Workshop on Islamophobia
MERI offers workshops on Islamophobia to members of faith-based, peace and justice, educational and non-profit organizations. Our workshops on Islamophobia offer one-on-one interaction on how to defeat Islamophobia. Our workshops have the following objectives:
– define Islamophobia
– place Islamophobia in a larger context of racialized oppression
– address common myths and assumptions about Islam and Muslims
– identify how we are unintentionally participating
– identify how we can interrupt our own and others’ participation
– intersectionality between Islamophobia, racism, homophobia, anti-immigrant bigotry, sexism, and attack on workers
– clarify action steps
We customize our workshops for particular organizational needs – education, social work, social justice activism, interfaith relations, etc. Our typical workshop is approximately three-hours in duration and is ideal for 30 – 50 participants (customizable based on size of organization and needs). This workshop utilizes pictures/graphs, short videos and interactive exercises. More than sharing information, MERI believes in taking practical actions to defeat Islamophobia and racism. We will identify practical steps to be taken to organize against these oppressions. We will provide examples of solidarity actions, information about upcoming events and other resources to allow long-term actions in defeating Islamophobia and racism.
MERI workshops on Islamophobia are facilitated by People of Color and Muslim presenters. These workshops offer interactive sessions to allow understanding about Islamophobia and learn from participants’ experience. Resources generated from these workshops support anti-Islamophobia work by grassroots organizers in People of Color and Muslim communities.
For more information about these workshops, your organization’s particular needs, pricing of our workshop or other questions, please contact us at info@MeriNC.org. We will welcome you to subscribe to our newsletter to learn about activities against Islamophobia and racism organized in North Carolina and beyond.
Testimonies
“MERI does an excellent job of tying issues together, and creating the context needed so we are able to understand that those ties are not random. By connecting efforts to control workers, women, people of color, the LGBTQ community, low-income people, immigrants and other marginalized groups to broader efforts to consolidate power and wealth, we can clearly see how all of our struggles are intertwined. This intersectional analysis is what our movement needs to advance our goal of a more just and equitable North Carolina for all.”
Testimony by Tara Romano, President of North Carolina Women United and Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina
“Thank you for the time and energy that you put into preparing for the Challenging Islamophobia training for the Raleigh Movement Builders series. You created a much needed intersectional space for dialogue and analysis that pushed us to think about our responsibility to act. I’m excited to work with PACT members to train on talking about Islamophobia in our work.”
Testimony by Ivanna Gonzalez, Coordinator of Raleigh PACT (Police Accountability Community Taskforce)
“Thank you, Manzoor, for your stimulating and enlightening presentation on “Challenging Racism and Islamaphobia” to the League of Women Voters of Wake County on February 24, 2017. You did an excellent job explaining the background of Islamophobia or anti-Muslim bigotry and helping us understand the connection between Islamophobia, racism and other forms of oppression. You gave us good examples of interpersonal and institutional Islamophobia, reminded us of recent cases of anti-Muslim bigotry, and suggested action steps for challenging Islamophobia. Your message is particularly important in the difficult political and personal climate we live in now and I hope many groups will invite you to share your wisdom and insight with them.”
Testimony by Joyce Gad, Leadership Team Member of League of Women Voters of Wake County
“MERI offers a thoughtful, honest, and compelling analysis of the roots and expressions of racism and anti-Islamic bigotry while also offering suggested community based responses to these evils. MERI provides a channel through which people of all faiths or no faith can come together to respectfully discuss and address issues of oppression and justice and peace that are of common concern. They are a an important voice and are a gift to the freedom movement.”
Testimony by Alan Felton, Pastor, Resurrection United Methodist Church in Durham, NC
“MERI presented a workshop that provided a well organized historical and institutional perspective of Racism and Islamophobia while successfully eliciting thoughtful participation from all of us in the room, and leaving us with alternatives for action individually and through existing organizations.”
Testimony by Martin Feinstein, Social Action Committee Chair at Judea Reform Congregation
“MERI worked with our office to facilitate a training on anti-racism and Islamophobia. The team from MERI was responsive and professional, and asked detailed questions about our staff and organization to tailor the training to our group. Noah and Letha are talented facilitators, and they were knowledgeable, patient and well-spoken. Both Noah and Letha are very approachable and energetic, and made the training accessible to people from a variety of different backgrounds. They promoted participation across the group and the feedback from staff has been extremely positive. I would recommend this training to any person or group who is committed to better understanding and combatting racism and Islamophobia.”
Ellen Andrews, NC Area Director, Immigration & Refugee Program, Church World Service
