Eden Area Interfaith Council - Home

Let There be Peace on Earth - An Interfaith Peace Service

8/8/2016

On Sunday, July 31, 2016, the Eden Area Interfaith Council joined a peace service with Starr King Unitarian Universalist Church in Hayward entitled "Let There be Peace on Earth." The service was organized by Bob Meyerson.

Presenters read 12 short digests of prayers for peace from various faith traditions. Interspersed with homilies, the prayers were from a United Nations document prepared in 1986 in Assisi, Italy in celebration of World Peace Day. You can see the service program and speaker biographies and watch the service below.

Solidarity and Hope for Orlando and the LGBT Community

6/12/2016

Solidarity and Hope for Orlando and the LGBT Community. This peace vigil was held in Castro Valley on June 12, 2016.

A Parade Of Faiths in Castro Valley

5/15/2016

The unity in our diverse faith community was on display this past Saturday at Castro Valley's annual Rowell Ranch Rodeo Parade. We had good representation from our member faith communities and distributed 500 informational cards about the Council. We received a warm welcome from the crowds lining the route and made many new friends. Photo Album

Interfaith Salad Bar & Conversation

5/1/2016

More than 65 people of different faiths and non-faiths enjoyed informal conversation and a salad bar supper Sunday afternoon in the spirit of sharing at the Eden United Church of Christ in Hayward.

Participants were seated at dinner tables of eight with persons from a variety of Eden Area faith communities and participated in facilitated conversations and prompts hosted by a Council leader. Our host, Eden Church, provided salad, bread, beverages, and table service and participants were invited to bring an ingredient for the salad bar reflective of their dietary practices and preferences and tradition. The faiths represented were Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh, Unitarian-Universalist, and various Christian denominations including Catholic, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon), Methodist, Presbyterian, Protestant, Agnostic, and United Church of Christ.

A big thank you to the EAIC event planning committee: Stephanie S. Spencer, Mohammed Algahiem, Betty Deforest, Sara Lamnin, Ruth Hartman, and Rev. Dr. Arlene Nehring.

Pastor Pepper Swanson took these photos of the event.

Photos From Our Interfaith Food Sort

3/6/2016

Thanks to all of our hardworking volunteers at the Eden Area Interfaith Council's work party today at the Alameda County Community Food Bank! We bagged over 6.5 tons of apples and more than a ton of pears.

Our Panel of Muslim Neighbors | Forum on 01.30.16

1/30/2016

Fear has become a major force in U.S. politics, resulting in the stereotyping and marginalizing of our Muslim-American neighbors. The Eden Area Interfaith Council sponsored a forum this past Saturday that aimed to counter fear with an informed message.

We heard from five practicing Muslims about what it is like today to be Muslim in America, Islamophobia, the challenge of ISIS, and how we can be better neighbors and peace builders in our community.

More than 175 people attended this informative panel and Q&A at the Castro Valley Library on January 30, 2016. Thank you to the wonderful panel of speakers: Dr. Asad Tarsin, Sara Kim, Hina Khan-Mukhtar, Mike Kim, and S. Mahdy Amine. If you would like to invite this panel to your congregation or community organization, their website is islamicspeakers.org

You can watch the entire panel and Q&A here.

Volunteer Opportunity to Sort Food to Stamp Out Hunger

1/19/2016

Open Letter to the Bay Area Muslim Community

1/13/2016

Starr King Unitarian Universalist Church in Hayward, one of our member faith groups, penned this wonderful letter of support to the Bay Area Muslim Community. All five mosques in Hayward have posted the letter on their bulletin boards.

Speaking for Ourselves | A Panel of Our Muslim Neighbors

1/11/2016

RSVP at our Facebook Event page.

Speaker's Bios:

Hina Khan-Mukhtar is a mother of three boys and one of the founders of a homeschooling co-operative in Lafayette, CA, which now serves over 35 homeschooling families in the East Bay. In addition to teaching Language Arts to elementary, middle school, and high school students, she is also involved in interfaith dialogue. Hina is a monthly contributor to The Muslim Observer's "Raising Our Ummah" column and also writes for Seeker's Hub where she shares parenting advice and ideas for nurturing spiritual traditions in childhood.
S. Mahdy Amine was born and raised in Chicago, IL. During high school he served as captain of his high school basketball team, then completed his double bachelors in economics and political science from Loyola University Chicago at the age of 19, and thereafter his law degree from the University of Minnesota School of Law, while serving as President of the Muslim Students Association at each respective institution. Concurrent to his studies, Mahdy helped to found CAIR Chicago, has over ten years of teaching experience, and serves as a member of the popular Muslim-American band Noorification, which has released two albums, four music videos, and performed at over 100 national and international venues. Mahdy is married, has three little girls, and is also blessed to be a survivor. In 2012 Mahdy resigned from his job as Corporate Counsel for Dell Corporation to attend Zaytuna College, the first ever accredited Muslim liberal arts college in the US. Mahdy currently works as Senior Vice President, General Counsel of a global cancer diagnostic and research laboratory, teaches Islamic Studies at Ilm Tree, a homeschool co-op in Lafayette, CA, and serves as Convert Care Coordinator at Ta'leef Collective in Fremont, CA.
Sara Kim is one of the founders of the ILM Tree Homeschooling Cooperative, an educational co-op comprised of over 35 Muslim families in the East Bay. After attending the US Naval Academy and University of Maryland and getting a degree in Civil Engineering, Sara now lives with her husband Mike and their six children in Lafayette, California, where she also owns and runs Sienna Ranch, a 21-acre ranch dedicated to outdoor education.
Mike Kim is the Chief Investment Officer at a private real estate development and investment firm in San Francisco. Along with their institutional and private equity capital partners, they have developed over 5 million square feet of real estate in the Bay Area. Mike is currently overseeing the firms $750 million development pipeline including three high rise projects located in San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Mike is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy with a BS in Political Science and the University of Southern California with a Masters degree in Urban Planning and Development. Prior to his career in real estate, Mike served the nation as a naval officer leading maritime missions and expeditions in Asia, Europe, Middle East, Central and South America. He resides in Lafayette with his wife Sara and their six children.
Asad Tarsin has been designing Islamic educational programs and teaching the basics of Islam for more than a decade. After completing his bachelor's degree in Islamic studies at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, he continued his study of Islamic theology, sacred law, philosophy and spirituality with some of the country’s most prominent Muslim scholars. He has served as the curriculum director for the Deen Intensive Foundation for the last ten years and has a particular interest in creating sustainable models of education for new and returning Muslims. He lectures and teaches courses on Islam across the country. In 2015, he released his first published work, "Being Muslim: A Practical Guide," a primer on practicing the faith. He is an emergency physician by training and lives in California with his wife and three children.

Photos | Intro to Islam Interfaith Event

1/2/2016

Thank you to the 30+ individuals who joined us today at the San Lorenzo Library to learn about Islam, Muslims in the Bay Area, radicalization, and Islamophobia. Dr. Mohamad Rajabally, a long-time interfaith activist and speaker in the Bay Area, gave a historical timeline of Islam, Muslims in America, and the contemporary issues Muslims face to gain acceptance in the American mosaic. Audience members had many questions including about ISIS, Shariah (Islamic law), and theology. Dr. Rajabally said he is ready and open to visit and speak before any congregation or organization to dispel myths and further understanding and partnerships. He can be reached at mrajabally@hotmail.com. Here also are other Islamic speakers.