Dear Friend:
While it may feel as though the world has come grinding to a halt,
WISE
has risen to the challenge of adjusting to life under
COVID
. We have
been
busy
rolling out digital initiatives
to provide support to friends old and new, while continuing
our
advocacy for the rights of Muslim women and girls globally.
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Ramadan Online Educational Series
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WISE
began “
Spiritual Sunday Salon
,” a weekly women’s online educational series to coincide with Ramadan.
“
The Prophet said
“
Each one of you is a shepherd for his flock
”
and in this moment when it feels like the world is fracturing due to the
#Covid
crisis, we realized this was an ideal moment for women to strengthen bonds and
shepherd one another through this maze of change
.
Muslim Women
ZOOM into the Quran
was led by
five women scholars, a spiritual guide, poet and a reciter
who guided us on how to
cultivate an appreciative state of being
by tapping into
Quranic wisdom
(see video blow) to overcome fears and anxieties,by maintaining
Tawwakul
- our trust in God - and by showing
Gratitude
for the bounties we have. (Videos forthcoming)
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Testimonials
“
What you're doing is
monumental
! You're filling a true need in our community and in the wider world... I've been
immensely uplifted
by the meetings in just two short Sundays.”
“Thank you so much to provide an
amazing platform
where we can
learn and meet
many sisters. The session "
Sunday Spiritual Salon
" is a
life-changing event
, I am excited to attend all series in the future.”
“It was an
awesome
meeting; may God bless you, the women leaders and all those involved in organizing... It was good to hear women speak with authority; such
tremendous role models for younger people
(in addition to their knowledge and expertise, of course) and
warms this old heart
.”
Project Team
: Mino Akhtar, Susan Smith, Sahar Alsahlani, Zeynep Guven
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Interfaith Response to the COVID Pandemic
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On April 10th,
WISE
initiated
#UnitedFaithsOfAmercia
prayer campaign with major world religions – Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, Hinduism, Jain, Buddhism, Native American – to compile an online video addressing
concerns and anxieties emanating from the growing COVID-19 pandemic
.
“
By uniting spiritual influencers, we express our core beliefs -
that we are as interconnected as a spiders web
- by engaging individuals in spiritual reflection, we contribute to a
common desire
of promoting
a unitive consciousness
which
transcends all boundaries
and in
which
humanity is one
” - Daisy Khan
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Project Team:
Mino Akhtar, Zeynep Guven
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With
WISE
’s base of operations in New York City, many of our colleagues have felt the full weight of being in the epicenter of
COVID
- especially a member of our advisory team,
Maria Abdullah
. Maria’s story offers a portrait of how
faith and friendship can provide strength
in the face of mortal danger, and open possibilities for a re-centered outlook on life.
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Project Team:
Aidan Salamone
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WISE
's Executive Director Daisy Khan featured in "
30 Faces of Islam for the 30 Days
," an initiative of The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding. In it, she stresses the value of
relying on faith as a source of comfort
through the COVID pandemic and urges viewers to use this as a time of
reflection and introspection
.
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UPCOMING PUBLICATIONS AND E-LEARNING
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WISE
has progressed through the refinement of a
Know Your Rights
toolkit for Muslim women and girls, which will comprehensively explain the full range of social, economic, and
individual rights guaranteed to women by Islamic scripture
and historical precedent. With
WISE
’s partners in Afghanistan, this approachable yet authoritative book will
prove instrumental in the
US/Taliban peace process
without sacrificing the hard-earned gains that Afghan women have secured over the last 18 years.
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Project Team:
Sean Bandfield, Aidan Salamone, Zeynep Guven, Marissa Myers
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WISE
is designing a
comprehensive e-learning course
on the
detection and interruption of far-right extremist activity
.
This course will equip participants to understand key terms and symbols used within far-right subcultures, and will explain
how right-wing extremism has caused a resurgence in Islamophobia and hate crimes
.
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Project Team:
Sean Bandfield, Aidan Salamone, Zeynep Guven, Marissa Myers
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The past few months have given us an opportunity to reflect on the
positive feedback of our online educational outreach
. With our 15-year history of interfaith engagement, women’s rights and peace building, we will develop an
E-learning
element to the vast resource materials
on
Islam 101, Islamophobia, Hate Prevention, Extremist Ideology, Women’s Rights, Peace and Conflict resolution
.
The e-learning tools will be available year-round to all of our stakeholders and the general public.
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Project Team:
Sean Bandfield, Aidan Salamone, Zeynep Guven
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We are pleased to be immersed in something so meaningful for the future of our community and country. Today we are asking
YOU
for your help because you share our vision of promoting Peace, Pluralism and Women’s equality.
This pandemic has propelled
WISE
to operate online, and
with your help
, we want to continue to build on this momentum!
Your donation
will enable us to
develop year long e-learning initiatives
which will be readily available for change makers in our communities, and with interfaith allies who need them the most.
Friends, please donate any amount,
$10, $25, $50, $100 or more.
Your contribution is a step towards ensuring that our future generations will
benefit from what we do here today
!
To our Muslim friends: during this holy month of Ramadan, our work is Zakat-eligible, as our educational initiatives are created as
fi-sabilillah
- as works in the service of our faith.
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Sincerely yours,
Daisy Khan
Founder and Executive Director
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Follow the WISE Up Campaign on Social Media!
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