Interfaith Dialog Center

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Interfaith Dialog Center (IDC) is a non-profit, tax exempt (501(c) (3)) organization founded by Turkish-Americans of North Jersey in 2003. IDC endeavors to promote respect and mutual understanding among all faiths and cultures by organizing educational and cultural activities such as lectures, seminars, conferences, discussion panels, luncheons and trips to Turkey. By this mission IDC aims to contribute to improvement of diversity, pluralism and multiculturalism in the society.

IDC has been inspired by the Turkish scholar Fethullah Gulen.

IDC started its activities with the leadership of its volunteers by organizing short educational seminars at the conference room of the Rutherford Public Library. IDC rented its center at 545 Interstate Place, Carlstadt, New Jersey in the Spring of 2004. IDC hired its first full-time staff in the Summer of 2004. Now, IDC operates at its office in Newark at 17 Academy Street Suite 701.

As IDC has aimed to reach out to all segments of the society, it has been organizing different activities to serve this end.

IDC announced in August 2011 that it had a new name, Peace Islands Institute (PII), and that it would operate not only in New Jersey but also in the East Coast states like New York and Massachusetts.

Major IDC Programs

Dialog and Unity Dinners

They started as a Ramadan Dinner in November 2004. All faiths and cultures, government officials, members of law enforcement, and elected officials come together on this dinner. These dinners gathered many from all walks of life. Mr. Weysan Dun, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Newark, announced his departure from New Jersey at one of IDC's dinners on November 18, 2009.^[1]

IDC Awards Ceremony

IDC Awards started in 2008, publicly recognize the outstanding achievements of those recipients who have distinguished themselves in their profession, community and service to humanity and New Jersey community. The awards are based on a variety of factors, including interfaith/intercultural involvement, community service, education, community educational involvements, professional and community honors, business and professional leadership, and educational honors. Awards ceremony were covered by the media both in 2008 and 2009. Award Ceremonies were on TVs. Ebru TV broadcast the first ceremony in the US and Turkey in their main news program.^[2] IDC held its 2010 ceremony on June 6, 2010. Honorees included Governor Thomas Kean, Rep. Rush Holt and Ebru TV.

Abraham's Table Luncheons

These luncheons are venues where speakers from Abrahamic religions discuss and find our commonalities. Started in 2004 as clergy luncheons, it is NJ's only widely attended religious luncheon series. IDC is collaborating with churches, synagogues and colleges like College of St. Elizabeth, Centenary College.

IDC Luncheon Forums

IDC Luncheons serve as venues for interfaith-intercultural, non-political forums to exchange ideas and discuss vital issues that relate to New Jerseyans. The speakers share their viewpoints, perceptions, and experiences on those vital issues. IDC luncheons hosted many distinguished like then US Attorney Chris Christie, Drew University's president Dr. Robert Weisbuch, and Paula Dow

Turkey Trips

Sponsored by IDC Turkey trips are very much instrumental in building bridges between and the Turkish American Community and other faith groups and individuals. What makes Turkey particularly attractive as a travel destination is that because it has always been a crossroads for civilizations and beliefs, not to mention its marvelous natural beauties, warm hospitality, and world famous cuisine. Turkey is a land of Divine love. It is a land where diverse faiths and cultures have lived in peace for millennia. It is a land of dialogue and tolerance; it is the land of Abraham - spiritual forefather of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Turkey trips are very instrumental to develop friendship, understand and respect each other better. Bishop Serratelli of Paterson Diocese, NJ, says 'Visiting devout individuals who are inspired by Gülen made our trip through Turkey a true journey of faith'.^[3]

All IDC events serve to cultivate friendship and deepen inter-cultural awareness and understanding among the many diverse ethnic and civic communities in New Jersey.

Neighborliness Project

Neighborliness Project was initiated by IDC in the fall of 2008. The aim of the project is to improve the interactions among neighbors in various communities. To this effect, Turkish community members invite people of different faiths and cultures to a dinner party at their homes, which kindles long lasting friendships. "A meal like this is not about pushing beliefs on one another, but learning about aspects of culture through breaking the fast", Win Win Kyi, a professor at Bergen Community College said after the meal. Throughout the evening, she said she realized how much in common she had with her hosts.^[4]

Mission

Interfaith dialogue is one of the major medicines to overcome humanity's common ills that arise from unbelief. Our world's durability depends, to a great extent, on the promotion of interfaith dialogue. We also believe that establishment of dialog environments is a means to appreciate diverse opinions and eliminate the stereotypes often assigned to 'others'.

In that respect, IDC educates non-Muslims about Islam and Muslims about other faiths to establish mutual understanding and tolerance. To achieve this end, we invite and encourage sharing of various perspectives, partner with other religious and interreligious organizations and organize educational activities such as seminars, lectures and discussion panels, all of which inspire and illuminate us in our endeavor to fulfill our mission.

Aims and Principles

- To spread the interreligious dialog at the grassroots level through meetings with diverse participation,

- To provide a medium where followers of different religions may meet each other and understand the issues by finding consensus among them,

- To spread common values of faiths in order to contribute to the world peace,

- To cooperate with similar local and international organizations and work closely with them in the boundaries of its constitution,

- Religions, languages and ethnicities exist so that we come together and learn from, not fight, each other,

- We share values to promote; we share problems to solve,

- Coexistence of civilizations is possible only through dialogue in this age of globalization,

- The pillars of dialogue are love, tolerance, compassion and forgiving,

- Love is the essence of existence,

- Tolerance is our binding spirit,

- Compassion and forgiving are inclusive aspects of a harmonious society, in which individual will flourish, community will arise,

- Diversity is our richness. Diversity without dialogue causes hostility, dialogue without diversity brings distortion.

"Come, come, whoever you are.

Wanderer, idolater, worshiper of fire,

Come even you have broken your vows a thousand times,

Come, and come yet again.

Ours is not a caravan of despair."

-RUMI

Levent Koç, Ph.D. has been serving as IDC's director since 2004.

IDC has been listed by Harvard University's pluralism project.^[5]

Advisory Board of IDC

Ahmet Kurucan, Ph. D.

Most Rev. Arthur Serratelli, Bishop, RC Diocese of Paterson

Maxine Clark Beach, Ph. D,. Dean of School of Theology and Vice President, Drew University

Rabbi Jack Bemporad, Director, Center for Interreligious Understanding

Rev. Donald M. Pitches, Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Carlstadt

Rev. Christopher M.F. Brdlik, Rector, Calvary Episcopal Church, Summit

Mr. Patrick Brannigan, Executive Director, NJ Catholic Conference

Rev. Robert Morris, Executive Director, Interweave Inc.

Ms. Maud Dahme, Former President, NJ State Board of Education

Mr. Alfred Koeppe, President and CEO, Newark Alliance

Mr. William Jay Roseman, Mayor, Carlstadt

Dr. Mesut Sahin

Kemal C. Ozgur, MA.

Mr. John R. Smith, Director - Corporate Responsibility, PSEG

Ms. Joan Verplanck, President, New Jersey Chamber of Commerce

Rev. Jacqueline Burgess, Vice President, NJ Council of Churches (representing NJCC)

References

External links

News, references and remarks on IDC

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