About Us

Karima Vargas Bushnell
Director and Co-Founder, Light Upon Light Sufi Center
Karima can be reached through our Contact Us page HERE, or via phone at 612-229-1231.
Karima’s Intercultural Teaching and Training
Karima Vargas Bushnell, (MA Intercultural Relations), has taught Intercultural Communication at Metropolitan State University, University of St. Thomas, and Antioch Weekend College. She is co-author of Cultural Detective® Islam, a training in use world-wide. Other writings include articles in Cross-Winds (Center for Cross-Cultural Health), an exercise for Training and Performance Sourcebook (American Society for Training and Development), and a film script and manual, Keys to the Global Village (University of St. Thomas). In 2012, a Jewish/Christian/Muslim cast performed her play, Voices on the Waves: A Multicultural Comedy-Drama, at Duluth’s festival “Celebrating World Peace.” While at St. Thomas, she received the Student of Color Ally Award. A lifelong student of world religions, Karima comes from a multi-ethnic, multicultural background. Training clients have included the National Science Foundation, HealthPartners, MN Department of Employee Relations, the Center for Cross-Cultural Health, the Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities, Minnesota Humanities Commission, Minneapolis and St. Paul Public Schools, the City of St. Paul, St. Paul Area Council of Churches, and the Minnesota Catholic Education Association.

John Hakim Bushnell
Co-Founder, Light Upon Light Sufi Center
John Hakim Bushnell has studied Sufism since 1990 when he was initiated into the Chisti Sufi lineage by Saadi Dr. Neil Douglas-Klotz. He is a certified Dances of Universal Peace teacher and been given permission to teach and give initiation into SRI. He is an experienced group facilitator and an accomplished guitarist. His upcoming release is “Delirious Walrus” recorded with his grown children, Garek and Elizabeth. He leads the Zikr of Divine Remembrance on Wednesday nights. John Hakim has completed multiple trainings by his teacher, Murshid Saadi, in the traditional foundations of Middle Eastern Mysticism, The Aramaic Words of Jesus, and more. He combines friendly informality with a experienced leading style that helps people to feel both comfortable and included.
John Hakim can be reached through our Contact Us page HERE.