The Islamic Networks Group (ING) seeks to combat bigotry against marginalized groups. Recognizing that Islamophobia, like other forms of bigotry, is rooted in centuries-old attitudes of racism, xenophobia, and prejudice against marginalized communities that go back to colonialism, we work collaboratively with other communities to counter racism through educational programming. By working alongside representatives of African/Caribbean, Latinx/Hispanic, Asian, Indigenous, Jewish, Buddhist, and Hindu communities, who like Muslims, are racialized as non-White, ING actively draws connections between Islamophobia, anti-blackness, and the “othering” of marginalized and minority populations.
We are seeking funding to scale the reach and positive impact of our programs through increased production of scholarly based and tailored multi-faith and multiracial educational programming that increases awareness of diverse groups while addressing racism and discrimination and ways to overcome bigotry both interpersonally and institutionally. Our programs are tailored for the specific needs of community centers, houses of worship, schools, universities, law enforcement agencies, local governments, corporate settings, and healthcare facilities, and delivered face-to-face (in-person or online) by trained and accredited speakers.
ING’s programs include three speakers’ bureaus and a youth program:
Islamic Speakers Bureau Program: Made up of Muslim American representatives, this program counters Islamophobia through presentations and trainings that raise awareness of Muslim American identities, their history and contributions, their experiences with bigotry, and ways to be an effective ally in preventing and responding to discrimination and hate.
Interfaith Speakers Bureau Program: Promoting religious freedom and pluralism while building understanding and respect, this program features speakers who represent Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, and Buddhist Americans on panels and training seminars where they address more than a dozen contemporary and tailored topics related to the role of faith and religion in the world today.
Intercultural Speakers Bureau Program: Countering bigotry in all its forms both institutionally and interpersonally while fostering a culture of belonging, this program features representatives of African American, Latinx, Asian, and Indigenous communities in addition to Muslim and Jewish communities who are racialized as non-Whites. Topics include the roots of racism, how it manifests for each group, and what members of these groups want audiences to know about them. Beside challenging stereotypes, ICSB panels always end with calls to specific actions to counter racism.
ING Youth Program: Muslim students are bullied at twice the rate of other students. Geared towards teen Muslims, this program provides students with tools to respond to bullying and gain confidence in their identity, as well as resources to supplement education about Muslims in schools while working alongside other marginalized student populations.
Annually, ING reaches nearly two million people across the country. Our content is downloaded by tens of thousands of people in the US, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Africa.
By scaling our work, ING seeks to foster a more inclusive society where commonalities are recognized and differences are respected, and where everyone has an opportunity to play a vital role in the betterment of society regardless of race or religion.
Speakers: The core of ING’s outreach is the broad and diverse group of speakers who deliver ING content on our three speakers bureaus. Comprised of over 55 individuals from a variety of racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds, ING speakers represent their respective communities through their identification with and active membership in community organizations. Eighty-six percent of ING’s speakers represent religious minorities, including Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Jews. ING speakers also represent the African American, Hispanic/Latinx, Asian, and Indigenous communities.
Board and Staff: ING’s Board of Directors, Advisory Board, and staff are comprised of 72% BIPOC and represent a variety of faith groups. The current Board of Directors currently has 6 members, with the goal of growing the board to 15 members to represent the region’s various faith and ethnic communities more fully. The current Board of Directors is 100% BIPOC and is comprised of six professionals from various backgrounds, including law, technology, business, and philanthropy.
Key Players for Outreach Projects: Founding Executive Director Maha Elgenaidi has been leading ING for over 30 years and oversees all aspects of the organization’s growth and development. Deputy Director Dr. Zachary Markwith oversees programming at ING. He brings years of experience working in non-profit and community-based organizations, including the International Peace Project and Food Not Bombs. ING content developers include veteran content writers Ameena Jandali and Henry Millstein. Other staff members include a communication and marketing manager and a programs assistant. In addition, ING hires consultants from various religious and cultural backgrounds to provide both content development and quality assurance for ING materials and engagement activities. In this way, ING ensures that all communities represented in ING programming are represented by members of that particular faith or ethnic/cultural community.
ING seeks to build capacity to scale the delivery of our current programs by 20-30%in the following ways:
- Increase our number of speakers by 50% over the next three years, growing from the current 55 speakers to a projected 82 speakers. Increased funding will cover the cost of new speaker training, quality control audits of speakers, and speakers’ stipends.
- Increase our curriculum offerings for educators and therefore require funding to hire curriculum writers specializing in the topic of racism and religion across the world’s major religions, with a focus on religious extremism, our current focus.
- Increase our programming by 20-30% in the upcoming year and 50% over the next three years.
- Grow ING’s presence on social media platforms and to cover the costs associated with marketing and communications.
- Expand our programming staff to manage and fulfill increased programming requests.
- As we seek to grow, we require a full-time development manager to support organizational growth and sustainability.
