Mall  Area  Religious  Council  (MARC) Provide an Interfaith Presence at Mall of America in promoting mutual recognition and understanding among all peoples and religions, while fostering cooperation, meaning, compassion and peace in our conflicted world. Mall of America, 1992-2008 Bloomington, MN USA 42 Million Visitors Annually

John Wheeler of  Mall management, Rob Smolund of MARC Board, and John Chell, a MARC board member and co-founder, discuss the Meditation Room on February 28, 2002. A gathering that included top Mall management, security people, a Muslim representative, and MARC board members took place in order to dedicate the space and recognize its unique religious nature.

Hamdy El-Sawaf, Executive Director of the Islamic Center of Minnesota in Fridley, and John Chell of the MARC Board of Directors, examine the Golden Rule Picture that was presented to the Mall of America by MARC for permanent display in the new Employees Meditation Room. The picture has logos of major world religions and a quote from the sacred texts of each. It will keep everyone who uses the space mindful of the respect being shown to all religions in the Mall of America way of doing things.

The Golden Rule picture is here surrounded by some of the persons taking part in the event. Left to right are Mary Malsam and John Wheeler of MOA management; John Chell and Del Krueger of MARC, Hamdy El-Sawaf of the Islamic Center, and Rob Smolund of MARC.   The Mall of America Employees Meditation Room is a model for other business venues. A cooperative venture between local interfaith organizations and business ventures can produce visible progress in mutual  understanding between religions and cultures.