By DANIEL HERATY
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN – Residents are invited to attend a free gathering at a local mosque from 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 13 in celebration of Ramadan.
Ramadan is a month-long Islamic holiday commemorating when the first verses of the Quran were believed to have been revealed to the prophet Muhammad. The holiday began Monday.
Entering its seventh year, the event, called Humanity Day, will be held at the American Moslem Society Dearborn Mosque, 9945 W. Vernor Highway.
Sponsored by the American Moslem Society Outreach Committee, the event aims to eliminate misconceptions people may have about Islam by allowing them to see a celebration of one of its biggest holidays up close.
“Sometimes people are reluctant to come to the mosque because of what they see,” Committee Member Mosad Al-Gahmi said, “so we try to break those fears.”
He said once the guests get to know each other, they will go to the main prayer hall, where they will be shown fasting rituals. A sunset prayer will be observed, followed by a fast-breaking dinner consisting of Middle Eastern food catered by area restaurants.
The event also features an informative discussion featuring a guest speaker, who had not been selected as of press time.
“The speaker is usually an imam, (a mosque worship leader), or someone from the community,” Al-Gahmi said. “We pick a topic, speak about it and then open the floor to any questions that the people might have.”
He said the objective of the event is for the community to participate in the ceremony, not just to hear a lecture.
Those interested in attending can contact the Outreach Committee at (313) 377-5788, or through email at [email protected] All guests are asked to dress modestly for a place of worship.
(Daniel Heraty can be reached at [email protected])