In a time where narratives in news often focus on divisions in our societies, there are still those that pursue the seemingly trite understanding that we have more in common than we often appreciate.
We’re joined today by Shariq Abdul Ghani, executive director of a Houston based interfaith community building organization, to discuss:
- What value comes out of bringing together people from different faiths, and what challenges arise?
- What special values do faith practitioners bring to the table that make them particularly capable of advocating for change?
- How do you do it? What does it actually look like in practice for community leaders from different faiths to come together, and how does it reverberate throughout the community?
- Why focus on the hyper local? What does it unlock?
- What steps can we take to be a part of the solution?
Shariq shares that we must believe in the power of moving from diverse, but disconnected, pockets to true plurality. He emphasizes that it all starts with trust, which is built not through a disconnected arm-chair discussion, but through real connection and contact. And to that end, he implores all of us to spend time with our neighbors, break bread and recognize both our common challenges and beautiful differences, all in service of humanizing the people that we share not just space, but our lives with.
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About Shariq Abdul Ghani:
Shariq is the Executive Director of the Minaret Foundation, an organization focused on bringing faith communities together through multi-faith and civic engagement. Apart from dialogue, dodgeball, and BBQ’s, Minaret Foundation works with faith communities to change the world through advocacy in food insecurity, child welfare, and religious freedom.
Shariq was appointed as the Chairman of the City of Houston's Food Insecurity Board, and serves as a Director in his local Municipal Utility District, being the first Muslim elected to a position in Fort Bend County. He completed his graduate studies in Homeland Security from The Bush School at Texas A&M. He is currently pursuing his Master's in Negotiation and Conflict Resolution with a focus on peacebuilding from Columbia University.
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