“The Center will be a place of peace, humility, reflection and prayer. It will be a place of search and enlightenment. It will be a center which will seek to bond men and women of this pluralist country to replace their fragility in their narrow spheres by the strength of civilized society bound together by a common destiny.” As a volunteer tour guide for the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Center in Sugar Land, I find myself reading this excerpt from Mawlana Hazar Imam's speech at the inauguration of the Center quite frequently to visitors.
Usually the guests are attending a program at the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Center in Houston, or the other major Jamatkahanas in Plano,Glenview or Duluth, and are fascinated by the buildings’ remarkable architecture. These larger spaces incorporate spaces for spiritual contemplation and reflection, as well as for social and cultural gatherings and intellectual engagement.
“Utilizing the Center’s space for the purpose of bridging communities through shared knowledge, understanding and dialogue is a key mission,” explains Munira Panjwani, lead curator for outreach programs at the Houston Center. In 2016, the Aga Khan Council for the Southwestern US hosted over 50 outreach programs for the Greater Houston community at this location. Two of the most prominent programs held here included the Sugar Land Mayoral Debate and a TEDx Conference.
“Today we celebrate remarkable thinkers and doers, innovators and humanitarians, and creative performers of all stripes, each with a powerful idea to dramatically shape our world through the talk of his or her life,” said the President of the Ismaili Council for Southwestern USA, Murad Ajani, as he set the tone for the TEDx conference. The day-long conference featured speakers from all walks of life, speaking on a variety of topics bonded by a common theme — “Small Town, Huge Ideas.”
Volunteers Find Personal Growth
What amazes visitors to the Center in Houston is that all the programs and logistics, to the Center’s maintenance, are managed entirely by volunteers. Through the tours we give, they gain a better understanding of the diversity within Islam, as well as about the Ismaili community.
Recently, I was asked to curate a roundtable career development program for the Ismaili Media and Communication Alliance, which aims to bring together Ismaili professionals in the industry and foster opportunities for development and advancement.
The timing of the event, a week after the US Presidential Elections, led to a focus on the media’s coverage of the election. “It really was the best program of its kind that I've attended,” tweeted Ruth Nasrullah, President of the Society of Professional Journalists, Houston.
Connecting with Local Communities
Examples of the use of Jamatkhana spaces for community drives include the Share Your Holiday Food Drive for Houston Food Bank and Voter Registration Drive with the League of Women Voters. Houston local news channel, ABC 13, was a partner for both drives.
Similar events with the League of Women voters and North Texas Food Bank were also held at Plano’s Ismaili Jamatkhana. The United Nations Association, Dallas chapter, hosted a commemorative event to recognize the 71st anniversary of the UN. The theme was “One Humanity, Shared Responsibility,” and the event brought awareness to the current refugee crisis.
Connecting cultures is a key objective of the external engagement process, and a mystical musical afternoon, "The Spirit of Qawwali," was held at Plano Jamatkhana, featuring the renowned Ghayoor Moiz Mustafa Qawwal.
Illinois is home to over 16,000 children in foster care. Hosted by Let it Be Us, a nonprofit focusing on the adoption of children, the Ismaili Jamatkhana in Glenview was the venue for a workshop, enabling adoption recruiters and case workers from social service agencies to explain the process of adoption to potential foster homes.
“A successful afternoon for the first annual Glenview Community Connect,” said State Representative Laura Fine on her Facebook page, about another event held at the Jamatkhana. She added, “Residents joined me, the Glenview Police Department, the Glenview Fire Department and Secretary of State Jesse White, to discuss how we can all work together to keep our community safe and strong.”
Helping to Bridge the Knowledge Gap
Many events and tours are organized at the major Jamatkhanas across the US. In 2016 alone, thousands of visitors toured the Jamatkhanas to learn about Islam and Ismaili Muslims. These tours are often organized by organizations and academic institutions as part of sacred site visits, courses on world religions, interfaith group activities, or for the purpose of understanding diversity in their communities.
These events also allow the Jamat to connect with, and to build relationships with organizations in the communities in which they reside, facilitating greater cultural understanding, communication, and collaboration, one of the objectives of these facilities.
