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ISB Atlanta News                     Building Bridges of Understanding                 February 2013

Greetings!  

 

As February marked Black History Month, the ISB took this opportunity to recognize leading Atlanta-area African American Muslims (click here to view ISB Special Edition Newsletter on Black History Month).  This was a testament that the United States of America is indeed built on the very foundation of diversity of culture and religion, and that the American Muslim community is tightly interwoven into the American fabric.   

 

Once again, the ISB was called upon by the U.S. State Department to convey the message of diversity and coexistence to a high level delegation visiting from Saudi Arabia (see story below); a similar delegation also visited from Chad in December 2012 (click here to read story).  Furthermore, the ISB was asked to become a partner organization with several Georgia libraries in planning and organizing programs that introduce themes about Islam to the public (see story below). 

 

Please remember, ISB's efforts are only possible through the generous support and contributions 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. 

In This Issue
ISB Hosts A High Level Delegation From Saudi Arabia
ISB Participates in the 2013 Atlanta Jewish Film Festival
ISB Joins Georgia Libraries Present Muslim Journey Books
ISB Executive Director Participates in MultiFaith Girl Scout Project
ISB Helps Interfaith Peace Program Recruit Muslim Youth
Food Drive Effort Increases Momentum
Upcoming Events
Quick Links
Save The Date: 2013 ISB Annual Building Bridges Awards Dinner
"Meet Your Muslim Neighbor"
Presentations
ISB Hosts A High Level
Delegation From Saudi Arabia
At the request of the U.S. Department of State and the Georgia Council of International Visitors (GCIV), the ISB Atlanta hosted a high level delegation from Saudi Arabia on February 1. 
 
 
The delegation, which included seven members from the Ministry of Islamic Affairs (Alwaqf) and university professors, was invited as part of the State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program's Interfaith Dialogue and Conflict Resolution Project. The project focuses on the encouragement of religious tolerance and the use of proactive, positive methods to address and resolve conflict. 
  
ISB Executive Director Soumaya Khalifa and speakers Amin Tomeh and Alan Howard briefed the delegation on ISB's interfaith work. Also in attendance were ISB speakers Bassam Fakhoury, Hounada Sinno and Shaheen Bharde. The program, which included a lunch, was held at the Roswell Community Masjid and was concluded with a tour of the mosque followed by Friday prayer. 
 
The ISB hosted a similar delegation from Chad in December 2012 (to view story, please click here).
ISB Participates In the 2013 
Atlanta Jewish Film Festival
The ISB participated in the screening of two films at the 2013 Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. 

ISB Board Member and speaker Rashid Naim, Ph.D. and ISB Executive Director Soumaya Khalifa participated in panel discussions following film screenings on Feb. 10 and 17 of "The Rabbi's Cat." The animated film depicts a rabbi, his daughter and their talking cat during 1930s colonial Algiers, when Jews and Muslims coexisted peacefully.  Other panelists included American Jewish Committee Director of Government and International Affairs Jason Isaacson, University of Georgia Professor of Film Studies Dr. Richard Neupert, and Emory University Chair of the Department of Middle Eastern Studies Dr. Gordon Newby. For more information, please click here.
 
Photo by Counse
On February 18, Dr. Naim participated in a panel discussion following the screening of "Besa: The Promise," a film about the heroism of Albanian Muslims who risked their lives to rescue 2,000 Jews during WWII. Other panelists include Senior Advisor at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Arthur Berger, Executive Producer Bill Morgan, Director of the Egy Contact Foundation Majlinda Myrto, and U.S. Holocaust Memorial member Johanna Neumann. For more information, please click here
ISB Joins Georgia Libraries 
Present Muslim Journey Books
The ISB will partner with several Georgia libraries receiving books and digital media on Islam. 

The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System, the 
Dekalb County Public Library System (click here for more information),  and the West Georgia Regional Library System were awarded with the "Bridging Cultures Bookshelf on Muslim Journeys," a collection of books, films, and other resources chosen by various experts to provide the American public new and diverse perspectives on the people, places, histories, beliefs, practices, and cultures of Muslims in the United States and abroad.

The ISB is partnering with 12 library branches in planning and organizing programs that introduce the books and the Muslim Journeys themes to library patrons and the broader community. ISB speaker Noor Abbady is the ISB coordinator and contact person for this project. 

The "Muslim Journeys Bookshelf" is a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office.  For more information about the "Muslim Journeys Bookshelf," please click here.
ISB Executive Director Participates 
In Multi-Faith Girl Scout Project
ISB Executive Director Soumaya Khalifa was featured in a Girl Scout's multi-faith peace project. 

Girl Scout Lois Sharpe interviewed Khalifa along with Senior Pastor of Fayetteville First United Methodist Church Reverend Mark Westmoreland, and Cantorial Soloist for Congregation B'nai Israel Susan Burden to explore what can individuals from the three faith traditions do to ensure better interfaith relations. 

To view video, please click here.
ISB Helps Interfaith Peace Program 
Recruit Muslim Youth
The ISB assisted a youth-focused interfaith education program in recruiting Muslim youth for its annual summer camp. 
 
