Imam Jihad Turk is the Director of Religious Affairs at the Islamic Center of Southern California. Born to a Muslim-Palestinian father and a Christian-American mother, Turk spent his college years traveling the Muslim world, exploring his Islamic roots. He spent time in both the Islamic University of Medina, where he studied Arabic and Islamic Studies, and Iran, where he studied Farsi at the University of Tehran and in Qum. He completed his undergraduate study at the University of California, Berkeley where he received his B.A. degree in History and Arabic. After marrying his wife Anjum in 1995, Turk went on to complete his Master's degree at the University of Texas, Austin in Islamic Law and Arabic. In 2000, he and his wife moved to Southern California, where they have been ever since. In addition to his work with the Islamic Center of Southern California, Turk has been working to complete his PhD at UCLA in Islamic Studies, while teaching courses in Arabic and Islamic religion and culture through the UCLA Extension program. In addition to serving the religious needs of his community, he focuses much of his attention on interfaith work. He has organized many interfaith events, including an interfaith 9/11 memorial which is held annually at the Islamic Center. He also currently serves as President of the Wilshire Center Interfaith Council, which sponsors an annual interfaith trip to the Holy Land. Additionally, Turk serves as the Vice President of the Interreligious Council of Southern California, and, together with Gwynne Guibord, an Episcopal Priest, Turk founded and currently serves as Co-Chair of the Christian-Muslim Consultative Group, comprised of major Christian and Muslim denominations and organizations intent on understanding each other and working together on common goals. He is also a Religious Director at the University of Southern California, where he advises and serves the needs of the Muslim students on campus.