Berlin Mosque Opens Its Doors to the Public

TEHRAN (IQNA) - Visitors at the town mosque for the Islamic Association of Greater Hartford were greeted with this phrase throughout an open house earlier this month.

Translated to “the peace of Allah be upon you,” the welcoming message set the tone for an afternoon.

“One of the things I often say is that, as Muslims, we have to spend less time talking about what we’re not and more time talking about what we are about,” said Imam Refai Arefin, one of the presenters throughout the day’s proceedings.

The program began with a tour of the mosque, located at 1781 Wilbur Cross Highway, followed by a brief overview of the articles of faith and the pillars of Islam.

Attendants also bore witness to a recitation of the Quran, the holy book of Islam, as well as presentations from members of the mosque on different topics in Islam that have become misconstrued in modern society.

“I think I was getting really sick and tired of the media putting down some beliefs and kind of bashing them,” said Candi Gilbert, a member of the Berlin community who visited the mosque. “And I’d read The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns (written by Khaled Hosseini, a Muslim author) and thought ‘the Islamic religion is really quite beautiful, quite lovely.’

Gilbert, along with the other attendees, was able to hear Mark Minor — who converted to Islam a few years ago — shed light on little known facts about the religion, such as shared prophets between Islam and other mainstream faiths: Noah, Moses and Jesus.

Aida Mansoor also spoke to the mosque’s visitors about women in Islam and the freedoms and rights they hold.

Arefin touched upon common misconceptions of the religion before a question and answer session with the public that ventured through topics such as ISIL extremists and caricatures of the prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

“I feel very comfortable. I want to learn the Quran by myself. I’m going to start classes once a week at the mosque, and just spread the word,” Gilbert said.

“I came here on my own; no one told me to come here, I chose to come. It was welcoming, it was warm, it was friendly, and it was gracious.”

To find out more about Islam, the Berlin Mosque and its community, visit www.berlinmosque.org.

Source: myrecordjournal.com