About ARK
A Bridge Between Academia and the Public Square
ARK is a faith-informed educational initiative committed to dialogue, diplomacy and principled engagement across religious, cultural and civic boundaries.
Scholarship that reaches the public square
We convene faith leaders, scholars, young people, policymakers and civic partners to build trust and develop practical responses to shared challenges.
Important ideas too often remain confined to lecture halls, specialist journals and academic conferences. ARK brings rigorous scholarship into accessible, intellectually serious public conversation.
We translate research into public understanding without diluting its complexity, enabling knowledge to inform civic debate, community leadership and practical action.
Six commitments
Dialogue
Conversation across difference.
Dignity
The inherent worth of every human being.
Justice
Peace must never require silence in the face of injustice.
Trust
Relationships strong enough to survive disagreement.
Compassion
The courage to see another person fully.
Peace
Not simply the absence of conflict, but the presence of just relationships.
People behind ARK
Dr. Hasnain Walji
Founding Director
Dr. Hasnain Walji is an author, educator, historian, documentary filmmaker, nutritionist and social entrepreneur with nearly five decades of community service. His work spans interfaith engagement, education, philanthropy, heritage preservation and peacebuilding. He serves as Executive Director of the United Global Initiative, Trustee of the Jaffer Family Foundation, and a member of the Advisory Board of North American University. He has also participated in the National Catholic-Muslim Dialogue and other interfaith initiatives.
Siraj Narsi
Founding Director
Siraj Narsi is an Entrepreneurship, CRE and Business Finance consultant based in Houston. He currently serves as President of Pakistan Association of Greater Houston. In addition, he also sits on the executive and advisory boards and committees of many other non-profit organizations and serves in leadership positions. Siraj is a Rotarian and has served as Vice President of Bellaire Southwest Houston Rotary Club.
Maria Gokal
Director
Maria Gokal is a speech-language pathology assistant, educator, community organizer, and small business owner based in Sugar Land, Texas. Her professional and community work reflects a longstanding interest in education, service, and creating opportunities for individuals and families to grow, learn, and thrive.
Guidance & Counsel
Dr. Barkat Charania
Advisory Board
Dr. Barkat A. Charania is a retired orthopedic surgeon, educator, entrepreneur, mediator, humanitarian volunteer, and author whose life and career have spanned multiple countries, cultures, and disciplines.
Prof. Hassan Abbas
Advisory Board
Prof. Hassan Abbas is a Distinguished Professor of International Relations at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies (NESA Center) at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C. He also serves as Senior Adviser to the Project on Shi’ism and Global Affairs at Harvard University and is a non-resident scholar with the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. His research focuses on religion and politics in South Asia and the Middle East, countering extremism, policing and rule-of-law reform.
Dr. Payam Mohseni
Advisory Board
Dr. Payam Mohseni is a scholar of Middle Eastern politics, Islamic studies and contemporary Shi‘ism, whose work brings together political science, religion and international affairs. He serves as Director of the Project on Shi‘ism and Global Affairs at Harvard Divinity School, leading an interdisciplinary initiative examining Shi‘a communities, thought, and identity globally.
Dr. Gulshan Harjee
Advisory Board
Dr. Gulshan Harjee is the Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of the Mosaic Health Center, a nationally recognized, multi award-winning nonprofit providing essential healthcare to underserved populations. A board-certified internist and certified civil surgeon, she earned her medical degree from Emory University and previously founded First Medical Care, Inc.
Raazia Nathani
Advisory Board
Raazia Nathani is an advocate and community leader with experience in domestic violence prevention, legal advocacy, public policy, and trauma-informed education. As Director of Advocacy and Outreach at An-Nisa Hope Center, she has championed legislative and judicial initiatives and developed training programs for judges, attorneys, medical professionals, students, and educators.
A society in which people of faith and conscience can confront difficult truths, resist hatred and work together without surrendering their deepest convictions.
That vision requires more than goodwill. It requires relationships strong enough to survive disagreement, and institutions patient enough to build them.
From Suspicion
To Understanding
From Polarisation
To Relationship
From Dialogue
To Principled Action