Dozens of residents recently toured the Islamic Center of DeKalb. It was part of an effort to answer questions directly about the world's second-largest religion.
This was the first visit for some within DeKalb’s Beloved Community. The group is open to people of different beliefs and backgrounds. They meet monthly at different locations to discuss a variety of topics facing residents of the DeKalb area.
Michelle Goodenough heard about the tour in her home church’s Sunday bulletin.
“We are a community, and we should extend our fellowship beyond our church doors," Goodenough said. "We are amongst each other in this community and we should learn more about each other.”
Carol Hajic says she has been reading about Islam and enjoyed hearing answers to common questions in-person.
“I thought the explanation of why you take your shoes off was so down-to-earth and logical. They are prostrating themselves on the carpet-- of course they don’t want people bringing in stuff from outside," she chuckled.
Mohammed Labadi is president of the Islamic Center of DeKalb. He talked about the the importance of daily prayer and took questions from the visitors, including:
Angela Baron-Jeffrey says she appreciated the interaction among people of different backgrounds.
“The doors have always been open, but the community felt invited and welcomed. I hope that it has helped us understand our brothers and sisters of faith better,” Baron-Jeffrey said.