Message from ICNY Executive Director
Dear Friends,
This past month, The Interfaith Center of New York joined other organizations in speaking at the MTA’s Oct. 29 Board Meeting about the need for the New York Subways to counter the hate speech on display in poisonous ads put up on the backs of buses by the American Freedom Defense Initiative. ICNY suggested that the MTA follow the example of the BART System in San Francisco when similar Islamaphobic ads came to California and redirect revenue from the hate ads to the Human Rights Commission. For text of the letter to the MTA signed by ICNY and 18 other faith-based and human rights organizations, see XXXXX.
In the area of education about religious diversity, we recently hosted a panel on Scripture and Healing in Yoruba and Christian traditions. Speakers were Presbyterian Minister and Director of New York Theological Seminary Masters of Arts in Pastoral Care Dr. Insook Lee and Chief Solagbade Popoola, a leading Nigerian Ifa Priest, diviner, and spiritual counselor with a Masters Degree in Anthropology.
Through our Roman Catholic-Muslim joint action initiative, ICNY held several workshops teaching Administration of Children’s Services (ACS) workers, preventative and foster care agencies about Muslim families and teaching Muslim families about ACS. The workshops that continue in November will cover 1) The basics of Islam 2) Parenting, Fostering, and Adoption from a Muslim perspective 3) The definition of child abuse 4) How ACS hears about cases and how it investigates & refers families 5) Foster parent recruitment and support 6) How religious leaders can work with ACS.
Finally, ICNY’s Annual Report will be out soon and our Annual Appeal begins in November. The majority of our work is possible because of individual donations that we receive from you. Please consider making a Thanksgiving donation this year to The Interfaith Center of New York so that we can continue to do our part making New York and the world safe for religious diversity.
Best Wishes,
Rev. Chloe Breyer
Executive Director
The Interfaith Center of New York
The full E-bulletin for November is available here.
