Since our world premiere of the Inside Islam film in 2009, when former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright gave the keynote address, we have been invited to conduct film screenings and high-impact training events at agencies like the Department of Justice, the Pentagon, the National Counterterrorism Center, the UN, and on Capitol Hill. These events have helped provide competency and literacy about enforcement, the military, and other government agencies. By providing objective films and informed discussion with experts about such sensitive issues as the beliefs of Islam, profiling, and the role of religion in violence, apprehension towards Muslims can be decreased and officials are equipped to make decisions that better serve the real security interests of the nation.
Earlier in the year, our fantastic Outreach Director Daniel Tutt created and convened a national steering group composed of major American Muslim leaders and allies, called the “Islamophobia Response Collaborative,” to work with top policymakers. We also worked with Connecting Cultures, Inc. to help develop a government-approved Islam training program that has now replaced the biased and Islamophobic trainings so long plaguing the country. Participants have been receptive, and we look forward to the future of working with ensuring that training is unbiased and informative.
A U.S. State Attorney said, “I learned from the film and presentation that terrorism is not rooted in the religious beliefs of Islam.” “I found UPF’s Inside Islam training insightful & disarming, and I think useful in demystifying Muslims as a people. It is my hope that it might serve as an educational platform for dialogue and could be useful at local Army installations,” K. Simmons, the Program Lead at Public Affairs and Outreach in the U.S. Army. Ina Verzina, the program officer at USAID reflected that, “The most important lesson of the Inside Islam film is that terrorists are not driven by faith, but by their political ideologies.” Sonia Stines Derenoncourt is the Director of Peace Corps Philippines, and following the training, said, “The most important lesson of the Inside Islam film is that Terrorism does not equal Islam, the KKK, IRA, etc. are terrorists too.” I am excited to see the continued change this training instills. Image source