This Holiday Season, Give the Gift of Knowledge...
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Dear Friend:
As we reflect on what has been a difficult 2017 for many, at WISE we are fortunate to have had a productive year. We wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to you, our donors and supporters, who have enabled us to launch our most ambitious project,
WISE Up: Knowledge Ends Extremism
, a
375-page
report authored by 72 scholars and experts. Books are available for purchase at
www.wiseupreport.org
.
Beyond the
2017 WISE Up Summit
, we have also commenced our
WISE Up Townhall Dialogue tour across the nation
– public events that create much needed face-to-face interaction between Muslims and their interfaith allies and government and elected officials. We hosted two Townhalls this month: one in Philadelphia in partnership with the Dialogue Institute, where we presented
WISE Up
to Executive Deputy Attorney General of Pennsylvania Rob Reed, who was enthusiastic about
WISE Up
(view his remarks
here
); and the second in Westchester, NY, hosted by the American Muslim Women’s Association, and aired on the local Channel 12 News (
link here
), in
which they said books would be delivered to libraries and schools.
As we look ahead to 2018, we will be shifting our focus to on-the-ground dissemination of
WISE Up
and preparing the
WISE Up Policy Paper in collaboration with Emgage Foundation
in Washington, DC. We will present the Policy Paper to members of Congress at a congressional briefing in early 2018.
Now that we have successfully launched the WISE Up campaign, we need YOU to help us keep the momentum going.
During this time of giving, we hope you will consider
making a tax-deductible gift
to WISE
, which will go directly to distributing 2,000 copies of
WISE Up
to all 535 members of Congress, mayors across the nation, editors of newspapers, hosts of major media programs, and other influencers. Just last month, when MSNBC’s Ali Velshi received his copy of
WISE Up,
he said, “
The information contained in
WISE Up
will change the way we report on Islam.
”
Those who have read
WISE Up
or attended WISE Up events have similarly expressed enthusiasm and appreciation for the information featured in the book:
“I learned a great deal about Muslim culture and religion and our office is very impressed by the report….”
“The report looks fabulous… a monumental piece of work.”
“Before I found WISE Up, I had to go online to do research on various questions on Islam. Now I can find credible information in one place. Thank you.”
“A page of WISE Up a day will keep the extremists away.”
The best validation came from New York State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins
at the Westchester Townhall
, where she explained
WISE Up’s
importance
here
.
At every WISE Up event, we have been urged to distribute
WISE Up
widely to media, libraries, schools and elected officials. And at every event, we have been told what a valuable tool
WISE Up
is – one that will actually be used by communities. Today through Sunday, WISE is offering a special on
WISE Up
to aid us in distributing this vital resource to communities across the country. With your
purchase of
WISE Up
for $49.95 at
www.wiseupreport.org
, WISE will send you one copy of
WISE Up
for yourself and include an extra copy for you to send to an influencer of your choice. But hurry! This special discount ends on Sunday, December 31, 2017.
At this critical time, we are turning to YOU for help
in raising $20,000, which will enable us to purchase 2,000 copies of
WISE Up
at a deep discount and disseminate it to influencers around America.
WISE Up
shows that American Muslims are speaking out against all forms of extremism including Islamophobia and terrorism. More importantly, it shows that American Muslims are
working to strengthen our national unity, which has been under severe threat in our current political environment.
We are excited about 2018 as we plan to proactively use
WISE Up
to educate, to inform, and to influence. If you have supported WISE before, thank you very much.
We hope YOU will consider making another contribution before this coming Sunday, December 31, 2017
to help us create a long-lasting impact and take a stand for peace.
WISE is a partner project of the Fund for the City of New York (FCNY) under whose 501(c)(3) WISE operates. To make your tax-deductible donation to WISE online, please click
here
. Checks may be made payable to:
Fund for the City of New York
with a note “for WISE” and mailed to 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 246, New York, NY 10115.
With my very best,
Daisy Khan
Executive Director
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WISE Up
Campaign
2017 Highlights
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WISE Up Townhall Dialogue
Westchester, NY- Dec. 12th
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On December 12th, WISE, in partnership with the
American Muslim Women's Association
(AMWA) launched
WISE Up
at the Grinton I. Will Branch of the Yonkers Library. The WISE Up Townhall was attended by government officials, including Westchester County Executive Elect George Latimer and New York State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, as well as interfaith leaders and community members.
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The event included lectures on Jews and Muslims by Mehnaz Afridi and the Prophet Muhammad by Khaja Kaleemuddin, a video presentation of Notable American Muslims, remarks by Dr. Mahjabeen Hassan of AMWA and Sami Elmansoury, and a WISE Heroic Initiative spotlight on Paul Nasrani's Syrian Date and Walnut Ice Cream. The WISE Up Report was presented to both Senator Stewart-Cousins and County Executive Latimer.
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WISE Up Townhall Dialogue
Philadelphia - Dec. 3rd
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On December 3rd, WISE, in partnership with the
Dialogue Institute
and the Quba Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies, launched
WISE Up
at the National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia, PA, marking the very first “WISE Up Townhall Dialogue." The WISE Up Townhall was attended by government officials, including Executive Deputy Attorney General of Pennsylvania Rob Reed, local Muslim and interfaith leaders, and community members.
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The event included a presentation of the contents of
WISE Up
, an interactive Q&A session, and the presentation of WISE Hero awards to local heroes, Tarek El-Messidi of
CelebrateMercy
and Michael Covitt, producer of the film
333
, for their work in advancing the ideals of the Muslim community and standing up against hate and bigotry.
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If you are interested in having WISE Up come to your city, please click below!
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WISE Up has been presented to...
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Lori Wachs and Ali Velshi
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Daisy Khan with NYPD Chief of Community Affairs Joanne Jaffe
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Representatives from New York City's Commission on Human Rights
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Sarah Sayeed, Senior Advisor to the Community Affairs Unit of the New York City Mayor's Office
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Click to see Executive Deputy Attorney General of Pennsylvania Rob Reed's endorsement of WISE Up!
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Click to see New York State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins' endorsement of WISE Up!
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"An Analytical Report Addresses Islamophobia And Extremism In The U.S."
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Read a recap of the Philadelphia Townhall Dialogue event
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"Rise Up to WISE Up: Knowledge Ends Extremism"
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Author Gina Doost's comprehensive blog on October's WISE Up Summit
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Follow the WISE Up Campaign on Social Media!
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