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STORIES



Experience the movement.



StoryCorps



September 11, 2017





Listen to Openhearted's own Rebekah Seda and friend and Bloomington Muslim community member Naciye Akgun have a heart to heart with StoryCorps on WFIU.


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Nabra



June 21, 2017





Read Openhearted's response here.


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Story Church: Faith



June 19, 2017





Check out Openhearted at Story Church's June service here in Bloomington!


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Tamana is #openhearted



June 13, 2017





The Openhearted Campaign would like to honor Tamana Bakhshiyar Naderi with a Service Award and a new bicycle for sharing her family's story of immigrating to the USA from Afghanistan at the ICOB/Openhearted Open House. You're a brave young woman, Tamana! Thank you!



#Portlandheroes



June 8, 2017





Read Openhearted's letter to the families of the Portland Heroes and visit Launch Good to donate.


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Hijabi Diaries Special: From Bystanders to Up-standers



May 16, 2017





Listen to the latest episode of the Hijabi Diaries and hear how the current political climate has changed things here in Bloomington.


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"To Be Muslim in Bloomington" - #Openhearted in Bloom Magazine



April 11, 2017





"To Be Muslim in Bloomington," is the cover story of this month's Bloom Magazine! Read the full article here to find out more about our founder Anna Maidi, the Openhearted Campaign, the Islamic Center of Bloomington, and the Muslim community here in town.

Openhearted is so proud of all the Muslim Brothers and Sisters that helped make this article possible! A big thank you to everyone at Bloom that took the time and energy to reach out to our community.


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#Openhearted Kids Program at the Monroe County Public Library



March 9, 2017





Thank you for joining us in Morocco - the first stop on a journey with Ibn Battuta across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. We had a wonderful time!


Check out this sildeshow of photos from the event, and get ready for our next stop: Ramadan in Turkey (Date TBA)!


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Openhearted in the Herald Times



February 27, 2017





Take a look at this article about the Openhearted Open House, the Islamic Center of Bloomington, and why we feel it's important to reach out to the Bloomington community.


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Thanks for coming! Openhearted Open House



February 22, 2017





A huge thank you to the Bloomington community for coming out to the Openhearted Open House on Sunday! We had around 500 people join us to get to know our community and show their support. We are so blessed to call you neighbors! Check out this video made by Sister Hatice Hatipoglu for a recap of the night!


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Statement on Quebec Shooting



January 31, 2017





Sunday, a man walked into a mosque and open-fired on those he found praying inside. Six dead. Eight wounded.


“They prayed beside us, and they were shot in the back because they prayed,” said Boufeldga Benabdallah, a co-founder of the Quebec Islamic Cultural Centre.


Please take a moment to look at their pictures (attached) and read their names. Reflect on who they were. Professionals. Brothers. Fathers. Sons. Friends



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Noah's Ark Bloomington



January 16. 2017





Noah’s Ark is an interfaith journey towards understanding whose goal is to create a safe space for people of different faiths to have in-depth conversations. Participants will deepen their understanding of the richness, diversity and complexity of other faiths as well as their own.


This will be accomplished through monthly interfaith dialogue groups. Before the groups begin, the participants will be trained in facilitating dialogue sessions which will help ensure a safe atmosphere for sharing and learning.


Join us to learn more at our initial Informational Meetings on January 22nd or 28th from 1pm - 4pm at S. Mark's United Methodist Church.


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2nd Annual Openhearted Open House



January 10. 2017





Join us on February 19th from 5:00 pm - 7:30 pm at the Islamic Center of Bloomington to learn more about the Muslim community here in town!


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#Openhearted in Bloom Magazine



December 29, 2016





Want to know more about #Openhearted and the kind of projects it participates in? Read about the Sisters in Peace initiative in Bloom Magazine!


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Bloomington Rotary Club



November 29, 2016





Thank you so much to the Bloomington Rotary Club for their warm invitation and reception to speak at their weekly luncheon! Openhearted's Anna Maidi shared about the Muslim community here in town, why Openhearted was founded, and some of her personal story. It was a lovely afternoon!



IU Student Involvement Fair



August 29, 2016





Come check out our booth today at the IU Student Involvement Fair! We will have lots of great information about Openhearted, what we stand for, and how you can get involved!



Thank you for Joining us! Openhearted Kids: A Celebration of Ramadan



July 10, 2016





Thank you so much to the Monroe County Public Library and everyone that came out to learn about Ramadan this Sunday! It was a beautiful celebration, and we had a wonderful time! Thank you as well to the 10th Street Market and Deli for the yummy baklava!


