FOUSESQUAWK: Islamic Propaganda Is in Overload in California

Out here in California, organizations like CAIR, MPAC and others are in a full court press to push the Islamic agenda. They are spreading message that Muslims in the US are being treated badly, which I personally disagree with. Below is a publication by the Islamic Networks Group, which sends out speakers to schools and other places to give a version of Islam that is basically false. I attended such an event at Golden West College in Huntington Beach in March. Not only was the speaker unable to deal with probing questions about Islam, her sponsors, the professors who put on the show tried to silence our polite questions and even called in the campus police.

I would like to address a few points in the below piece. First of all, the lead article is about Governor Jerry Brown signing anti-bullying legislation. That is all well and good. I don't want to see Muslim kids bullied in school. I have already seen enough Jewish kids bullied on college campuses by bullies from the various pro-Palestinian groups.

I would also point out that it is Muslims, mostly in Muslim countries, who are actively persecuting non-Muslims. Before they complain about this Islamophobia propaganda piece that was dreamt up by Islamist activists to silence critics, they ought to take a look at how non-Muslims are being treated all over the Islamic world. We here in America are not guilty of those types of atrocities.

However, let's look at some of the figures involved.

"webinar on Countering Islamophobia in Schools. We've recently updated our final webinar on October 11th to include Giselle Klapper from the Sikh Coalition. The webinars are 30-60 minutes long and discuss the following topics:

· Student and Parental Rights & Accommodations (view recording here) with Habeeb Quadri, Zahra Billoo, and Ishaq Pathan

· Muslim Student Experiences & Peer-to-Peer Education (view recording here) with Dalia Mogahed and Ishaq Pathan

· Reporting and Countering Islamophobia (Thursday, October 11th) with Giselle Klapper, Zahra Billoo, and Ishaq Pathan"

Zahra Billoo is the head of the San Francisco chapter of CAIR-a Muslim Brotherhood front group, supporter of Hamas, and unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation trial of 2007-8 involving Islamic charities that funneled contributions to Middle East terror organizations. It was she who, a few years ago, produced a poster encouraging local Muslims to slam the door if the FBI came calling asking for information.

I asked her about that when she visited UC Irvine in January 2013 during Muslim Awareness Day.

As noted in the link, I also asked her about Islam's death penalty for adulterers, which she admitted existed stressing that it applied both to men and to women.

"The Islamic Thought Institute at the International Museum of Muslim Cultures in Jackson, Mississippi hosted a historic national conference to advance a candid conversation about race, class, and religious intersectionality. ING Executive Director Maha Elgenaidi participated in an interfaith panel examining the role of interfaith dialogue and engagement in building a movement against hate. She discussed the INGYouth program and Know Your Neighbor: Multifaith Encounters program and how they provide activists with the tools and training to stand up for others."

Indeed. I note that one of speakers was none other than Brooklyn imam Siraj Wahhaj, who has called for an Islamic takeover of America, which he called a "filthy garbage can". Wahhaj was an unindicted co-conspirator of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and testified for the defense in the trial of the "blind sheikh" Omar Abdel Rahman. More recently, Sirajs, son and two daughters were arrested in that New Mexico desert compound affair where Imam Wahhaj's grandson was found dead. (The Sr. Wahhaj has not been charged in this case.)

Habeeb Quadri was featured as a speaker at the 2017 Southeast annual convention of the Islamic Circle of North America and Muslim American Society in 2017. Both of those organizations are Muslim Brotherhood affiliated. The Muslim Brotherhood, which originated in Egypt, is an Islamic supremacist organization from which many of the world's terror organizations have sprung, such as al Qaeda and Hamas. He spoke at a similar ICNA-MAS convention in December 2016, in which Muslim activist Linda Sarsour also appeared (Investigative Project on Terrorism).

ING Content Manager Ameena Jandali traveled to Houston, Texas over the Labor Day Weekend for the 55th Annual Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) Convention and appeared on three panels. She discussed some of the negative impacts of anger and ways to control it during a session with Dr. Abdalla Idris Ali. As part of that same Spiritual Series, she later talked about the ills of gluttony and solutions to overcome it. Ameena then joined Sameera Ahmed and Faraz Khan to discuss best practices for promoting healthy families in a panel moderated by Muna Jondy.

As already mentioned, ISNA is an arm of the Muslim Brotherhood. Many of the people featured in this flyer participated in that conference.

