IAS Director Represents Islam and Sufism in Thanksgiving World Assembly, March 1999
DALLAS, TEXAS — In March 1999, the Center for World Thanksgiving hosted the Thanksgiving World Assembly. Religious and spiritual leaders from about 30 nations met at ThanksGiving Square to discuss ways in which gratitude can help bring peace and greater understanding to a strife-torn world.
Among the prestigious international dignitaries was Seyyedeh Nahid Angha, Ph. D., the founder of the Sufi Women Organization and co-director of the International Association of Sufism. An internationally published author, Seyyedeh Dr. Nahid Angha is one of the most influential Sufi women and contributors to the world of Sufi doctrine. Her dedication to peace has led her to serve as in various leadership roles in large-scale international interfaith organizations, including her role at the World Assembly that gathered at the Center for World Thanksgiving in Texas.
Dignitaries from more than 20 religious traditions celebrated the views they share and learned how their differences need not divide them. Beginning from their own personal gratitude, they learned to appreciate each other’s diversity and humanity. Delegates included directors and leaders from international organizations, academia, and religious institutions.
List of Delegates (in alphabetical order)
Tan Sri Dr. Muhammad Abdul-Rauf
Co-Rector, Center for World Thanksgiving
American Islamic Research Institute
Bethesda, Maryland USA
Ms. Randine Adams
Traditionalist and Secretary, Cultural Dept.
Crow Tribe
Hardin, Montana USA
Seyyedeh Dr. Nahid Angha
Co-Founder and Co-Director
International Association of Sufism
San Rafael, California USA
Mr. Ronald Appleton, Q.C.
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Thanksgiving Square Belfast
Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
Francis Cardinal Arinze
President
Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue
Vatican City, ITALY
Mrs. Linda Bell
Ross Avenue Baptist Church
Dallas, Texas USA
Mrs. Nadine Bell
Assembly Facilitator
President—Burrell Training & Development
Plano, Texas USA
Dr. Clinton Bennett
Professor, Department of Religion
Baylor University
Waco, Texas USA
Dr. Rekha Bennett
Director, Vision Bangladesh
Department of Religion, Baylor University
Waco, Texas USA
The Rev. Michael Bos
Senior Pastor
Reformed Church in America
Colleyville, Texas USA
The Rev. Marcus Braybrooke
The Rectory
Marsh Baldon
Oxford, UK
The Rev. Dr. Herman Browne
Assistant to the Archbishop of Canterbury
Lambeth Palace
London, UK
His Grace, Dr. George Carey
The Archbishop of Canterbury
Lambeth Palace
London, UK
Jagad Guru Ramananda Charya
Yoga Shakti Peeth
Indore, INDIA
Dr. Louise Cowan
Thanks-Giving World Counselor
Dallas, Texas USA
Ms. Margy Ruth Davis
Executive Director
The Aleph Society
New York, New York USA
Ms. Marina Villalobos Diaz
President Interamerican
Council of Indigenous Spirituality
Morelia, MICH, MEXICO
Rev. Luis Dolan, C.P.
Director of International Programs
St. Emeric Church
New York, New York USA
Dr. Robert A. Emmons
Professor, Department of Psychology
University of California
Davis, California USA
Ms. Elizabeth Espersen
Executive Director
The Thanks-Giving Foundation
Dallas, Texas USA
Sister Marie Julianne Farrington
Soeurs de Ste. Marie Maison Généralice
BELGIUM
Mrs. Georgina Gamble
Board of Directors
Thanksgiving Square Belfast
Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
Tamal Krishna Goswami
ISKCON Dallas
Cambridge, UK
Most Rev. Charles Grahmann
Bishop
Catholic Diocese of Dallas
Dallas, Texas USA
The Rev. Dr. Laurel Hallman
Senior Pastor
First Unitarian Church of Dallas
Dallas, Texas USA
Mr. Paul A. Hanks
Mission President
Church of Jesus of Christ of Latter-day Saints
Dallas, Texas USA
Mr. Jon Harder
President, Board of Trustees
First Church of Christ Scientist
Bristol, Rhode Island USA
Mr. Charles Harper
Executive Director
The Templeton Foundation
Radnor, Pennsylvania USA
The Rev. Roy Harrell
Consultant for Special Projects
Thanks-Giving Square
Dallas, Texas USA
Mark Patrick Hederman, OSB
Monk of Glenstal Abbey
County Limerick, IRELAND
Bishop Mark Herbener
Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church of America
Dallas, Texas USA
Mr. John Hueffner
Chair
Christian Science Committee on Publication
Dallas, Texas USA
Mr. Charles Irsch
First Unitarian Church of Dallas
Dallas, Texas USA
Mr. Marzuq Jaami
Public Relations
Dallas Masjid of Al-Islam
Dallas, Texas USA
Mr. Harminder Singh Jassal
Interfaith Liaison
Sikh Association of North Texas
Arlington, Texas USA
Jill Johnston
Board of Directors
Thanksgiving Square Belfast
County Down, Northern Ireland, UK
Imam Yusuf Ziya Kavakci
Chief Imam
Islamic Association of North Texas
Richardson, Texas USA
Major Ron Kerley
The Salvation Army
Dallas, Texas USA
Dr. Harbans Lal
President
Academy of Guru Granth Studies
Fort Worth, Texas USA
Dr. Peter Laurence
Chairman
North American Interfaith Network
Armonk, New York USA
Dr. Chung Ok Lee
Executive Director
Won Buddhist United Nations Office
New York, New York USA
Mr. John M. Leonard
Chairman
Spiritual Assembly of Bahá’is of Denton
Denton, Texas USA
Mr. Bernard Likalimba
Student-Scholar
University of Natal
Pietermaritzburg, REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
Mr. Jayesh Manek Manek
Investment Management Limited
London, UK
Michael E. McCullough, Ph.D.