The Kids4Peace Atlanta chapter, which is accepting applications for its 2013 summer camp program for middle school children ages 11 to 13, held a recruiting session at the Roswell Community Masjid on February 22.  
 
Kids4Peace is a non-poltical interfaith organization that focuses on education for peace for children from the Jewish, Christian and Muslim faith traditions. The ISB has been conducting orientation for the summer camp children for the past nine years. 

Kids4Peace Atlanta was the recipient of the "2008 ISB Building Bridges Award." For more information on kids4Peace Atlanta, please click here
Food Drive Effort Increases Momentum
The Atlanta Muslim effort to fight hunger is increasing momentum as more mosques are joining in.

 

ISB volunteer Amani Elghoroury announced that Masjid Al Momineen has joined the food drive to help those in need.  

  

"Being Your Neighbor's Keeper Food Drive," which was launched January 23 and will continue until March 6, was organized by ISB volunteer Elghoroury.  

 

Non-parishable food items will be donated to the Atlanta Community Food Bank. In addition to Masjid Al Momineen, other participants in the drive include Al-Falah Academy, Ilm Academy, congregants from the Islamic Society of South Atlanta, Masjid Al-Ihsaan, Roswell Community Masjid, the Islamic Community Center of Atlanta, Community of Bosniaks, Masjid Bilal Ibn Rabah, the Islamic Center of Marietta, and Hamza Islamic Center.  

 

To make a donation to this worthy cause, please contact Elghoroury at 678-656-4638, or click here.
Upcoming Events
March 10: Atlanta Community Food Bank 
               Hunger Run/Walk (click here to donate)
 
March 20: Emory Presbyterian Service Project
Quick Links



Save The Date
ISBA Logo
2013 ISB Annual Building Bridges Awards Dinner
 
Internationally acclaimed 
author and media critic 
 
Dr. Jack Shaheen 
Keynote Speaker

 

November 9 
"Meet Your Muslim Neighbor"
"Meet Your Muslim Neighbor," the sixteen-part series on Islam, is still airing (for more information on show times, click here).  
 
The ISB teamed up with the Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasters (AIB), an interfaith and educational television and internet network, to produce the show.  
 
A wide range of topics have been selected to be addressed during each episode (for a full article, click here).  
Presentations
 
Slma Shelbayah represented the ISB in a panel discussion at the first annual Atlanta Inter-Faith Youth Group Conference on February 3. The conference was organized by high school students from Northside United Methodist Church. Joining Shelbayah on the panel were representatives from the Sikh, Jewish, Catholic, and Methodist faith traditions. The panelists were asked to provide a summary about their each respective religion, correct any common misconceptions, and give an example of how their religion affected their life. The discussion was attended by 35 people, mostly high school students.  
 
Fairyal Halim and Ruwa Romman presented "Getting to Know American Muslims and Their Faith" to congregants at the Good Shepherd Catholic Church on February 5. M. Yusuf Mohamed observed the presentation and participated during the Q & A session.  The group of congregants "have been exploring the three Abrahamic faiths while reading Karen Armstrong's
A History of God," Romman reported. 
 
Amin Tomeh facilitated a tour of Masjid Omar Bin Abdul Aziz for a youth group from Christ the King Lutheran Church on February 10. The youth group, who were going through their confirmation process, were being exposed to different faiths. 
 
Huma Faruqi and Noor Abbady presented "Getting to Know American Muslims and their Faith" on February 19 to two different groups of students, a total of 35, attending world religion classes at Marist High School. The speakers were invited by Dr. Doug Seanor, who regularly invites the ISB to his classes.  Khadeejah Farooq also attended and participated in the Q & A session. 
 
Soumaya Khalifa conducted a workshop for the Muslim Girl Scouts at the Roswell Community Masjid on February 22. This was part of a three-workshop series. The first one was conducted in January (click here to read more) and the third will be held in March. 
The focus of this workshop was "Writing Resumes and Interviewing." In addition to advice on resume writing and interviewing skills, Khalifa also provided the group of 18 young women advice on how to turn casual talk into a networking opportunity and how to present themselves in an official capacity in student leadership positions. Bassem Fakhoury also contributed useful information about resume writing. Shaheen Bardhe also attended the workshop.
 
Soumaya Khalifa and M. Yusuf Mohamed presented "Getting To Know American Muslims and Their Faith" to a group of more than 125 people at the First Baptist Church in Gainesville on February 24. The speakers were invited by Senior Pastor, Dr. Bill Coates. Mohamed reported that overall, the presentation was very well received and that he continued to receive positive feed back via email the following day. 
 
Dr. Rashid Naim was invited by Mercer University Muslim Student Association (MSA) to discuss Sharia-Islamic Law on February 28. The MSA expressed interest in learning about how Sharia Law is applied in modern times.

  

Fairyal Halim conducted a "Teacher Cultural Training" at Kennesaw State University on February 28. The class of 26 potential teachers, asked many questions regarding the accommodation of Muslim students. "It is so important for future teachers to have an understanding and appreciation of Islam. Education is a crucial step toward building peace in this world," said class Professor Janet Clark.
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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).

 

ISB Atlanta, P.O. Box 2608, Peachtree City, Georgia 30269. Telephone: 404-377-8380