December 25, 2019
In the spirit of pluralism:
ISEB officials visit neighboring Methodist Church
to offer Christmas greetings
Islamic Society of East Bay (ISEB) President Jamal Qureshi and Secretary Abdus Sattar Ghazali last night visited the neighboring St. Paul Methodist Church to offer Christmas greetings to the Pastor Rev. Johann Oasis. They gave a bouquet of flower and a box of chocolate to the Pastor Rev. Johann Oasis.
Jamal Qureshi and Abdus Sattar Ghazali stayed for a while as the Christmas Eve service was going on.
The ISEB community may not know or forgot how St. Paul Methodist Church became neighbor of the ISEB moque.
Harvard University’s pluralism project: According to Harvard University’s pluralism project, perhaps the most innovative example of Fremont City’s efforts to promote better understanding (interfaith) may be found along a little street named “Peace Terrace.”
Here, the Islamic Society of the East Bay (ISEB) and St. Paul United Methodist Church stand side-by-side, sharing parking lots and affirming a new model of common ground, the Harvard University’s pluralism project said adding:
“St. Paul and ISEB, like many of Fremont’s faith groups, support their own communities in varied ways, often with a special interest in youth and the elderly. Both the church and the mosque run their own schools—Precious Time Christian Preschool, and Peace Terrace Academy, a full-time Islamic School in operation since 1998. They also find ways to reach out in service to the larger community, with each group serving meals at a local homeless shelter.”
Next-Door Neighbors: Muslims and Methodists
Tellingly, Dr. Diana Eck, the author of "A New Religious America: How a Christian Country Has Become the World's Most Religiously Diverse Nation," devoted a chapter in her book about the ISEB and St. Paul's United Methodist Church under the title: Next-Door Neighbors: Muslims and Methodists.
Dr. Diana Eck recalls the beginning of the project in these words:
“On April 18, 1993, St. Paul's United Methodist Church and the Islamic Society of the East Bay in Fremont, California, broke ground together for a new church and a new mosque, to be built side by side. Six hundred people were there, including the mayor of Fremont. The two communities mingled in an atmosphere of celebration and took turns at the shovel. They named the new frontage road that enters their property Peace Terrace.”
"Some people were a bit uptight," said Syed Mahmood, one of the leaders of the Islamic center. "The reason, I would probably say, is they did not know much about us. A lot of times we live in the community and don't even know who lives next door. So we made an effort to reach out to the community, to let them know who we are."
The Islamic Society of the East Bay was established only in 1985. 
Dr. Diana Eck quotes St. Paul's United Methodist Church’s minister at the time of the groundbreaking Rev. Ardith Allread as saying: "Long before I was here, this congregation had been open to interfaith dialogue. We have become ore aware of our common heritage with Muslims and of the need for a witness: that people of different faiths and cultures can not only work together, but live together."
From the beginning, the two communities became one in relation to city hall. "Every time we have to go the city, we go together. We are working as a group. Now we are part of a team," Syed Mahmood was quoted by Dr. Diana Eck as saying. 
As the foundations were laid and the two houses of worship began to rise on the property, the Methodists and Muslims worked together on planting and landscaping. Syed Mahmood explained, "It's a good experience for all of us, the Christian and the Muslim community, to prove that yes, we can live together, we can respect each other, and we can take care of each other's needs. We have no choice now. We have to live together in order to have a good and happy environment."
Lynn Shinn (head of the Methodists building committee) told us, "Until virtually yesterday, the city was in the habit of referring to 'churches' in its official statements. If you want to build a 'church,' you have to do this and that. Since we've come along, the city says a 'religious facility' has to do this and that.
As Syed Mahmood put it, "The city of Fremont has been very supportive, very cooperative. They actually thanked us for choosing Fremont to build an Islamic center. They see Peace Terrace as being a landmark for Fremont."
“We have followed the progress of these neighbors for nearly 10 years now. Their story, and the story of America's pluralism, is being written, year after year. The years and decades ahead will tell the tale of what a difference it makes to both communities and to the city of Fremont that the Methodists and the Muslims share Peace Terrace,” the author Dr. Diana Eck concluded.
The Christmas eve visit of Jamal Qureshi and Abdus Sattar Ghazali was aimed at reiterating this spirit of pluralism in the American society.
The Journal of America Team:
Editor in chief:
Abdus Sattar Ghazali
Senior Editor:
Prof. Arthur Scott
Special Correspondent
Maryam Turab
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