Rumi Forum Podcast

Each day we make judgments in our business and personal lives about the value of others. We don’t make these decisions in a pristine vacuum, but rather based on our own experiences and influences. Our complex individual culture—an interconnected web of factors ranging from our religion, race and ethnicity to where we grew up, our family structure and our gender role—is the prism through which we view the capabilities of others. These assumptions, whether conscious or unconscious, limit our own growth, as well the growth of other people. To break through these biases, we each need to be conscious of them and reflect on the origins of our attitudes about “the other.” When we move beyond our own prism and seek wisdom from everyone we come in contact with, no matter their background or status, we grow —and so do our organizations and society at large.

Ambassador Touqir Hussain is a former senior diplomat from Pakistan, having served as Ambassador to Brazil, Spain and Japan (1998 - 2003). Ambassador Hussain held senior positions in the Pakistani Foreign Office, including that of Additional Foreign Secretary heading the bureaus of the Middle East and of the Americas and Europe.

Muktar Djumaliev became ambassador of Kyrgyzstan to the United States in December 2010.

Born on June 22, 1972, Djumaliev earned an undergraduate economics degree from the National University of the Kyrgyz Republic in 1994, and three years later, he earned his law degree.

M. Hakan Yavuz offers an insightful and wide-ranging study of the Gulen Movement, one of the most imaginative developments in contemporary Islam. Founded in Turkey by the Muslim thinker Fethullah Gulen, the Gulen Movement aims to disseminate a ''moderate'' interpretation of Islam through faith-based education

Dr. Balchandra Mungekar, was born in a small village called Munge in the Konkan region of India to a poor Dalit (outcast) parents. Upon his graduation from College in 1965, he joined the Reserve bank of India as a clerk and has made a remarkable journey since against all odds.

A noted economist and an educationist, he organized several grassroots efforts to provide equal economic and political opportunity to people belonging to disadvantaged groups in India.

In year 2000, Dr. Mungekar was appointed to be the Vice-Chancellor of the prestigious Mumbai University.

In 2004, he was handpicked by Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India, to be a Member of India’s Planning Commission, the top body which officially recommends a Five Year Economic and Industrial Plan for the Government of India.

Since 2009, Dr. Mungekar serves as a Member of India’s Parliament, in the Rajaya Sabha (Upper House).

Dr.Mungekar is one of the Patrons of US India Policy Institute (USIPI) and is visiting the US upon invitation. He will speak on the topic of “India's inclusive growth imperative and the strategic partnership with the US” at public lectures organized by USIPI in New York, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Dallas, Orlando and Washington, DC.

To advance human rights and human development, international institutions and different academic disciplines give high priority to gender equality. It is a sine qua non, essential and central to a cherished vision of a decent society. Yet too often religious communities and leaders are seen as tepid in their support, whether it involves contesting domestic violence, addressing maternal mortality, making  sure girls stay in school, or listening to women's voices in peace negotiations. This is ironic because women are vital members of religious communities and most religious institutions hold that it is they who lead in honoring women. The presentation will reflect on the diversity of religious approaches, spoken and unspoken qualms and concerns, some genuine misunderstandings,  topics that need active discussion, and hopes for the path ahead.

On January 7, 2013 the new Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the United States, Kairat Umarov, arrived in Washington D.C. Upon his arrival at Dulles International Airport, he was greeted by State Department officials.

Dr. Umarov was appointed as the Ambassador by the President of Kazakhstan on Jan 4, 2013. He is one of Kazakhstan’s finest diplomats and is expected to help further strengthen the strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and the U.S. This critical relationship encompasses such crucial priorities as nuclear non-proliferation, energy, trade and investments, agriculture, science and technology and people to people contacts.

Over his distinguished career in the foreign service, he has held various important posts at the Foreign Ministry and Presidential Administration, including Minister Counselor at the Kazakh Embassy in Washington D.C., Ambassador-at-Large at the Foreign Ministry, and Chief Inspector at the Foreign Policy Center of the Presidential Administration. From 2004-2009, he served as the Ambassador to India. During his tenure there, bilateral relations between Kazakhstan and India grew significantly and a strategic partnership between the two countries was formally established. While in New Delhi, he also was a concurrent Ambassador to Sri Lanka.

From 2009 to January 2013 he was a Deputy Foreign Minister overlooking bilateral relations with the United States, Kazakhstan's engagement with international organizations and was responsible for raising international awareness about Kazakhstan. He co-chaired the Kazakhstan-United States Strategic Partnership Commission, the main bilateral cooperation mechanism, and served as a Sherpa for Kazakhstan at Nuclear Security Summits in Washington D.C. and Seoul.

Ebrahim Rasool has a long history of involvement in the anti-apartheid struggle starting at High School and including leadership in the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the African National Congress (ANC). He has had to make sacrifices like spending time in prison and being under house arrest.

His social and political involvement has consistently been faith-driven. He has been involved in both the Islamic Movement as well as the Interfaith Movement, and has been active in mobilising Muslims and the broader faith communities for a deeper understanding of Islam and faith under conditions of oppression (under apartheid) and currently under conditions of globalisation.

Ebrahim Rasool has built up extensive experience of Government having led various Departments like Health, Welfare, Finance and Economic Development, and as Premier of the Western Cape was instrumental in, amongst others, attracting foreign investment into the Province worth R8 billion (approximately $1 billion) having the highest provincial economic growth rate, and making significant strides towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s).

For his contribution to South Africa Ambassador Rasool has been the recipient of a number of leadership awards. In 2008 he was awarded the Visionary Leadership and Public Good Award from the World Congress of Muslim Philanthropists, and the Award for Commitment and Leadership in Fight Against Crime from Business Against Crime. In 2005 the London Financial Times awarded Ambassador Rasool the Foreign Direct Investment Africa Personality of the Year Award. Mr Rasool is also the recipient of the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights presented to him by the Kaiser Family Foundation in 1998.  Founder of the World for All Foundation – a foundation that rethinks the intellectual tools available to Muslims and faith communities, that creates co-operative relations between faiths, cultures and communities at a global level.  Ambassador Rasool is dedicated to overcoming the potential for conflict in the World.

Ambassador Rasool is a prolific speaker on a range of topics covering politics, governance, religion, Islamic and cultural themes across the world. He received a Bachelor of Arts and a Higher Diploma in Education from the University of Cape Town. He is married with two children.