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Openhearted Kids: A Celebration of Ramadan



July 1, 2016





Come play drums, sing songs, make crafts, and hear stories all about Ramadan at the Monroe County Public Library on July 10th! Sponsored by the Openhearted Campaign, this program will introduce you and your family to common Ramadan celebrations and traditions. Please join us to play and learn!



Thank you for joining us! An interfaith day of fasting and dinner



June 30, 2016





Thank you all so much for joining us last night! We had a great time, and we hope you did too! Keep reading to see a few photos from the evening!


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Join us for An Interfaith Day of Fasting and Dinner!



June 23, 2016





Join #Openhearted and the Islamic Center of Bloomington for an interfaith day of fasting on June 30th! Get to know your Muslim neighbors through shared experience, short presentations, and a yummy dinner!



Openhearted in the Herald Times: "Faith communities respond to Orlando shooting: Let faith communities write a different headline"



June 18, 2016





Please click "read more" or the image for a reprinting by the Herald Times of Openhearted's original statement about the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando.


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Openhearted in the Herald Times: "Faith communities respond to Orlando shooting: Donating blood in Orlando"



June 18, 2016





Two of our Islamic Center of Bloomington sisters - and Hijabi Diaries participants - found themselves waiting in line to donate blood to the victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting. Click "read more" for a brief article in the Herald Times highlighting their sacrifice.


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The Hijabi Diaries Special Episode: Redneck Muslim



June 17, 2016





Click the image at the right to tune in to this hour-long special episode of the Hijabi Diaries, where we ask the questions "What does religion bring to us as humans?" "Why do those of us who are religious dedicate so much time to practicing traditions, attending worship services, growing in our faith, and aligning our lives with the commands of our faith?" In a sense we are asking: "This religion thing... what's it all about? Why?"


We're going to explore these questions through the life story of one woman, a woman named Dawn, who has been a member of three very distinct religions, suffered abuse and trauma throughout her life, was separated and then reunited with her beloved daughter, and found herself a few years ago in Islam.


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Bloomington Pride's Candlelight Vigil for Pulse victims



June 15, 2016





If you were unable to make it to the vigil put on by Bloomington PRIDE this past Tuesday, check out this recording of the event. #Openhearted speaks at around 22 minutes in, but all of the speeches are absolutely wonderful so we encourage you to take the time to listen to them all.


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A Statement on the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, FL



June 12, 2016





​Sunday morning, a million hearts dropped when they checked the news. The worst terror attack since 9/11. The worst mass shooting in US history. 50 dead. 53 wounded.


The LGBTQ community had been targeted, we learned. Targeted by a man identified as Muslim. What a heartbreaking way to find our communities paired: one minority terrorizes another.


The Openhearted Campaign of course condemns this horror without hesitation. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and their loved ones. Our hearts are with every person who thought last Sunday, “That could have been me.” We here at the Openhearted Campaign know that feeling well.


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The Hijabi Diaries Special Episode: Muslim women, speaking for themselves



June 1, 2016





This hour-long special gives listeners who are new to the Hijabi Diaries a glimpse at what the project is all about. We hear excerpts from four Hijabi Diaries episodes, which include stories from the lives of four ordinary Muslim women from the Bloomington community. In between these excerpts we speak to Anna Maidi, one of the Hijabi Diaries producers, about why it's important for us to be listening to the stories of American Muslims, what inspired her to start the project, and what she hopes to do to form bonds of understanding, compassion, and friendship between Muslims and non-Muslims in her community.


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The Hijabi Diaries: Episode VI



May 23, 2016





Katie, born and raised in a small town in northern Indiana, talks about why she wears the hijab, how she converted to Islam, her very supportive mother, modern feminism she finds in the scriptures of Islam, and how, when she puts on her hijab, she feels as though she is suddenly no longer welcome in her own country.


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The Hijabi Diaries: Episode V



May 15, 2016





Tune in to hear Meryem speaks about her current dilemma. She's experienced a lot of prejudice since moving to Bloomington, more than she had living in other places in the US. She enjoys living in America and loves the friends she has made, but she doesn't want her son to grow up to believe he is separate or "other" and fears he is starting to learn just that.


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Muslims of Bloomington: 4th Story Series



May 12, 2016





Check out our latest story series featuring a young Muslim couple from Indiana! Find out how they met, what dating means to them, and how they deal with anti-Muslim rhetoric from their fellow Americans.


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Sisters In Peace



May 10, 2016





Openhearted is please to sponsor the Sisters in Peace initiative which brings together women from Jewish, Christian, and Muslim backgrounds in the hopes of creating lasting and inspiring friendships. Click to learn more about our first successful program!


