Former Secretary General of the United Nations Hon. Kofi Annan visited our institute. Mr. Kofi Annan was invited to speak at a special Luncheon Forum organized by the Gulen Institute. After the luncheon program Mr. Annan visited the Institute of Interfaith Dialog and learned more about our programs. Mr. Kofi Annan was given a brief presentation about the mission and vision of our institute and our activities.

On Monday, April 12, Houston was the home to an important event. Invited by the Gulen Institute, a joint initiative of The Institute of Interfaith Dialog and University of Houston College of Social Work, Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations between 1997 and 2006, addressed to a distinguished audience at Hyatt Regency Downtown.

The MC of the program was Melissa Wilson, news anchorwoman form Fox 26. Dr. Colby, the Dean of Graduate College of Social Work at the University of Houston, made the welcome speech on behalf of the Gulen Institute.

In 1992, political scientist Samuel Huntington put forth the theory of the Clash of Civilizations. He suggested that since the cold war clash of ideologies had come to an end, that in the future, conflict would instead be focused around the concept of differing cultures and religions. He delineated several different areas of the world as particular 'cultures' that might face conflict with each other.  Among those he listed as potential enemies were the West and the Muslim World. Given the current state of world affairs, as well as our goals as an interfaith dialogue organization, this theory needs closer examination.

(March 4,2010,Tulsa,OK) 

The Institute of Interfaith Dialog (IID) held the 3rd Dinner of Abrahamic Traditions on February 25, 2010 with the participation of 210 people including but not limited to community leaders, academicians and other distinguished guests. The dinner was followed by a splendid panel discussion entitled “Women in Abrahamic Traditions”. The three panelists were Rabbi Judith Z. Abrams of the Maqom School for Talmud Study, Bishop Janice R. Hui of Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church (UMC), and Ayse K. Coskun of Yale School of Medicine and Hartford Seminary Islamic Studies and Christian Muslim Relations.