The Interfaith Dialog Center (IDC) is a non-profit, tax exempt (501(c) (3)) organization founded by Turkish-Americans of North Jersey in 2003. IDC endeavors to promote respect and mutual understanding among all faiths and cultures through partnership with other religious and interreligious organizations by organizing educational and cultural activities such as lectures, seminars, conferences, discussion panels, luncheons and trips to Turkey. By this mission IDC aims to contribute to improvement of diversity, pluralism and multiculturalism in the society.
IDC started its activities with the leadership of its volunteers by organizing short educational seminars at the conference room of the Rutherford Public Library. IDC rented its center at 545 Interstate Place, Carlstadt, New Jersey in the Spring of 2004. IDC hired its first full time staff in the Summer of 2004. Now, IDC has added a second office in Newark at 17 Academy Street Suite 701.
As IDC has aimed to reach out to all segments of the society, it has been organizing different activities to serve this end.
Dialog and Unity Dinners started as a Ramadan Dinner in November 2004. All faiths and cultures, government officials, members of law enforcement, and elected officials come together on this dinner.
Abraham's Table Luncheons are venues where speakers from Abrahamic religions discuss and find our commonalities. Started in 2004 as clergy luncheons, it is NJ's only widely attended religious luncheon series.
IDC Luncheon Forums serve as venues for interfaith-intercultural, non-political forums to exchange ideas and discuss vital issues that relate to New Jerseyans. The speakers share their viewpoints, perceptions, and experiences on those vital issues.
BBQ parties and Lectures Series are held in the summer only to have dialogue, learn as well as have pleasant time.
Trips to Turkey sponsored by IDC are very much instrumental in building bridges between and the Turkish American Community and other faith groups and individuals. What makes Turkey particularly attractive as a travel destination is that because it has always been a crossroads for civilizations and beliefs, not to mention its marvelous natural beauties, warm hospitality, and world famous cuisine. Turkey is a land of Divine love. It is a land where diverse faiths and cultures have lived in peace for millennia. It is a land of dialogue and tolerance; it is the land of Abraham � spiritual forefather of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
All IDC events serve to cultivate friendship and deepen inter-cultural awareness and understanding among the many diverse ethnic and civic communities in New Jersey.
Our Mission
Interfaith dialogue is one of the major medicines to overcome humanity's common ills that arise from unbelief. Our world's durability depends, to a great extent, on the promotion of interfaith dialogue. We also believe that establishment of dialog environments is a means to appreciate diverse opinions and eliminate the stereotypes often assigned to 'others'.
In that respect, IDC educates non-Muslims about Islam and Muslims about other faiths to establish mutual understanding and tolerance. To achieve this end, we invite and encourage sharing of various perspectives, partner with other religious and interreligious organizations and organize educational activities such as seminars, lectures and discussion panels, all of which inspire and illuminate us in our endeavor to fulfill our mission.
Our Aims and Principles
o To spread the interreligious dialog at the grassroots level through meetings with diverse participation,
o To provide a medium where followers of different religions may meet each other and understand the issues by finding consensus among them,
o To spread common values of faiths in order to contribute to the world peace,
o To cooperate with similar local and international organizations and work closely with them in the boundaries of its constitution,
o Religions, languages and ethnicities exist so that we come together and learn from, not fight, each other,
o We share values to promote; we share problems to solve,
o Coexistence of civilizations is possible only through dialogue in this age of globalization,
o The pillars of dialogue are love, tolerance, compassion and forgiving,
o Love is the essence of existence.
o Tolerance is our binding spirit.
o Compassion and forgiving are inclusive aspects of a harmonious society, in which individual will flourish, community will arise,
o Diversity is our richness. Diversity without dialogue causes hostility, dialogue without diversity brings distortion.
"Come, come, whoever you are.
Wanderer, idolater, worshipper of fire,
Come even you have broken your vows a thousand times,
Come, and come yet again.
Ours is not a caravan of despair."
-RUMI
Administration & Staff
Muhtesem Kurt - President
Levent Koc, Ph.D. - CEO
Adem Baskaya, Religious Instructor
Abdulkadir Yilmaz, Religion Instructor
Mustafa Bursal, Religion Instructor
Nevzat Celik, Religion Instructor
Nuray Sonmez, MA - President, IDC Women Association
Nuray Yurt, Ph.D. - IDC Central Jersey Director
Candemir Toklu, Ph.D., Princeton Area Director
Advisory Board
Ahmet Kurucan, Ph. D.
Most Rev. Arthur Serratelli, Bishop, RC Diocese of Paterson
Maxine Clark Beach, Ph. D,. Dean of School of Theology and Vice President, Drew University
Rabbi Jack Bemporad, Director, Center for Interreligious Understanding
Rev. Donald M. Pitches, Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Carlstadt
Rev. Christopher M.F. Brdlik, Rector, Calvary Episcopal Church, Sumit
Mr. Patrick Brannigan, Executive Director, NJ Catholic Conference
Rev. Robert Morris, Executive Director, Interweave Inc.
Ms. Maud Dahme, Former President, NJ State Board of Education
Mr. Alfred Koeppe, President and CEO, Newark Alliance
Mr. William Jay Roseman, Mayor, Carlstadt
Dr. Mesut Sahin, NJIT
Kemal C. Ozgur, MA.
Mr. John R. Smith, Director - Corporate Responsibility, PSEG
Ms. Joan Verplanck, President, New Jersey Chamber of Commerce
Rev. Jacqueline Burgess, Vice President, NJ Council of Churches (representing NJCC)
