Salam alaykum/Greetings of peace friends, |
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The Blessed Day of Arafah and Eid Al-Adha |
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We are in the blessed first ten days of the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah, a sacred time for Muslims across the world, especially those who were privileged to go on Hajj this year, including ING’s Founder Maha Elgenaidi. Hajj begins this year on the evening of Thursday, July 7 and ends on the evening of Tuesday, July 12. The climax of Hajj is the Day of Arafah when pilgrims gather on the plain and hillside of Mount Arafat and spend the day in supplication (du'a), seeking forgiveness, and remembrance (dhikr) of God. Arafah is the day on which the Prophet Muhammad (p) gave his farewell sermon and the day on which according to the Quran, Islam was perfected as a religion: “This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.” (Quran 5:3). Read more here.
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Supreme Court Rulings and Religious Freedom |
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ING’s Interfaith Speakers Bureau (IFSB) just released a statement on how “Two recent Supreme Court decisions undermine the First Amendment and religious freedom in the United States. The first was Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization which overturned Roe v. Wade and the second was Kennedy v. Bremerton School District which allows for prayer by educators in public schools…On the first issue, regardless of where we stand on abortion, the SCOTUS ruling repudiating the right to abortion contravenes constitutional religious freedoms when states begin to criminalize women for having abortions or doctors for performing them. This is a serious matter for all those concerned—as all Americans should be—with the survival of the United States as a pluralistic democracy.” We discuss the legal ruling on abortion and how it encroaches on the religious freedoms and rights of Americans of different faiths and perspectives, especially women, poor people, and people of color. Similarly, we consider how the ruling on prayer in public schools will impact teachers, students, and parents of minority faiths and perspectives, including Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, and non-religious Americans. Read the full editorial here.
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ING has a number of events coming up in the next several weeks, including a presentation on Getting to Know Muslim Americans and their Faith, a presentation on Muslim holidays, a presentation on Islamophobia and Its Impact, an INGYouth workshop on Countering Bullying with Civility, Respect, and Knowledge, and a seminar for law enforcement on Preventing & Responding to Anti-Muslim Bigotry. Visit ING’s events page to stay updated on all our presentations this summer.
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Islamic Networks Group (ING) is a peace-building organization providing face-to-face education and engagement opportunities that foster understanding of Muslims and other misunderstood groups to promote harmony among all people.
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