The sixth annual Islamic Center of Maine open house event on Saturday, March 21 brought together students and citizens to not only converse on the basics of Islam, but to discuss universal truths of respect and community.

Driving down Park Street, one could easily miss the humble and unassuming Islamic Center of Maine building, as it sits away from the road near the tree line. What could be misconstrued as a cold and quiet building, however, was very much alive with the warmth of new friends discovering each other’s similarities, while simultaneously celebrating their differences. As the line of visitors continued to stream in through the doors and take off their shoes, the mosque was filled with pleasantries and introductions. Excited eyes darted around the room, as reassuring smiles and nods were exchanged between strangers. A voice over the intercom announced the event would be starting shortly, and people made their way to their seats as the lights dimmed.

Over the course of the next two hours, speaker Areeb Islam, who had come all the way from South Africa for the event, presented on how the religion and culture of Islam fits into the community and how it’s more than what some of today’s Americans recognize it to be. Focus was placed on discussions of freedom and responsibility. The talk discussed a person’s responsibility (regardless of religion or race) to be free without infringing on the freedoms of others.

Toward the end of the event, a question and answer session was held by both Areeb Islam and Mahmoud Elbegearmi, an active and distinguished member of the local Maine Islamic community. Questions ranging from Islamic stances on events in the Middle East, to opinions on Jesus and Moses were honestly considered and answered, something that Elbegearmi deemed very important.

“The point of an event like this is to allow the surrounding community to come in and see the place and ask questions. It’s very important for people to come in [the Islamic Center] and see that it’s not any different from any other worship place,” Elbegearmi said. “We hope through this type of event, that people will understand [Islamic culture] and can hear the right answers [to their questions] rather than imagine why.”

After the event concluded, a reception that was being held for visitors coincided with Maghrib prayer, or evening prayer. This gave the visiting public the opportunity to see how prayer is performed in Islam and perhaps lent a greater understanding to what Islamic worship is like. As a line stretched from the prayer room to the banquet room, people waiting to taste the traditional dishes prepared by the women of the Islamic community allowed themselves to intermingle with one another and discuss the evening’s events.

The conversations consisted of different languages blended together as the call to prayer could be heard throughout the mosque. Once inside the banquet room, a generous mix of food was offered for curious attendees to try, as hungry hands picked through the offerings, looking to introduce a new flavor to their taste buds.

Out in the hallways people stood, sharing meals and getting to know one another. Walking around to greet people and perhaps share a conversation, Areeb Islam was very pleased with what he observed during Saturday’s event.

“This is probably one of the most open societies that I’ve seen in terms of tolerance and mutual respect,” Areeb Islam said. “Maybe 80 or 90 percent of the people were not Muslim, which speaks volumes of the community here.”

While the public turnout to the Islamic Center’s open house was indeed a positive result, the people at the Islamic Center have also been working hard to make such nights possible. The Outreach Coordinator for the Islamic Center of Maine, Omar Conteh, explained that many people involved with the Islamic Center of Maine are constantly working to bring the town’s community together.

“I go out and speak to the community about Islam and the commonality between people, to try to bring understanding among people. I have support from a lot of others that help me out with (awareness) too, so I can’t take credit for all of it,” Conteh said.

Some of the visiting students in the crowd were the most active in discussing with their peers and were reassured by what they saw in the Islamic Center of Maine. First-year student of the Honor’s College, Jodaliza Feliz was one such attendee.

“It’s basically treating others with respect and helping people. Coming here, I actually see that. The people here are really about taking care of others,” Feliz said, “You’re greeted like you’re one of their own. It feels like home.”

The day before Saturday’s open house, a related event was held on campus in Estabrook Hall called “Tolerance, Human Rights and Religion.” Preceptor and Coordinator of Advancement Dr. Melissa Ladenheim, who was an advocate for promoting the event and attended both, commented on the linkage in theme between both gatherings.

“[The open house] was kind of a continuation of this notion of freedom of expression and rights and responsibilities. Areeb Islam spent a lot of time talking about the notion of freedom and what it means to be free. There are limitations if our freedom infringes on someone else’s freedom,” Ladenheim said. “We have the ability to do things, but in a society there are certain boundaries and if you cross those boundaries in ways that aren’t appropriate, then there’s a consequence.”

Both discussions were considered a success by many at the events with visitors walking away with a greater appreciation and understanding than they had when they walked in.

As the crowd started to collect their shoes and shuffle back out into the dark, the strangers once again went their separate ways. Though the open house event had ended, and people had gone back to living their own lives, the experience shared in the warmth of the Islamic Center of Maine will not be soon forgotten. The overall success of this year’s open house was an encouraging sight for many in attendance.

Ladenheim would like to see similar interactions continue to help strengthen the bonds between people and culture.

“If you create opportunities for people to have conversation, that’s going to foster understanding and you’re going to find commonalities,” Ladenheim said. “If we can continue to do that and we can engage people on a really personal level, then I think we can shift the discourse.”