North Texas Muslims Open Their Mosques to Questions
The Dallas/Fort Worth chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-DFW) held the First Annual Open Mosque Day on Saturday, April 25.
The event was a multi-organization effort to provide an opportunity for North Texans to visit local mosques and to get to know their Muslim neighbors.
It was held at 4 mosques and Islamic centers in Plano, Richardson and Colleyville.
In a statement, CAIR-DFW Executive Director Alia Salem said: “DFW Open Mosque Day comes at a time when Muslims and the topic of Islam have been highlighted in local and national news more than ever before. In North Texas, there has been a concentrated focus on the Muslim community since January of 2015, leaving many DFW residents with questions about their Muslim neighbors and about Islam. This is a great opportunity for members of the North Texas community to have their questions answered.”
Nadim Bashir, Imam and Scholar at East Plano Islamic Center, stresses the need for education: “When we visit places of worship other than our own, it will increase our understanding and tolerance for one another. We see time and time again that when communities come together to learn about each other, especially when misinformation is prevalent, it creates the space needed for strong communities to develop and flourish.”
Source: CAIR
