Center for Peace and Spirituality USA Appoints Kouser Izhar as Chaplain

BOSTON—  The Center for Peace and Spirituality USA (CPS USA) has named Kouser Izhar as its chaplain, expanding the organization’s spiritual-care and interfaith outreach. Izhar will offer a compassionate spiritual presence to individuals seeking support, listening without judgment and accompanying people through difficult moments and personal journeys.

Izhar is the first chaplain appointed by CPS USA, marking a new dimension in the organization’s work to promote peace, spirituality, interfaith understanding and personal reflection.

“We are very excited to welcome Kouser as the first chaplain of CPS USA,” said Asad Pervez, director of the CPS USA Boston center. “Her journey, experience and deep commitment to understanding people from different backgrounds make her a wonderful addition to our organization. Chaplaincy is about being present for people, listening with compassion and creating a space where individuals can explore questions of faith, meaning and life without judgment. We are very pleased to have Kouser on board and look forward to the contribution she will make through this new role.”

Izhar’s path to chaplaincy began in science and technology. After earning a bachelor’s degree in science, she spent nearly three decades working in information technology, including serving as a Backup and Recovery Administrator with Commvault and other companies.

Her involvement with CPS USA gradually opened a different dimension of her life. Through studying the Qur’an, reading the writings of Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, engaging in interfaith conversations and spending years sharing Qur’ans and spiritual literature with people from diverse backgrounds, Izhar developed a deeper interest in the human mind, consciousness and the ways people understand God, faith, religion and religious practice.

Her conversations with people from many walks of life led her to explore a fundamental question: Why do people search for God in such different ways, and how do their experiences shape what they come to believe?

Over time, Izhar came to recognize that people often need to be heard and understood before they need answers. That realization led her toward chaplaincy, where spiritual care centers on compassionate presence, attentive listening and accompanying individuals through their own questions and experiences.

Izhar pursued a master’s degree in theology as well as formal training in interfaith chaplaincy, preparing her to provide spiritual care to people from diverse backgrounds and faith traditions.

For Izhar, chaplaincy represents a natural continuation of her work with CPS USA. Her journey has evolved from sharing the Qur’an and spiritual literature with seekers to creating space for deeper conversations about meaning, peace, faith and the Divine.

As chaplain, Izhar will bring this approach to her work with individuals and communities, offering a listening presence and supporting people as they navigate questions of spirituality, purpose, personal challenges and life’s transitions.

Izhar’s appointment adds a new dimension to CPS USA’s efforts to foster spiritual awareness, interfaith dialogue and peaceful engagement among people from diverse backgrounds.