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Our founder in the IDS: American Muslim Convert shares her story



May 1, 2016





Want to learn more about our staff and where they come from? Take a look at this article from the Indiana Daily Student about our founder Anna Maidi and how she came to identify with the Islamic faith.


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Interfaith Holocaust commemoration



May 1, 2016





We at Openhearted were honored to be invited to speak at the Interfaith Holocaust Commemoration service this Sunday. Click here to read a transcription of our statements.


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Muslims of Bloomington: 3rd Story Series



April 13, 2016





Meet our next Muslim of Bloomington highlighting the stories of an American convert. Read more about how she came to converting, her experiences in motherhood, and midwifery tales of labor and delivery!


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An #Openhearted Evening at the Islamic Center of Bloomington



April 10, 2016





Thank you all so much for coming out to the open house! We had over 300 people join us for a wonderful evening! Please click below to learn more about the event!


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An #Openhearted Open House: Guest Column in the Herald times



April 9, 2016





Read about the Openhearted Open House in the Herald Times, then join us on Sunday at 6:30pm to get to know your neighbors at the Islamic Center of Bloomington!


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#Openhearted on WFHB



April 7, 2016





Tune in to WFHB to hear from Openhearted's founder, Anna Maidi, on the topic of misconceptions of Islam, what it's like to be Muslim in America today, and the first Openhearted Open House being co-hosted by the Openhearted Campaign and the Islamic Center of Bloomington on April 10th.


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The Hijabi Diaries: Episode IV



April 5, 2016





This episode features Melani, who speaks about why she wears her hijab, what it was like moving from Indonesia to Bloomington, Indiana, why she loves being a teacher and a mother, and what her hopes are for her future.


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The Hijabi Diaries on WIUX



March 27, 2016





The Hijabi Diaries is on the radio! Tune in today at noon on 99.1FM WIUX for American Student Radio (ASR) to hear an abridged episode and exclusive interview with the podcast's co-producers Aubrey Seader and Anna Maidi. Click the image to listen to the episode on SoundCloud, and tune-in for future abridged episodes on ASR!


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Muslims of Bloomington: 2nd Story Series



March 14, 2016





Continue to meet the Muslims of Bloomington with our second story series! This series highlights a young man with Pakistani heritage that was raised in the US. He confides in us about what it was like to lose friends in the #ourthreebrothers shooting in Ft. Wayne, IN, what it's like to be Muslim in the US, politics, and more!


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Who we are: Openhearted remarks from the unitarian universalist church of bloomington



March 13, 2016





This morning, the Openhearted Campaign was honored to be invited to speak during Mary Ann Macklin's morning sermon at the Unitarian Univeresalist Church of Bloomington. The sermon may be found in its entirety below:


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The Hijabi Diaries: Episode III



March 11, 2016





Tune in for this special episode of The Hijabi Diaries, where we get to hear more about the project and the Openhearted Campaign from its founder, Anna Maidi.


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#Openhearted in the Indiana Daily Student



March 7, 2016





Check out the founder of the Openhearted Campaign, Anna Maidi, and Openhearted project manager Aubrey Seader as they talk about the Muslims of Bloomington blog and The Hijabi Diaries podcast in Indiana University's student newspaper.


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The Hijabi Diaries: Episode II



March 5, 2016





Listen to Amanda tell her story in the second episode of The Hijabi Diaries, a podcast endorsed by the Openhearted Campaign in partnership with the Islamic Center of Bloomington, that provides a platform for Muslim women to speak for themselves about their lives, goals, fears, and why they wear hijab.


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The Hijabi Diaries: Episode I



February 22, 2016





One of the projects endorsed by the Openhearted Campaign, in partnership with the Islamic Center of Bloomington, has released it's first content! The Hijabi Diaries is a podcast that let's Muslim women speak for themselves, about their lives, goals, fears, and why they wear hijab. Hear from Abeer in this first incredible episode!


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Muslims of Bloomington: 1st Story Series



February 11, 2016





Check out our first story series on the Muslims of Bloomington blog! This first set of posts tells the story of a brother from Afghanistan who was primarily raised in the US. Find out a bit about his past, how his relationship with Islam grew and changed as he did, how he feels about the current state of Islamophobia in the west, and more!


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Interfaith Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration and Celebration



January 17, 2016





A Bloomington community effort, the Interfaith Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration and Celebration was hosted at St. Thomas Lutheran Church. Each participating congregation was asked to read a short blessing to share with the other participants. Anna Maidi spoke on behalf of the Islamic Center of Bloomington.


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The Openhearted Campaign



contact@openheartedcampaign.org