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  • Irfan Ali, Hon. Sec, Council for the Southwestern US, reading an excerpt of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s speech to the congregation at the Fort Bend Interfaith Community Thanksgiving service.
    Haya Panjwani | 23 December 2019 | USA

    Interfaith Communities Come Together to Give Thanks and Celebrate Pluralism

    Irfan Ali, Hon. Sec, Council for the Southwestern US, reading an excerpt of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s speech to the congregation at the Fort Bend Interfaith Community Thanksgiving service. Nausheen Khuwaja
  • Ismaili Muslim Choir’s performance of Wohi Khuda Hai, at the Fort Bend Interfaith Community Thanksgiving service held at the Christ Church Sugar Land.
    Haya Panjwani | 23 December 2019 | USA

    Interfaith Communities Come Together to Give Thanks and Celebrate Pluralism

    Ismaili Muslim Choir’s performance of Wohi Khuda Hai, at the Fort Bend Interfaith Community Thanksgiving service held at the Christ Church Sugar Land. Nausheen Khuwaja
  • Members of the community and various congregations observing the service at Christ Church Sugar Land.
    Haya Panjwani | 23 December 2019 | USA

    Interfaith Communities Come Together to Give Thanks and Celebrate Pluralism

    Members of the community and various congregations observing the service at Christ Church Sugar Land. Nausheen Khuwaja
  • Representatives and members of the various faith-based communities came together on stage for the performance of America the Beautiful.
    Haya Panjwani | 23 December 2019 | USA

    Interfaith Communities Come Together to Give Thanks and Celebrate Pluralism

    Representatives and members of the various faith-based communities came together on stage for the performance of America the Beautiful. Nausheen Khuwaja
  • Representatives of the interfaith communities greeting one another at the conclusion of the service.
    Haya Panjwani | 23 December 2019 | USA

    Interfaith Communities Come Together to Give Thanks and Celebrate Pluralism

    Representatives of the interfaith communities greeting one another at the conclusion of the service. Nausheen Khuwaja

Americans came together to celebrate the holiday at Fort Bend in Houston, Texas, united to celebrate pluralism and diversity within the community. 

The minister of Christ Church of Sugar Land opened the night by encouraging guests to partake in an assortment of “interfaith cookies”, eliciting amusement among the diverse audience. With over 20 different faith groups represented, the Fort Bend Interfaith Community hosted a Thanksgiving Interfaith Service on November 25, 2019.

Witnessing the diverse community in the region, Pastor C. Chappell Temple and a handful of other faith leaders, had a vision to establish a collective organization known as the Fort Bend Interfaith Community. The Thanksgiving Interfaith Service has taken place for the past five years. “We come from such different places and backgrounds, but one of the things God has done, is put us all in the same place and said, ‘Now get along, and do things for the common good’, and that is what we strive to do,'' said Pastor Temple.

Upon entering the service, participants were given a card, on which they were encouraged to write down a prayer they had close to their heart. During the service, ushers collected the cards and placed them outside, and participants of the service took someone else's card home and prayed for the individual. This simple activity instilled a strong sense of community during the service.

Representation of acts of faith came in a variety of ways: devotional dance pieces, excerpts from spiritual leaders, and choir pieces, one of which included the Ismaili Muslim Choir.

A member of the Ismaili Muslim Choir spoke of the pluralism that is represented within our own community. “In the Jamat, we tend to have a plethora of Indo-Pak representation, so with our performance of Wohi Khuda Hai, featuring members from Central Asia, as well as the Northern Areas of Pakistan, we were able to highlight the diversity of our jamat.”

In addition to the Choir, Honorary Secretary for the Ismaili Council for Southwestern United States, Irfan Ali, addressed the interfaith community with an excerpt from Mawlana Hazar Imam’s speech delivered at the LaFontaine-Baldwin Lecture in Toronto, that “the amazing diversity of Creation itself can be seen as a great gift to us – not a cause for anxiety but a source of delight. Even the diversity of our religious interpretations can be greeted as something to share with one another – rather than something to fear.”

Pete Olson, Congressman for the 22nd District of Texas, prides himself on being able to represent the most diverse county in America today. “Our Founding Fathers had a vision for a diverse republic, and if they could pick one part of the nation that represented their vision, they would pick Fort Bend county.”

During this time of year, individuals everywhere give thanks for the life they have been blessed with, reflected in the comments of a member of the Baha’i faith, that it is important to “give thanks from the heart, by being self-sacrificing, giving respect to all creatures, and showing kindness to one another.”