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Greetings!
Muslims all over the world, and right here in Atlanta, marked the end of the Hajj season with the festival of Eid ul-Adha on Tuesday, November 16.
The Hajj pilgrimage, a once-in-a-lifetime journey, commemorates Prophet Abraham's selfless devotion to God. According to Muslim tradition, Abraham was commanded by God to sacrifice his son, Ishmael. However, when Abraham prepared to carry out the divine command, Ishmael was replaced at the last moment by a ram. In the spirit of Abraham's and Ishmael's sacrifice, Muslims on the Hajj pilgrimage sacrifice a ram and donate the meat to the poor.
American Muslims who performed the rites of Hajj and celebrated Eid this month reflected on the timeliness of these events ahead of Thanksgiving. These occasions are a time when Muslims thank God for the blessings of family, friends, and community.
This month's newsletter provides a snapshot into the community created by the ISB, where Atlanta Muslims share food, fellowship, and knowledge with their fellow citizens in the hope of creating a brighter future for all.
Please remember the importance of furthering the work of the ISB as you make your end-of-year contributions.
Have a safe and happy holiday,
Soumaya Khalifa
Executive Director
ISB Atlanta
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| ISB Director Travels to Geneva |
 | | From left: HRH Prince Ghazi, Soumaya Khalifa, & the Rev. Dr. Bernice Powell Jackson, president of WCC USA |
Soumaya Khalifa traveled to Switzerland from November 1-4 to attend a high-level international consultation at the Ecumenical Center in Geneva. The event, "Transforming Communities: Christians and Muslims Building a Common Future," was a joint effort of the World Council of Churches (WCC), the World Islamic Call Society, the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute, and the Consortium of A Common Word.
His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi Bin Muhammad bin Talal, personal envoy and special advisor to His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan, and Archbishop Anders Wejryd of the Church of Sweden delivered keynote addresses. The conference concluded with a joint Muslim-Christian statement of cooperation.
Prior to the November consultation, Ms. Khalifa traveled to Geneva in December 2009 and Istanbul in April 2010 where she was part of the planning committee for this groundbreaking dialogue. To learn more and view the group's recently-released statement, please visit http://muslimsandchristians.net/. |
ISB Speakers Visit UGA
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 | | Dr. S. Rashid Naim |
Dr. S. Rashid Naim and Ibrahim Awad were invited to the University of Georgia to present "Jihad, Human Rights, Peace & Tolerance" at an event sponsored by the Muslim Students Association in October. Dr. Naim, who teaches political science at Georgia State University, developed the presentation for the ISB as a supplement to its highly-requested Overview of American Muslims & Islam. About 150 people attended the dialogue, which included a discussion of the ethics of Jihad, questions of political authority, and an overview of the Shari'ah.
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| Speaking to Future Teachers |
| Donna Bennett, Soumaya Khalifa, & Students |
Soumaya Khalifa spoke to students in the College of Education at Georgia State University last month. The instructor, Mrs. Donna Bennett, teaches cultural diversity and classroom management and invited the ISB to provide strategies for engaging Muslim students and their families.
Participants revealed that they had encountered negative perceptions of Islam and Muslims while doing their student teaching and all agreed that teachers have a responsibility to combat prejudice. |
| Wesleyan Welcomes the ISB |
 | Soumaya Khalifa & Asma Elhuni with Wesleyan Faculty
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Soumaya Khalifa and speakers-in-training, Asma Elhuni and Rania Atef, visited Wesleyan School in October. Wesleyan, located in Norcross, is a private Christian academy that has invited the ISB to speak to its world religions students in the past. This year, ISB speakers attended a school-wide mass then spoke to approximately 70 high schoolers about American Muslims and Islam.
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| Womenetics Features ISB Director |
 Jan Jaben-Eilon of Womenetics, an award-winning online global business portal for women, interviewed Soumaya Khalifa last month. Ms. Khalifa discussed the ISB's work over the last nine years and its impact on the metro Atlanta community. To learn more, please click here. |
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| Building Bridges Awards Dinner Highlight of 2010 |
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Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr |
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The Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta was honored to host Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr on Saturday, October 16 at the Sixth Annual Building Bridges Awards Dinner.
Dr. Nasr is University Professor of Islamic Studies at George Washington University and was recently ranked as one of the 500 most influential Muslims in the world.
Dr. Nasr's keynote address, "The Prophet of Mercy and the Chain of Prophecy," examined the timeless connections between the Abrahamic faiths, the unity of God in the diversity of humanity, and the critical need to revive the Prophet Muhammad's compassionate example in contemporary Muslim discourse.
Mr. Kevin Keough, director of Arcapita's Portfolio Management Group, introduced Dr. Nasr. Arcapita was a diamond sponsor of the dinner. Mr. Bill Bolling, founder and executive director of the Atlanta Community Food Bank, and Mr. Bill McMullen, manager of renewable and green energy strategies at Georgia Power, introduced the 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award honoree, the late Mr. Bekir Ozcan, whose son Ozan accepted the reward on his father's behalf. The ISB recognized two organizations with the 2010 Building Bridges Award. Ms. Jelena Naim presented an award to Imagine It! Children's Museum, while Imam Furqan Muhammad, a partner of the ISB, presented an award to the Chaplaincy Department at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta-Scottish Rite. Dr. Abdullah Kapic was the ISB's 2010 Speaker of the Year. Below are pictures from the event. To view the complete gallery, please visit www.isbatlanta.org and scroll down. |
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From left: Bill McMullen, Bill Bolling, Ozan Ozcan, & Soumaya Khalifa
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 | Jelena Naim with Imagine It! staff
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 | Imam Furqan Muhammad with Children's staff
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 | | Dr. Abdullah Kapic |
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*All photo credits for the 2010 Building Bridges Awards Dinner belong to Bidez Photography
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The Qur'an as Literature
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 | | Dr. Mohamed Khalifa |
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Dr. Mohamed Khalifa and Soumaya Khalifa visited Dalton State College in October at the invitation of Dr. Mary Ann Shope, who regularly partners with the ISB to bring information about American Muslims and Islam to her students.
Dr. Khalifa prepared a special presentation on the Qur'an as literature that covered the history of the sacred text, its organization, structure, and rhetorical nuances. The students were very engaged throughout the presentation. |
| ISB Member in the AJC |  |
The ISB's M. Yusuf Mohamed published an opinion piece in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on NPR's firing of Juan Williams and the ensuing outcry against the public radio organization. Mr. Mohamed's article can be viewed here. |
| 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 electronically using the button below. |
| On Our Calendar |
December 3: Girls Scouts Troop 1271
December 10: Dialogue in the Humanities |
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