Director of Research/President
National Institute for Healthcare Research
Rockville, Maryland USA
Dr. H. Neill McFarland
Professor Emeritus—Perkins School of Theology
Southern Methodist University
Dallas, Texas USA
Nityananda das
ISKCON Dallas
Dallas, Texas USA
Mrs. Muriel Pinkus
Congregation Shearith Israel
Dallas, Texas USA
Mr. Burton Pretty-on-Top
Spiritual Leader
Crow Tribe
Hardin, Montana USA
Mr. Kambiz Rafraf
Chairman
Spiritual Assembly of Bahá’is of Dallas
Dallas, Texas USA
Mr. Phillip Ramsaroop
Past President
DFW Hindu Temple Society
Irving, Texas USA
Dr. K. L. Seshagiri Rao
Editor-in-Chief
Encyclopedia of Hinduism
Columbia, South Carolina USA
Venerable Achok Rinpoche
Official Representative of the Dalai Lama
Director, Library of Tibetan Works and Archives
Dharamsala, INDIA
Mr. Edward Salter
Vice President Chaplaincy
Allied Holdings
Decatur, Georgia USA
Mrs. Souraya Sawas
Islamic Association of North Texas
Plano, Texas USA
Dr. Fernando Lucero Schmidt
Vice Rector
Universidad Del Salvador
Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA
Mr. Jay Shah
Jain Society of North Texas
Richardson, Texas USA
Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi
President
Islamic Society of North America
Fountain Valley, California USA
Dr. Pataraporn Sirikanchana
Advisor
World Fellowship of Buddhists Headquarters
Bangkok, THAILAND
Ms. Myrtle Smyth
Founder and Board of Directors
Thanksgiving Square Belfast
Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
The Rev. Trudie Smither
Missioner
Episcopal Hospital Chaplaincy
Dallas, Texas USA
Ms. Anna Sousa
Pleasantville, New York USA
Mrs. Nancy Stalcup
Disciples of Christ Church
Dallas, Texas USA
Brother David Steindl-Rast
Benedictine Hermitage
Ithaca, New York USA
Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz
The Israel Institute for Talmudic Publications
Jerusalem, ISRAEL
The Rev. William Stephenson
Associate Pastor
Highland Park United Methodist Church
Dallas, Texas USA
Mr. Peter Stewart
Founder
Thanks-Giving Square
Dallas, Texas USA
Mrs. Rosie Stromberg
Dallas Public Schools Religious Community Task Force
Dallas, Texas USA
Bishop William Swing
Episcopal Diocese of California
San Francisco, California USA
Dr. John B. Taylor
Conference of European Churches
Geneva, SWITZERLAND
Sir John Marks Templeton
Founder
Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion
Nassau, THE BAHAMAS
Mr. Tenzin Tethong
Survivors International
Palo Alto, California USA
The Rev. Margaret Orr Thomas
Ecumenical Officer
Presbyterian Church in the USA
New York, New York USA
Mr. David Townsend
Director of Administration
The Thanks-Giving Foundation
Dallas, Texas USA
Dr. Joseph Tyson
Professor—Department of Religious Studies
Southern Methodist University
Dallas, Texas USA
Mr. Vashisht Vaid
Personal Counsellor to Jadad Guru R. Charya
Om Kriya Yoga Foundation
Woodbridge, New Jersey USA
Mrs. Mitra Valatabar
Past President
Zoroastrian Association of North Texas
Dallas, Texas USA
The Rev. Ray Vickrey
Senior Pastor
Royal Lane Baptist Church
Dallas, Texas USA
Mr. Harbajhan Singh Virdee
Chair of the Board
Sikh Study Circle, Dallas/Fort Worth, Inc.
Irving, Texas USA
