It goes without saying that events beginning with 9/11 have frequently made it difficult for Muslims in our society. The Islamic Society of Greater Lansing deserves credit for being proactive in reaching out to the broader community to dispel myths about their religion. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Islamic Center in East Lansing, the society hosted an educational open house. Sadly, the day-long event took place against the backdrop of fresh heartache caused by the mass killings at Fort Hood that occurred nine days earlier. Members of the Islamic Center welcomed questions from non-Muslims about such incidents. As the video below attests, members of the Islamic Center want to assure the broader community that their religion stands for peace.
The center offers a place for area’s 8,000 Muslims to pray, and roughly 600 to 1,000 local Muslims are members. For the past 10 years, the center has also provided an elementary and middle school, the Greater Lansing Islamic School.
Links of interest:
- Introduction to Islam - A PDF handout from the Islamic Center