Looking at others mentioned in the ING flyer:

Maha Elgenaidi attended a meeting with major New York newspapers as well as the Washington Post in September 1995 as a member of the Muslim Coalition for National Media Relations (MCNMR) for the purpose of "helping the American media to shed some of its biases toward Islam and Muslims". Part of her team was Abdulrahman Alamoudi, then executive director of the American Muslim Council and a now convicted terrorist (IPT). Also present was Salaam Marayati, CEO of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, also a MB front group, which has consistently condemned virtually every law enforcement effort to identify terrorists and potential terrorists within the US Muslim community. They have described many of the FBI's arrests as "entrapment".

Dalia Mogahed was a member of President Obama's Advisory Council on Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, which sounds respectable enough. However, in 2009, she appeared with a representative of the Islamic supremacist organization, Hizb-ut-Tahrir in a TV interview in the UK in which they advocated for sharia law. Here is more on Mogahed from IPT.

Ameena Jandali was a speaker at the 2001 Islamic Society of North America (MB-affiliated) conference in Chicago along with other such "luminaries" as British crackpot politician and anti-Israel activist George Galloway, Anti-Israel activist Alison Weir, Siraj Wahhaj, and none other than Anwar Awlaki, an imam/ terrorist who was killed by a US drone strike in Yemen. The program can be viewed here.(IPT)

Dr Abdalla Idris Ali is part of the Islamic Society of North America-a Muslim Brotherhood affiliated organization.

These events appear benign enough. However, do not be fooled by the interfaith events involving Jewish and Christian leaders and clerics. I have attended many of them. They invariably tend to be run by Muslim leaders and imams who flat out lie about the true nature of Islam. The Jewish and Christian clerics who are involved tend to be either gullible or radical figures who cover for their Muslim counterparts while apologizing for perceived "Islamophobia".

Below is the flyer in question:

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California Governor Jerry Brown Signs Anti-Bullying Legislation Supported by ING

Schools in California are not currently required to address bullying in their school safety plans. A new bill signed this week by Governor Jerry Brown (AB 2291 School Safety: Bullying) rectifies this oversight so students and teachers can focus on learning in a safe and inclusive environment. Last month, ING Community & Civic Engagement Manager Raania Mohsen joined other members of the Muslim community in letter writing and meetings with State legislators to express strong support for the passage of AB 2291. The law requires schools to make available an online training module developed by the California Department of Education (CDE) to all school-site employees who have regular interaction with students annually. Additionally, it requires the CDE to post its online training module and an annually updated list of other available online training modules related to bullying or bullying prevention.

Know Your Neighbor: Creating Inclusive Classrooms Campaign Sept. 25th-28th

As students across the country settle in for the school year, we are launching a new campaign next week to help educators, parents, and students create more inclusive classrooms and schools. To that end, the Know Your Neighbor: Creating Inclusive Classrooms campaign will offer resources and best practices to help. Look for the official launch announcement on Monday, September 24th and get involved!

Back to School Anti-Bullying Series:

Final Webinar on October 11th

Join ING Deputy Director Ishaq Pathan and special guest speakers for an anti-bullying webinar on Countering Islamophobia in Schools. We've recently updated our final webinar on October 11th to include Giselle Klapper from the Sikh Coalition. The webinars are 30-60 minutes long and discuss the following topics:

· Student and Parental Rights & Accommodations (view recording here) with Habeeb Quadri, Zahra Billoo, and Ishaq Pathan

· Muslim Student Experiences & Peer-to-Peer Education (view recording here) with Dalia Mogahed and Ishaq Pathan

· Reporting and Countering Islamophobia (Thursday, October 11th) with Giselle Klapper, Zahra Billoo, and Ishaq Pathan

Upcoming Featured ING Events

American Muslim Beliefs and Practices:

September 21st in San Francisco

The First Chinese Baptist Church in San Francisco will host ING Content Manager Ameena Jandali for an upcoming discussion on American Muslim beliefs and practices. Ameena will also engage in conversation on frequently asked questions about Islam.

Contemporary Issues Affecting American Muslims:

September 23rd in San Francisco

ING Executive Director Maha Elgenaidi will deliver a sermon in the morning service and later speak with the participants of Calvary Presbyterian Church’s Adult Education class about contemporary issues affecting U.S. Muslims. The session will address the serious challenges facing American Muslims today, including Islamophobia, maintaining a minority faith and culture in an increasingly secular but still nominally Christian-majority society, and countering bigotry through education and interfaith engagement.

Sabbath in the 21st Century:

September 23rd in San Jose

ING Community and Civic Engagement Manager Raania Mohsen will participate in an interfaith panel for the Silicon Valley Interreligious Council’s Interreligious Leaders Forum. The topic of the panel is “Sabbath in the 21st Century” and will feature representatives from a variety of religious backgrounds exploring how their faith communities orient around a “day of rest” in the modern (busy) world.

