In a move to broaden its educational outreach and interfaith engagement within the New England corridor, the Center for Peace and Spirituality USA (CPS USA) announced on Monday the opening of its newest facility in Waltham. The center, situated at 391 Totten Pond Road, Suite 402, represents a physical milestone for the 501(c)(3) nonprofit as it attempts to bridge cultural divides through the promotion of spirituality and non-violence.
The expansion comes at a time when interfaith collaboration has become a focal point of civic life in Massachusetts. The Waltham center is designed to act as a neutral ground where individuals from various religious or secular backgrounds can engage in what the organization calls “intellectual discovery.” By focusing on the spiritual and peaceful message of Islam, the center’s leadership hopes to replace prevailing misconceptions with a dialogue rooted in mutual respect and co-existence.
A Legacy of Peace and Positive Action
The philosophical foundation of the new center is deeply rooted in the life’s work of Maulana Wahiduddin Khan (1925–2021), a world-renowned Islamic scholar and recipient of India’s second-highest civilian honor, the Padma Vibhushan. Khan, who founded the parent organization CPS International in 2001, was a vocal advocate for peaceful co-existence and was famously referred to by some as “Islam’s Spiritual Ambassador to the World.”
“Our goal is for people to learn about the spiritual and peaceful message of Islam and be introduced to the thoughts and literature of our founder,” said Asad Pervez, Director of the CPS USA Boston center. Speaking from the new office suite, Pervez emphasized that the center’s mission is less about conversion and more about communal understanding. “We work towards changing the impression people have of the Quran from a ‘Holy Book of the Muslims’ to ‘A Divine Revelation and Guidance for Humanity.’”
Pervez cited Quranic verse 41:34—which instructs followers to repel evil with goodness—as a cornerstone of the center’s approach. This specific philosophy of “responding to negativity with positivity” was a hallmark of Khan’s teachings, which he promoted for over seven decades.
Data-Driven Outreach and Global Context
Since its inception as Alrisala Forum International Inc. in 1997, CPS USA has grown into a formidable educational entity. The organization is perhaps best known for its massive distribution of Quran translations. To date, the global network has distributed millions of copies of the Quran in over 30 languages, including English, Spanish, French, and Japanese.
The Waltham center is part of a larger strategy to provide localized contexts for these materials. In 2025 alone, CPS USA reported successful outreach programs at various North American book fairs, including the AWP Conference in Baltimore and numerous street fairs across New Jersey. By establishing a permanent footprint in Massachusetts, the organization aims to move beyond temporary events toward sustained community building.
“Maulana Wahiduddin Khan used to say, ‘A negative mindset is shaped by history; a positive mindset shapes history,’” Pervez noted during the announcement. He explained that the center’s programs—including study circles and youth sessions—are designed to help individuals manage the stresses of modern life through spiritual grounding.
The Political and Social Landscape
While many religious organizations involve themselves in social justice or political activism, CPS USA maintains a strictly non-political stance. This distinction is a central tenet of Khan’s “Ideology of Peace,” which posits that individual spiritual reform must precede social change. By avoiding political entanglements, the organization seeks to create a safe harbor for dialogue that is often missing in an increasingly polarized public square.
The Greater Boston area presents a unique demographic for such an initiative. According to recent regional studies on interfaith trends, Massachusetts has seen a rise in “spiritually fluid” households and intermarried families who are seeking inclusive spaces for moral and ethical reflection. The Waltham center’s programs for youth and women are specifically designed to be “open to all,” requiring no prior religious preparation or knowledge.
Future Initiatives and Community Engagement
The new Waltham center will host a series of interactive sessions that encourage participants to reflect on the “Creation Plan of God”—a core concept in the center’s literature that focuses on the purpose of human life. These sessions are intended to be conversational rather than liturgical.
As CPS USA continues to expand its reach, the Waltham location will also serve as a distribution point for its literature, which is aimed at explaining Islam in the “modern idiom.” This includes the Al-Risala journal, which has been a vehicle for Khan’s peace-based interpretations since 1976.
“The center plays the role of a location where we can invite people, showcase our efforts, have meaningful conversations, and introduce them to the spiritual approach of Islam,” Pervez said. For the residents of Waltham and the surrounding towns, the opening represents a new chapter in the region’s long history of religious pluralism and intellectual inquiry.
For more information, visit https://cpsusa.net/.
