The public is invited to tour an Islamic house of worship, meet Muslims in the community and learn about Islam on Sunday during the first statewide “Open Mosque Day.”
Sheryl Siddiqui, spokeswoman for the Islamic Council of Oklahoma, a coalition of Oklahoma mosques (www.ico-ok.org), said six mosques around the state will open their doors to the community from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday.
The participating mosques include: Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City, 3815 N St. Clair;Masjid Mu’min, 1322 NE 23; Islamic Society of Edmond, 525 N University Drive, Edmond; Islamic Society of Tulsa, 4630 S Irvington Ave.,Tulsa; American Muslims’ Association of Lawton, 701 NW 17, Lawton; and the Islamic Society of Stillwater, 616 N Washington, Stillwater.
Siddiqui said the outreach is patterned after a similar effort in California and designed to create opportunities for interaction between Muslims and their non-Muslim neighbors, teach the community about Islam and dispel myths about the faith.
Siddiqui, a retired registered nurse, said each participating mosque has selected a theme for the day. Most will offer free and lectures, share food and host question-and-answer sessions.
Several mosques, like the Islamic Society of Oklahoma City’s mosque, will follow a schedule for the day.
Saad Mohammed, the society’s director of Islamic information, said leaders will take visitors on a tour of the mosque from 1 to 1:30 p.m., followed by a tour of the society’s new Mercy Mission building adjacent to the mosque from 1:35 to 1:50 p.m. He said prayer will be from 2 to 2:10 p.m. and a lecture by senior Imam Imad Enchassi and question-and-answer session will be offered from 2:20 to 3:30. Mohammed said visitors will be offered snacks and have an opportunity to socialize from 3:30 to 4 p.m.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Society of Stillwater will offer visitors a tour of their mosque, where expansion efforts are under way. The mosque’s theme is “Sneak Peak.”