Because talking to each other is always better than not
If there exists a more misunderstood group in the history of, well, humanity, it’s the followers of Islam. Controversy with the Islamic people dates back to the 7th century when Muhammad fled from Mecca to Medina after persecution from the Meccans, and since then, Muslims have had to deal with endless amounts of difficulty.
From fleeing to Medina, to the Crusades, to 21st century xenophobia and the fear of terrorism, it seems that Islam can’t catch a break.
And yet, Islam is crazy popular. In fact, a 2017 study contends that in the coming decades, Muslims will make up just over 31 percent of the global population. So, with Islam’s resilience and popularity, it’s of the utmost importance that people of all cultures and religions understand and feel comfortable with Islam and with Muslims.
Thankfully, a number of cities around the United States have started having events that allow all people from all walks of life contribute to an open conversation about Islam. We’ve all heard about how important communication is, and this is just another example of the power of dialogue.
Chattanooga is not falling behind in the dialogue about Islam. In fact, this Saturday the Understanding Islam organization of Chattanooga is hosting the third “Meet Your Muslim Neighbors” event at the Islamic Center of Greater Chattanooga on Gunbarrel Road.
These events have been extremely popular in the city of Chattanooga. Hammad Al-Ameen, leader of the “Meet Your Muslim Neighbors” event and radio program, states that over 2,000 people attended the last event: “We got people contacting us disappointed that weren’t able to get into the facility last time” because there were so many people trying to attend.
Al-Ameen continues, saying that the purpose of this event is to “open our doors.” “It’s a neighborly act.” And he’s right, it is. There is a reason the event is called “Meet Your Muslim Neighbors”, and it’s not because Muslims live separated from the rest of the world or hide away and only congregate with each other; it’s because Muslims live next door and down the street. They are neighbors.
Because they are neighbors, because they want to be neighbors, and because their faith “requires [them] to be neighborly,” Al-Ameen wants to stress that whether you are “Christian, Jew, whatever…whatever your faith is, you’re welcome.” He continues, “These events promote better relations between people,” and “they remove any misconceptions.”
The Muslim community in Chattanooga is just like the rest of the community in Chattanooga. Al-Ameen explains during our conversation, “Islam is not a secret organization, and in order for all of us to get along, we have to coexist. We should know about each other.”
Spend your weekend learning. Learn about your neighbors. Learn about who they are. Learn what they believe. Learn to respect them. Because talking about what we don’t understand is a lot healthier than ignoring it or hiding from it.