Jewish Festival of Sukkot for Muslim Neighbors:

September 23rd in Berkeley

Please join our friends at Chochmat HaLev for a celebration of the Jewish festival of Sukkot! Learn how to write your name in Hebrew and Arabic and help decorate the Sukkah (temporary outdoor dwelling). ING Content Manager Ameena Jandali and Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb will offer stories about Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar in the Jewish and Muslim traditions.

Muslim Women Beyond the Stereotypes:

September 29th in San Francisco

ING Content Manager Ameena Jandali will deliver "Muslim Women Beyond the Stereotypes," one of ING's core presentations, as part of SWANA at the Library, which honors the diverse cultures, traditions, and histories of Southwest Asian and North African heritage. Her talk will explore the history and contemporary lives of Muslim women around the world, including common misconceptions.

Public Hearing on Bullying Awareness:

October 12th in San Jose

Please join ING Executive Director Maha Elgenaidi and Assemblymember Kansen Chu for an upcoming public hearing on bullying awareness. Maha will discuss ING's work in schools countering religious and ethnic based bullying through education. The hearing will be held on Friday, October 12th from 4:00 PM to 6:30 PM at the Santa Clara County Board Chambers in San Jose.

Workplace Religious Diversity Symposium:

October 29th in Palisades, New York

ING Executive Director Maha Elgenaidi will participate on an interfaith panel about religion and workplace discrimination trends for the Tanenbaum Center’s 2018 Religious Diversity Symposium. Tanenbaum is a valued Know Your Neighbor: Multifaith Encounters partner organization.

Religious Pluralism in the United States:

October 30th in Seaside

How do different religions view the beliefs and practices of other traditions? Is adherence to one religious tradition compatible with respect for the many other religious traditions and convictions in our world? The Interfaith Speakers Bureau (IFSB) will address these questions and more for an upcoming panel at California State University in Seaside as part of their Inclusive Excellence program.

2018 Parliament of the World's Religions:

November 1st-7th in Toronto, Ontario

The Parliament of the World's Religions is the oldest, largest, most diverse interfaith gathering in the world. For the 2018 Parliament in Toronto, Ontario, Deputy Director Ishaq Pathan will deliver two sessions on ING's programs. On Sunday, November 4th, he will discuss the Islamic Speakers Bureau and Interfaith Speakers Bureau and walk attendees through best practices for starting similar initiatives. On Tuesday, November 6th, Ishaq will lead a session exploring how the INGYouth program enables Muslim youth to actively counter hate in their communities.

Highlights of Past ING Events

What Do Environmental Protection and Conservation Mean to People of Faith?

While environmental issues are a new concern in the form they present themselves today, religious traditions have long addressed the question of how humanity relates to and interacts with the environment. At a recent panel at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Saratoga, the members of the Interfaith Speakers Bureau (IFSB) discussed how their faith communities approach environmental preservation. You can learn more about the many topics the IFSB speaks on at our site.

Global Climate Action Summit Multi-Faith Service of Wonder and Commitment

Grace Cathedral in San Francisco hosted a special Multi-Faith Service of Wondering and Commitment in conjunction with the Global Climate Action Summit that took place in San Francisco from September 12th-14th. ING Executive Director Maha Elgenaidi offered a Muslim prayer and her personal commitment toward climate care.

A Candid Conversation on Race, Class, and Religious Intersectionality in America

The Islamic Thought Institute at the International Museum of Muslim Cultures in Jackson, Mississippi hosted a historic national conference to advance a candid conversation about race, class, and religious intersectionality. ING Executive Director Maha Elgenaidi participated in an interfaith panel examining the role of interfaith dialogue and engagement in building a movement against hate. She discussed the INGYouth program and Know Your Neighbor: Multifaith Encounters program and how they provide activists with the tools and training to stand up for others.

Anger, Gluttony, and Healthy Families:

ING at 55th Annual ISNA Convention

How Do Muslims Live Their Lives in America?

San Francisco Village is an independent, interconnected living facility that enriches the lives of older San Franciscans by providing them with the community, connections, and expertise they need to stay in charge of their lives. Part of that enrichment comes in the form of lectures on a variety of topics, and ING Deputy Director Ishaq Pathan recently joined a group from the Village to discuss American Muslims in the current political environment. Attendees had many questions about what for many of them was a largely unknown group. Learn more about the different presentations that ING offers at our site.