​‘The Sultan and the Saint’ movie program held in Columbia, SC on Sunday, March 24, brought a breath of fresh air in the aftermath of the New Zealand tragedy.  The event was jointly hosted by PICNA and Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary and held at the majestic Stavros Lecture Hall of the Seminary in downtown Columbia. 

PICNA brought together leaders from many faiths to discuss the subject of Compassion, on Sunday, January 2019 at Masjid Noor Ul Huda, a prominent mosque in Columbia, SC. The program was organized as part of the Interfaith Harmony Month that has been celebrated in the Palmetto State since 2012.

“We condemn the barbaric attack on our Jewish brothers and sisters in Pittsburgh and stand in solidarity with the Jewish community nationwide. This incident is an attack on our values and on the very fiber of our diverse society.

“We believe that lack of understanding, fear mongering and unwarranted hate speech in the current political environment may lead to tragic incidents like the current one. It is the sacred duty of all faith and civic leaders to encourage greater understanding and compassion in our society to forge national unity.

​What started as a controversial face book post turned into a great learning opportunity and celebrating diversity in our communities.  Irmo town hall was packed to capacity last Thursday during the ‘Demystifying Islam’ program that drew people from various faiths and all walks of life.

​The program commenced with a mini exhibition on Islam that included books on Islam as well as posters depicting Muslims contributions to the world civilization, especially during the Islam’s Golden Age. Visitors showed keen interest in the exhibition and some picked up copies of the Quran and a mini-magazine on ‘Islam and Peace.’ While the event was hosted by Mayor Hardy King, it was jointly sponsored by PICNA and IPSC (Interfaith Partners of SC).

​God Almighty has His mysterious ways of bringing people together, changing hearts and minds and creating miracles. This is exactly what transpired in the cities of Columbia and Irmo in the state of South Carolina.

​Nearly fifty faith and community leaders thronged to Masjid Noor Ul Huda, a
prominent mosque in Columbia, SC, for an evening of learning, sharing and
positive engagement. PICNA and the mosque have traditionally held the Ramadan
Sharing event for many years now.

​Over 1.6 Billion Muslims observe the fasting month of Ramadan around the world
with spirituality, enthusiasm and dedication. Fasting is one of the five pillars of
Islam that instils the traits of sharing, caring and sacrifice in the believers.

​The interfaith community of Charleston had the special privilege of being treated to the premiere of the much awaited documentary movie 'The Sultan and the Saint' on Saturday, November 18, 2017. The show, attended by faith and community leaders, intellectuals and academicians, was held at the School of Sciences and Mathematics building at the College of Charleston.

​Building on Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin's initiative of December, 2016, entitled "Embracing Your Muslim Neighbor", The City of Columbia and PICNA jointly organized a much anticipated program "Knowing Our Muslim Neighbor" - 'Understanding Islam and Muslims' on Tuesday, September 26, 2017 at the City Council Chambers.

​Prominent educationists, community, faith and civic leaders as well as law enforcement officials of South Carolina, came together under one roof in a two day Summit Conference at Columbia Metropolitan Conference Center from June 12 to 13, 2017. Organized by the Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence, this was the second annual summit conference after the inaugural event in 2016.