ESC Harassment Policy (2024)
The Eugene Sufi Council (ESC) and the whole Eugene Sufi community aim for our Sufi events to be welcoming, safe and friendly. Respecting bodily and personal autonomy is vital to this sense of safe inclusivity. We do not accept any harassment of any type.
The ESC will establish an ethics committee in October 2024 to address any harassment issues that involve Eugene Sufi community members.
We hope to prevent any crossing of boundaries by reminding leaders and participants of our expectation of kindness, safety and respect. However, if an adverse event occurs, and someone wishes to address it, they are encouraged to reach out to any ESC member or specifically a member of the Ethics committee. The following outlines the policy and procedure.
1. Definition:
Harassment is any behavior that is unwelcome, offensive, and sufficiently severe to be perceived as harassment by a reasonable person. The situation in question will have to have occurred within the last year. Behaviors from more than a year ago will only be considered, if, in addition to a current situation, they show a pattern of behaviors.
A Eugene Sufi community member is anybody who participates/attends and/or leads in our local Sufi events. They do not have to be a Eugene resident. The accused person has to be a Eugene Sufi community member. The person who is making the report has to have experienced or witnessed the behaviors in question firsthand.
2. Expectation and Intention:
Safe, welcoming, friendly
Physical and emotional boundaries are respected. Despite the loving atmosphere created in Sufi practices, participants and leaders are expected to respect individual emotional, physical and sexual boundaries.
One “no” is sufficient and non-verbal cues, such as turning away, crossed arms, hesitating to step into a hug, etc., should be understood as clear signs not to touch the person and to desist in pursuing them. Interventions to correct adab, or courtesy, practiced in our culture, on the other hand, are only undertaken by the leaders, unless a violation of safety is observed or experienced, in which case everybody present is expected to assist. Participants are encouraged to be as clear as they are able about their boundaries and to freely ask for help from a council member, if needed.
3. Supporting the person who feels unsafe/harassed:
Members of the ESC ethics committee will:
4. Engaging the person who is accused:
Members of the ESC ethics committee will:
5. The Eugene Sufi Council is separate from the Eugene Dances of Universal Peace and acts independently.
6. ESC ethics committee members names and email addresses as of October 2024:
Isa Jennings ([email protected])
Wali Via ([email protected])
Hafiz Leland ([email protected])
7. Other ESC member names and contact information:
Amina Bragg - click here
Zehra Greenleaf – email through [email protected]
Husamed-din Spain - email through [email protected]
Murad Finkelstein - click here
Sabura Allen - click here
The ESC will establish an ethics committee in October 2024 to address any harassment issues that involve Eugene Sufi community members.
We hope to prevent any crossing of boundaries by reminding leaders and participants of our expectation of kindness, safety and respect. However, if an adverse event occurs, and someone wishes to address it, they are encouraged to reach out to any ESC member or specifically a member of the Ethics committee. The following outlines the policy and procedure.
1. Definition:
Harassment is any behavior that is unwelcome, offensive, and sufficiently severe to be perceived as harassment by a reasonable person. The situation in question will have to have occurred within the last year. Behaviors from more than a year ago will only be considered, if, in addition to a current situation, they show a pattern of behaviors.
A Eugene Sufi community member is anybody who participates/attends and/or leads in our local Sufi events. They do not have to be a Eugene resident. The accused person has to be a Eugene Sufi community member. The person who is making the report has to have experienced or witnessed the behaviors in question firsthand.
2. Expectation and Intention:
Safe, welcoming, friendly
Physical and emotional boundaries are respected. Despite the loving atmosphere created in Sufi practices, participants and leaders are expected to respect individual emotional, physical and sexual boundaries.
One “no” is sufficient and non-verbal cues, such as turning away, crossed arms, hesitating to step into a hug, etc., should be understood as clear signs not to touch the person and to desist in pursuing them. Interventions to correct adab, or courtesy, practiced in our culture, on the other hand, are only undertaken by the leaders, unless a violation of safety is observed or experienced, in which case everybody present is expected to assist. Participants are encouraged to be as clear as they are able about their boundaries and to freely ask for help from a council member, if needed.
3. Supporting the person who feels unsafe/harassed:
Members of the ESC ethics committee will:
- Meet with the person, listen, ask open-ended questions to clarify what happened and when.
- Discover what the person wants to have happen.
- Ask what they need in order to feel safe/ not harassed.
- Inform them of our process.
- Develop strategies together with the person.
- Not take action without their consent.
- Provide community resources for their own personal support, if relevant.
- Not have an expectation that the person will meet with or talk directly with the person they feel unsafe with.
- Hold confidentiality.
- Document and inform the ESC of each step.
4. Engaging the person who is accused:
Members of the ESC ethics committee will:
- Meet with the person, inform them of the complaint and keep the name of the person who feels harassed confidential, unless permission was given.
- Listen to their side of the situation with non-judgmental attitude.
- Maintain confidentiality of the accused when possible, unless danger or illegality are involved.
- Inform them of our process.
- Develop strategies to correct or if that is not needed or possible, to avoid repeat situations. It is preferred to seek actions that the person agrees with, however, if a behavior is sufficiently severe, the ethics committee may recommend an action to the ESC for approval, that is not supported by the person.
- Provide information about community support resources if relevant.
- Inform them that retaliation is not tolerated.
- Document and inform the ESC of each step.
5. The Eugene Sufi Council is separate from the Eugene Dances of Universal Peace and acts independently.
6. ESC ethics committee members names and email addresses as of October 2024:
Isa Jennings ([email protected])
Wali Via ([email protected])
Hafiz Leland ([email protected])
7. Other ESC member names and contact information:
Amina Bragg - click here
Zehra Greenleaf – email through [email protected]
Husamed-din Spain - email through [email protected]
Murad Finkelstein - click here
Sabura Allen - click here
Zikr Activity Guidlines
Purpose: To make zikrs as comfortable and welcoming as possible.
The Eugene Sufi Council welcomes members of the community to all zikr activities. We want all zikr attendees, especially new ones, to feel welcome and to create a comfortable and sacred environment. The responsibility for this lies primarily with the zikr leader, the host, and the ESC members that are present.
Prior and after zikr, it is common that attendees might engage in a greeting. The Eugene Sufi Community underscores the right of every participant in its activities to feel welcome and safe. Permission is never assumed for physical contact, even when eye gazing or hand holding are part of a practice. Amount of body contact should be directed by both parties being sensitive to the cues of both people. If one person signals less contact, then the other person acts similarly in response. Bodily autonomy is respected. Respectful language is used. Sexual and physical harassment are never tolerated.
Prior to the start of zikr, silence is encouraged. The zikr leader will ask if anyone is new to the zikr practice. This is so that individuals may be welcomed and oriented to the practice.
Some zikrs end with an atmosphere that encourages socializing and others of sacred silence. Please follow the example or instructions of the zikr leader whether they would like the room to remain a quiet space or not. Socializing can take place outside the meeting room or the building on evenings when the zikr space remains quiet. Please feel free to leave zikr in silence without interacting with anyone.
Cleanup and furniture rearranging is completed once zikr has ended and the atmosphere has turned social. There is no requirement of attendees to help.
