Missouri Muslims invite Trump supporters to mosque

A leading American Islamic group and a Missouri Islamic center joined their hands to prepare a mosque open day for Trump supporters and Republicans in General, an event aimed at building bridges of understanding in a polarized country.

“It is time for us to take sincere steps to reach out to those who may have serious suspicions about Islam and American Muslims in order to make America whole again,” Faizan Syed, executive director of the Missouri chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Missouri), said in a statement shared on Facebook on Wednesday, March 15.

“We could easily hold a mosque open house and host hundreds of people who already support the Muslim community. That’s not what we want. We want to actively reach out to those who may never have met a Muslim and have a lot of misconceptions about our faith.”

Cooperating with CAIR-Missouri, the Dar-Al-Jalal Islamic Center will host a “Make America Whole Again” mosque open house for Trump supporters on Sunday, March 26.

The open house is designed to build bridges of understanding as America becomes increasingly polarized and Islam continues to be misunderstood and maligned.

The event will feature guided tours of the Islamic center, including the prayer hall and the school. There will be presentations on “Islam 101,” along with small group discussions.

An international dinner will be served. Activity tables at which guests can get henna temporary art tattoos, have their names written in Arabic gifts, Islamic information table, try on and get a photo wearing traditional clothing from around the world, and much more.

The event is free, family friendly and open to the public. Organizers request people register online as space is limited.

The St. Louis Muslim community has been active in building bridges with Trump supporters.
Last year a group of Muslims attended a Trump rally and passed out doughnuts to all those in line.

“The best way to get to know someone is to invite them to your place of worship, break bread and have frank conversation,” said Dr. Ferrahs Abdelbaset, communication director of the Dar-Al-Jalal Islamic Center.

“We hope that many people who have questions on Islam will take advantage of this open house and visit our community.”