Mohamed Dewji

Mohamed Dewji

Mohamed Dewji was born in Kenya and has been living in Canada since 1976. Mohamed’s engagement with his mosque community began at the age of 16 as a Sunday School Instructor at the Az-Zahraa Islamic Centre.  Since then, he has held various administrative roles at the Centre, including two terms as Vice-President.  A founding member of the Az-Zahraa Islamic Academy, he was also the Board Chair from 1999 to 2008. 

In 2016, Mohamed served as President of NASIMCO, an umbrella organization serving Shi’i Muslim communities across North America.  Most recently, he and his wife, Fatema, have set up The Rahma Foundation to support refugee claimants and women fleeing abuse with food, shelter, education, and peer counseling.  Now semi-retired from his career in pharmacy, Mohamed has facilitated various programs, including Leadership Development and Compassionate Integrity Training.  He loves hiking mountains, traveling, listening to Qawalli music, and reading Sufi poetry.

Storyteller, Inspiring Stories: Discussing Politics in Religious Spaces

Charlie and Mary Matthews

Charlie and Mary Matthews

Charlie and Mary Matthews have been married for 28 years and have three adult children.  Raised in Southern California, Charlie grew up in a Quaker Friends church where his parents hosted youth groups. Mary was born in Lebanon, attended an Armenian evangelical school, and grew up in the Armenian Apostolic Church. They worship, serve as lay leaders, and find spiritual community with Glendale Presbyterian Church.

Charlie runs strategy for a network technology company and spent most of his career in the technology industry.  Mary is transitioning from stay-at-home Mom to executive advisor to her adult children.  They recently purchased and started restoring a used Eurovan as part of their foray into occasional van life.

Storyteller, Inspiring Stories: Intersect Marriages

Saira Sayeed

Saira Sayeed

​Saira  Sayeed was born in Pakistan to a Christian mother and a Muslim father and migrated to Canada with her parents when she was three years old. She and her husband, Shakeel, have been married for 30 years and have raised four amazing young adults together. Saira is from the Shia sect of Islam, and Shakeel is from the Sunni sect. 

Saira was an Instructional Assistant in the Culver City school district for 15 years and served on the PTA board at the site level and district level. She currently sits on the board of the Arabic Studies Teacher Workshop, which brings awareness and understanding to teachers of all grade levels about Middle Eastern cultures, languages, and religions. 

Storyteller, Inspiring Stories: Intersect Marriages

Claire Dietrich Ranna

Claire Dietrich Ranna

The Rev. Claire Dietrich Ranna is the Rector of Christ Episcopal Church and the Chaplain to Ventana School, a Reggio Emilia inspired Pre- and Elementary School in Los Altos, CA.  She is a member of the Los Altos Rotary Club and serves on the board of Community Services Agency of Mountain View and Los Altos. 

Rev. Claire earned her Master of Divinity at Berkeley Divinity School at Yale University in 2014, and then served The Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin in San Francisco as Associate Rector.  

Before pursuing theological education, she co-wrote and co-produced the award-winning documentary film Miss Representation. Her writing has been published by onbeing.org and Young Clergy Women International, and she currently co-hosts the Vital+Thriving Congregations podcast.

Her husband, Haamid, was born and raised in Pakistan and identifies as Muslim. They have two young children. You can find Rev. Claire at www.ccla.us.

Storyteller, Inspiring Stories: Interfaith Family Life Across Three Generations

Kersi Bhikhaji Shroff

Kersi Bhikhaji Shroff

Mr. Kersi Bhikhaji Shroff, a Parsi born in Karachi, India, is an independent student of the Zoroastrian religion and its traditions. His early years were spent at the tail end of colonial British rule in India and saw the creation of the new country of Pakistan (1947), navigating life as part of a small religious minority in a Muslim nation. 

In addition to a long legal career in the UK and the US, Kersi has published many articles on Zoroastrianism and served as a leader in the Zoroastrian community and in interfaith efforts in the Metro DC area for many years. 

Kersi has been married to Alberta Bertuzzi (an Italian American Catholic) for almost 50 years, and they have an adult daughter, Gina Shroff.

Storyteller, Inspiring Stories: Interfaith Family Life Across Three Generations