Ismail BhaiJournal

By Ismail Bhai, Dallas, Texas

Dallas is a city of newcomers. Families have arrived from across America and from every continent, bringing their languages, foods, faiths and sports with them. Whether that diversity becomes a strength depends on what neighbours do with it.

Pluralism is a practice

Pluralism is not simply the fact that many kinds of people live in the same place. It is an ethic: the conviction that difference enriches a society, and the daily habits that turn that conviction into trust.

Where it happens

It happens in ordinary places: the school car park, the office kitchen, the cricket ground on a Saturday morning, a hospital waiting room, a city council meeting. Each is a chance to listen, to help or to learn something new.

What faith communities can do

Faith communities can open their doors, take part in interfaith service projects and teach their young people to be good neighbours. The Ismaili tradition treats this as part of faith itself.

What families can do

Invite a new neighbour for a meal. Learn the holidays of the families on your street. Coach or join a team that brings different communities together. Small acts, repeated, change the feel of a city.

A shared home

Ultimately, pluralism asks all of us to commit to the place we share. Dallas belongs to everyone who calls it home.

Read more: Pluralism.