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Residents Tour Islamic Center Of DeKalb

Jenna Dooley
Chuck Goodenough learns more about the Islamic Center from Mohammed Labadi during a recent tour organized by DeKalb's Beloved Community

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.”

Credit Jenna Dooley
Mohammed Labadi demonstrates the phases of prayer

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:

 

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“Do you have trouble meshing your prayer schedule with whatever job you have in the outside world?”

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“What do you do beyond prayer for a sense of community?”

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"Do you talk directly to Allah?"

Credit Jenna Dooley
DeKalb-area residents learn more about Muslim practices during a tour of the Islamic Center of DeKalb on July 23, 2017

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.

Jenna Dooley has spent her professional career in public radio. She is a graduate of Northern Illinois University and the Public Affairs Reporting Program at the University of Illinois - Springfield. She returned to Northern Public Radio in DeKalb after several years hosting Morning Edition at WUIS-FM in Springfield. She is a former "Newsfinder of the Year" from the Illinois Associated Press and recipient of NIU's Donald R. Grubb Journalism Alumni Award. She is an active member of the Illinois News Broadcasters Association and an adjunct instructor at NIU.
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