We returned to our Annual Thanksgiving Dinner tradition after giving a break in 2020 due to the pandemic. The dinner event was hosted at our location on 20th of November. We had dozens of guests from a variety of different backgrounds of Las Vegas.

Our dinner program started with an interfaith prayer by Keith Thomas from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Shamsuddin Waheed from Masjid Ibrahim Islamic Center.

After the opening prayers and remarks by the two honorable men of religion. Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue Radio Show’s host, Imam Mujahid Ramadan gave a speech on the importance of thanksgiving and interfaith dialogue. His speech was significant as he spoke as the vice president of Interfaith Council of Nevada.

Then we distributed wish cards among our guests and everyone wrote their new year wishes on them.

The event continued with a musical performance by the talented pianist and vocalist, Scott Nicholson. His 30 years of musical experience really mesmerized the crowd as we didn’t realize how quick the 20 minutes passed listening to his music.

Our next speaker was Kevin McMahill, the former Under-sheriff at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD). He gave a speech on the importance of understanding others as a way of maintaining order in the society. He specifically requested people to keep an open heart and don’t dehumanize the police force as they are also human beings who try to keep civilians safe.

The final speech of the evening was given by Brin Gibson, the Former General Counsel to the Governor’s Office and the Chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board. After a short speech on the importance of the meeting, she had the honor of reading the wish cards written by the guests. There were very touching and warm wishes and we say amen to them all.

We would like to thank to all guests, especially our esteemed speaker guests. Also, a special thanks to Scott Nicholson for his fantastic musical performance. Finally, an important thanks to our catering volunteers who prepared delicious meals for the event.

Imam Mujahid Ramadan’s Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue Radio Show aired its newest episode on November 6th. The topic was titled ‘Wisdom and Insight of Said Nursi’s Risale-i Nur.’ As always, the show was aired on KCEP 88.1 FM and sponsored by Silver Sage Foundation.

This month’s guests were Dr. Zeki Saritoprak (Director of Said Nursi Chair at John Carroll University), Dr. Hakan Gok (Research Fellow at Leeds Beckett University) and Hakan Yesilova (Editor-in-Chief of the Fountain Magazine).

Imam Ramadan opened the discussion by asking about how Said Nursi got the nickname ‘Bediuzzaman’ (‘The best of his time’ in Turkish). Yesilova explained that he was a prominent figure even during his teenage years as he was able to debate with adult scholars and imams. His rational approach to religious matters was revolutionary. He earned the respect from different scholarly circles of the late 19th and early 20th century.

Then Ramadan started another topic on how Said Nursi emphasized on interfaith dialogue in his works. It was discussed how Nursi claimed that the Muslims should come together with the true people of the book (Christians and Jews) and stand against the problems of the modern life together.

Saritoprak delved into the matters of how calamities and sickness can be a blessing in disguise as Nursi written in his works. It helps us get out of the hectic daily life routine and know ourselves better. Such troubles work as a reminder for us that we are mortal and we have an obligation in this life. Gok said that the humankind’s primary duty is to uphold the trust given by God.

As the discussion evolved, the topic went to the fact that how Nursi claimed that without willpower, every soul would become a part of the natural laws dictated by God. So that means humankind is a unique creature on earth as we have the option to choose.

We would like to thank Imam Ramadan for yet another great discussion. Special thanks to Dr. Zeki Saritoprak, Dr. Hakan Gok, and Hakan Yesilova for their invaluable contributions. To get the latest updates on the future episodes, please follow our social media channels.