of questions about Islamic beliefs and practices.
The ISB is invited to Marist School regularly during the school year. |
| Our Calendar |
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Feb. 3: Georgia State University
Feb. 5: Amana Academy @ Al-Farooq Masjid
Feb. 17: Living Library
Feb. 19: GSU @ Al-Farooq Masjid
Feb. 21: Epstein School
Feb 24: Christ Our Shepherd @ ICCA
Feb. 27: ISB Quarterly Meeting
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