ALLEN, TEXAS, April 26, 2012 (Pegasus News): Women converged on the Baitul Ikraam Mosque in Allen on Sunday for an interfaith symposium. The objective of the event was to bring women of all faiths together to engage in meaningful dialogues and create a mutual understanding of one another’s beliefs, said Saima Sheikh, media secretary for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Women’s Association, Dallas chapter, which coordinated the event.
“We believe that interfaith dialogue is the best way for us to focus on the similarities between different faiths instead of focusing on the differences,” ” Sheikh said. Representatives from the Jewish, Christian, Hindu and Muslim faiths spoke at the women-only event.
The local Sri Ganesha Temple (in Plano, TX) was built in 2006 to serve the growing Hindu population. According to a March 12, 2006 story in Hinduism Today, the Hindu population in Collin County at that time was close to 10,000.
“The need was there. There was a common goal, preserve and promote the values, ideals, culture and philosophy of Hinduism,” stated Giridhara Gopal, a member of the working committee for the temple, in the article.
Nikita Hattangady of McKinney represented local Hinduism at the symposium and said she wished more people would take the time to learn about Hindu beliefs before making assumptions. With four Hindu temples in Plano today and many other temples in surrounding areas, Hattangady said the population continues to grow, as she estimated there are probably around 80,000 Hindus living in the DFW area.