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Islamic Society of Greater Youngstown hosts open house to help foster understanding, unity
By Sean Barron
YOUNGSTOWN
When it comes to greater understanding and acceptance of Muslims, Gwen Pfrenger would like more people to start with or review the basics.
“There’s sometimes this misperception that Muslims are terrible people, and it’s not true,” the 14-year-old Canfield High School girl observed. “People who attack them should get to know the people they’re hurting and put themselves in their shoes.”
Gwen, her brother, Teag, 7, and younger sister, Elsa, 11, shared some of what they learned about the Muslim faith after having taken part in a tour during the Islamic Society of Greater Youngstown’s open house Sunday afternoon at the Masjid Al-Khair mosque, 1670 Homewood Ave., on the South Side.
The 3.5 hour gathering was largely to welcome visitors of all faiths to the mosque and encourage them to listen to Muslims discuss their religion and customs, as well as to let attendees “get to know the common beliefs we share,” noted Randa Shabayek, the Islamic Society’s former president.
Gwen said widespread fear of Muslims is unfounded, since the vast majority of them believe in God, are charitable and want peace, as do most people from all religions. Getting to know them better is the best way to conquer such fears, she continued.
“It’s a pretty good thing to do, no matter what religion you follow,” Elsa, a Canfield Middle School seventh-grader, said about helping charities.
Elsa added that some aspects of Muslim life she found intriguing are their beliefs that Muhammad was the last of the prophets, and that many pray five times daily and “make that long trip to Mecca.”
Certain aesthetics pertaining to the mosque, along with some cultural aspects, caught Teag’s eye, such as many of its colorful designs, wall attractions and calligraphy. Also of interest to the Hilltop Elementary School second-grader was the knowledge that Arabic is written from right to left, he said.
Accompanying the three siblings was their mother, Wendy Pfrenger.
“The work that goes into all of these things is so intricate,” said Amina Malik, a mosque member who was helping to sell a variety of handcrafted jewelry, earrings and shirts made in India and Pakistan.
Also displayed on her table were handmade shawls and pillow covers that surrounded a few hand-painted bowls crafted in Turkey, said Malik, whose mother, Azka Malik, is part of Masjid Al-Khair’s executive committee.
Another major part of the festivities were the ethnic dishes, which featured spinach pies, egg rolls and breads. Specialties included kabsa (a family of rice dishes that originates in Saudi Arabia), samosa (a fried or baked turnover filled with spiced potatoes, onions, lentils, peas or other ingredients), biryani (an Asian rice dish), cholay (curried chickpeas), kibee (a type of wheat-germ item commonly stuffed with meat, pine nuts and onions) and maklouba (a traditional upside-down Arab cauliflower dish usually with a choice of meats, rice and roasted vegetables).
Shabayek said she was pleased to see a large turnout, but added she hopes more people will take steps to break down barriers and chip away at divisive attitudes regarding Muslims. One big step toward that end is to realize that Muslim people have much more in common with others than differences, she continued.
“The more we know each other, the more comfortable we will be in dealing with each other. We’re all human beings created by the same God,” she said.
Shabayek added she hopes to see the end of any given group of people acting superior to any other, saying, “An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.”
Also at the event were activities for children, copies of the Quran and information on Islam. In addition, some attendees took advantage of free blood-pressure and glucose checks.