Greetings!
On behalf of the Islamic Speakers Bureau, I want to wish Muslims a blessed Eid ul-Fitr. The Eid marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. The month of August coincided with the holy month of Ramadan, a time during which Muslims are instructed to give and perform acts of kindness. In the spirit of giving, the ISB delivered gift baskets to the men and women who serve and protect us, donated texts of the Quran to chaplains providing spiritual counseling at a hospital's cancer unit, and successfully concluded the Summer Lunch Program by providing lunches to 325 children throughout the summer (see stories below). With September upon us, we will be coming together as a nation to look back in remembrance of of those who lost their lives during the September 11 attacks and move forward as a united front promoting cooperation and understanding. To commemorate September 11, the ISB is joining the interfaith community in many different events (see upcoming events in right column). Also upcoming is our 10th anniversary "Building Bridges Awards Dinner" on October 29. The event, which will honor recipients of the "2011 Building Bridges Award," will feature a keynote address by Dr. Azizah al-Hibiri, Founder and Chair of KARAMAH: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights. For ticket information please click here. As always, ISB's work is only possible through the generous support and contribution of its friends and supporters. You can make a secure online donation through our website or mail a check to ISB Atlanta, P.O. Box 2608, Peachtree City, GA 30269. All donations are tax deductible. Thank you,
Soumaya Khalifa
Executive Director
ISB Atlanta
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| ISB Delivers Appreciation Baskets | |
In the spirit of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, ISB delivered gift baskets to police and fire stations in Fayette County on August 19.
 | | Assistant Fire Chief Joe O'Connor |
Under the leadership of Amani Elghoroury, ISB's Soumaya Khalifa and friend of the ISB Aicha Stoman delivered the baskets to Fayette County police and fire departments as an expression of the Muslim community's appreciation for their continued service and dedication.
ISB hopes to expand this effort to other parts of the Atlanta metro area. |
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ISB Participates In Student Fair
At Oglethorpe University
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ISB was invited to participate in Oglethorpe University's "Welcome Picnic and Community Fair" during the university's August Orientation for new students and their parents.
 The student fair, which took place on August 20, included tables representing different local businesses, faith based groups and other local organizations. Representing ISB were Soumaya and Dr. Mohamed Khalifa.
Although the ISB was asked to participate to help upcoming Muslim students with questions they may have about the Muslim community in Atlanta and places of worship in the area, students and parents of different faith traditions also stopped to learn about ISB and Muslims, said Khalifa. |
ISB Meets Request By Chaplains
For Copies of the Quran |  Upon request from the Chaplains' Office for Patients at Piedmont Fayette Hospital, ISB provided more copies of the Quran in a follow up meeting earlier this month. The Qurans will be placed in the hospital's Cancer Wellness Center.
"Now Muslim patients, during their time of need, can ask for a Quran and chaplains can meet those requests," said ISB's Amani Elghoroury who led this effort.
Chaplains serve in many hospital settings and in rehabilitation units and act as spiritual counselors to help patients and their families.
Elghoroury, who is also a nurse at Piedmont, along with her colleague Ellen MacRae, also put together a "Comfort Box" for the Intermediate Care Unit (IMCU) that included information on religious diversity as well as items to aid in the emotional and spiritual comforting of Muslim patients. |
| Eid Celebration At Imagine It! | |
In an annual tradition that began last year, ISB speaker Jelena Naim presented the Eid story time and craft workshop on August 27 at the Imagine It! Children's Museum of Atlanta. This is the second year that Imagine It! featured Eid ul-Fitr, the Muslim holiday marking the end of Ramadan.
As part of the "Meet the Holidays Programming," representatives of different faiths are invited to the museum to feature their their respective holiday seasons. Naim and her daughter Aliya have been participants in the program since 2007, for Eid ul-Adha, the holiday that commemorates the completion of the Hajj Pilgrimage.
Naim began with reading a story about Ramadan for the kids, and then helped them construct colorful paper Fanoos, the traditional Egyptian Ramadan lanterns. "The children proudly made items that they said will go on their refrigerator, in their bedroom or will be sent to grandma," reported Naim. |
| Summer Lunch Program Gains Recognition | The Fayette County News highlights the role of the ISB in the interfaith Summer Lunch Program in its August 25 issue.
For the sixth year, under the leadership of Amani Elghoroury, the ISB teamed up with the Islamic Community Center of Atlanta (ICCA) and local churches to participate in the annual Summer Lunch Program. The program provides free lunches during the summer months to school-aged children in Fayette County who normally receive free lunches during the school year. The program, which commenced on June 3, ended on August 5.
According to the article, the Summer Lunch Program provided lunches to 325 children from 119 families in Fayette County. To view entire article, click here. |
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| Presentations | Dr. Mansa Bilal Mark King, ISB speaker and professor of sociology at Morehouse College, participated in an interfaith panel organized by student leaders in residence life at Georgia Institute of Technology (GA Tech) on August 11. The panel met with two groups of students consisting of 40 students each. The panel was asked to answer questions about the basics of their faith, the importance of religious literacy, and the role of privilege in impeding religious literacy, said Dr. King. In addition to ISB's presence, the other panelists present represented the Christian, Jewish, Hindu and gnostic faith traditions. The purpose of the panel is to help residence life students better understand and relate to students of different faith traditions.
Speaking on behalf of the ISB, Imam Plemon T. El-Amin gave a lecture to congregants at the East Cobb Islamic Center on "Challenges Facing Muslims in a Climate of Islamophobia" on August 20. Imam El-Amin spoke of the ISB as an important resource in the metro Atlanta area. Dr. Mohamed Khalifa, Soumaya Khalifa, Dr. Asif Saberi, and Iqbal Kalla were also present to answer any questions that the congregants had after the lecture.
In an ongoing effort to raise awareness about the ISB, Iqbal Kalla gave a presentation at the Roswell Community Masjid (RCM) on August 26.
Present to answer questions were Dr. Asif Saberi and Bassem Fakhoury. "Many people approached us later to discuss the work of the ISB and how important it was to them that this work continue," said Dr. Saberi.
ISB speakers Bassem and Hounada Fakhoury led a group of congregants from Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church on a tour of the Roswell Community Masjid (RCM) on August 27.
The visit to the mosque culminated a series of presentations on Islam that the ISB conducted in the past few months. Shaheen Bharde, RCM board and public relations committee member, was also present during the tour and the question and answer session. |
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Upcoming Events
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September 11: "Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge," Oglethorpe University-
Emerson Student Center.
September 11: "9/11 Interfaith Gathering Designed to Foster Dialogue and Mutual Understanding,"
Faith Alliance of Metro Atlanta (FAMA) - Decatur Hotel and Conference Center.
September 11: "Day of Service," Hands on Atlanta Open Hand Meal Delivery-
176 Ottley Drive NE Atlanta GA, 30324
September 18: "Interfaith Developments Around the World," Atlanta InterFaith Leaders Fellowship (AILF)- Shallowford Presbyterian Church.
October 29: "2011 Building Bridges Awards Dinner," ISB - Cobb Galleria.
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About ISB
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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). |
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| Volunteerism is one of the primary drivers of our continued growth and success. Most of our volunteers are students or full-time professionals who find the time to contribute to non-profit work. In return, they find great satisfaction and fulfillment by providing an important service to their community. For more information click here. For an ISB Volunteer Request Form, click here.
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