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Visitors to Oakland center reach out to Muslims
Monday, December 03, 2001 By Ervin Dyer, Post-Gazette Staff Writer
Since Sept. 11, Muslims in Pittsburgh have rushed into the community to explain the tenets of their faith.
To spread its message of peace, they've traveled to schools, libraries, houses of worship. No forum has been too far away.
Last night, the community came to the Muslims.
More than 350 of the curious flowed into Oakland's Islamic Center of Pittsburgh for the seventh Humanity Day -- a chance to give non-Muslims a peek at the religion.
The occasion took on added significance this year as Muslims are reaching out to a public both inquisitive about their faith and mystified by extremists who act in the name of Islam.
"We got so many calls this year," said Farooq Hussaini, as he greeted a stream of visitors at the center's entrance, "that we had to stop accepting reservations. There was no more space."
This year, Humanity Day fell at the mid-point of Ramadan, a 30-day holy period that commemorates the revelation of the Muslim holy book, the Quran, to the prophet Mohammed. It is a time of renewal for Muslims, who are asked to abstain from all food and sensual pleasures from dawn to dusk and to draw closer to Allah.
Visitors to the center last night saw the worship up close.
Non-Muslim women were invited to try the hijab, or head covering, and showed how to put it on and tie it. Many wore them throughout the evening.
Then came the azan, or call to prayer. A rainbow mix of cultures, faces and clothing lined up shoulder to shoulder for the ritual.
Next came the iftar, or breaking of the fast, with the maghrib, or sunset prayer.
During a feast of international foods and pizza, non-Muslims saw a community focusing on spiritual renewal to hold itself together. In the days and weeks following the attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C., some Muslims in Pittsburgh have been harassed and under suspicion.
"There have been painful issues," said Safdar Chaudhary, head of public relations for the Muslim Council of Pittsburgh. "But we talk issues through. A collective wisdom calls for eliminating elements of violence."
A prayer reflected that with the words: "Ruler of the Day of Judgment, only you do we worship, only you do we ask for help. Show us the straight path, the path of those whom you have favored, not of those who earn your anger, nor those who go astray."
One speaker said last night: "Ramadan is a time of repentance. Islam has brought purity to my soul and tranquillity to my heart."
Her message fell on the ears of first-time visitor Erica, a Protestant from Shadyside who didn't reveal her last name. Erica read the entire Quran after Sept. 11. She said she was looking for answers. Brought to the center by a friend, Erica said she wanted to ask about the roots of Islam.
Buba Misawa, a Muslim from Nigeria and a political science professor at Washington and Jefferson College, said many of his friends were puzzled after the terrorist attacks.
"They were sincerely interested in Islam. They demanded literature and wanted to understand the religion," he said.
So, Misawa invited them to attend.
His friend Gerald Weiss, a social worker and Presbyterian minister who works with the Council for Racial Equality in Washington, Pa., came, as did about half of its members. It was their first visit to the center.
"It's important to be in the same space with everybody," Weiss said.
He added that his group's visit was an exercise in bridge building.
"The absolute first step is being aware that they exist," he said.
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