No matter where the Ismaili community is settled, it aims to build bridges with other communities and improve the quality of life of all people in the region. Gwinnett County in Georgia, for instance, holds a considerable presence of Ismaili Muslims and is home to two prominent Jamatkhanas in the state: Atlanta Northeast and Duluth. Institutions like Ismaili CIVIC have strong ties to Gwinnett County, collaborating within the community on various programs, including environmental stewardship, interfaith engagement, and arts and culture initiatives -- all of which aim to enhance the lives of all residents in the county.
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Since 2017, the Ismaili Council and the Gwinnett County Rotary Club have held a strong partnership rooted in shared values of peace, dialogue, and service to the community, irrespective of racial, ethnic, or religious differences. By bringing forth this partnership each year through the annual International Day of Peace Luncheon, both entities commit to strengthening ideals around peace, which extends beyond the efforts of a single day.
This year’s luncheon focused on how local first responders, including mental health professionals, firefighters, and police officers, play an active role in fostering a community of peace, stability, and safety. Furthermore, this event served as a way to help the local government and business leaders better understand the local Ismaili Muslim community and the broader Islamic values of peace, unity, and pluralism.
The luncheon was attended by representatives from the Ismaili Council for the Southeastern United States, as well as the local Community Safety and Security team. In addition, a number of elected state officials with districts in Gwinnett County were invited by the Ismaili Council and showcased their support for peace.
Opening remarks recognizing these honorable guests were delivered by Joe Godfrey, President of the Rotary Club of Gwinnett County, and were followed by a multifaith prayer for safety and peace. This ceremony served as a poignant reminder that contributing to peace is not restricted to one day but requires a collective, lifelong commitment from each person to sustain a positive environment for present and future generations.
The most notable highlights of this year's luncheon were two-panel discussions illustrating the profound implications of peace-building initiatives. The first was moderated by Mayor Pro-Tem Marc Cohen, Chief of the Gwinnett Police Citizen Advisory Board. It involved three distinguished officers from the Gwinnett County Police Department, including Police Chief James McClure. In their discussion of reducing crime in the community and taking all necessary measures to promote public safety, the officers expressed how gun violence continues to be a fundamental concern and should never become a desensitized phenomenon.
The second-panel discussion expounded upon the notion of care as a catalyst for community upliftment and was moderated by Jennifer Hibbard, CEO of View Point Health. Officers from different police and fire departments, including Chief Cephas, as well as mental health professionals from the View Point Health Behavioral Health Unit, revealed how their synergy enables them to effectively address behavioral health crises in the community.
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From securing housing for homeless communities to facilitating the recovery process for people suffering from trauma and drug addiction, both groups of professionals exhibit the utmost concern for the safety and well-being of the individuals they serve every day. Panelists also encouraged the community to call for help when faced with mental health or other emergencies and educated the audience on the myriad services provided by the Gwinnett County Police and Fire Departments, such as self-defense training and safety analysis of residential and business properties.
The luncheon concluded with a speech by Dr. Rozina Merchant, President of the Ismaili Council, who reiterated the shared vision of the Gwinnett County Rotary Club and the Ismaili Council to foster peace through mutual dialogue and service in fields like education, healthcare, and cultural development. She also shared a quote by Mawlana Hazar Imam from the 2018 Paris Peace
Forum, where he stated:
“It is my conviction that one of the key conditions for peace in our world today is a greater respect for pluralism…In a world challenged by globalization, social fragmentation, and conflict between peoples, pluralism and a well-anchored civil society are essential for human peace and progress.”
The notable collaborations between the Ismaili community, the Gwinnett County Rotary Club, and other organizations within the community are indeed a testament to our Imam’s vision of leveraging pluralism to create a more peaceful society. As illustrated by the first responders at this year’s luncheon, building peace is an effort that can no longer be passive. Hopefully, the light of our faith, combined with the rays of hope and inspiration from the work of these first responders, will guide us to make a positive difference in our own communities - an endeavor that is needed more today than ever before.
