Open House Aims to Share Information about Islam

What does Islam say about war?

Why is Islam often misunderstood?

What does Islam say about Jesus?

Those an other questions were answered Saturday for anyone who attended an open house and health fair at the on 10 Mile Road in Farmington Hills. Asim Khan, chairman of the mosque's board of trustees, said the Center held its first open house after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

"Right after 9/11, there was a lot of information out," he said. "People were curious about what Islam is and who Muslims are. People were afraid, and we felt this was a way of getting the unknown out."

Since then, the Tawheed Center has undergone a transformation. After a three-year construction project, the newly renovated mosque opened last year. The Center was part of the House of Worship Tour sponsored last fall by the Multicultural Multiracial Community Council.

On Saturday, guests were taken on tours to see the prayer rooms, gymnasium and community rooms on the first floor, along with classrooms and a conference room on the second floor. Tour guide Ayyub Khan, a junior at and Asim Khan's son, explained there are 20-25 students in the hifz school, where students divide their time between regular school subjects and memorizing the Quran, the Muslim sacred text, in Arabic.

On the main floor, volunteers stood near large posters that raised questions and supplied information about Muslims and Islam. Umar Ahmed, 18, of Farmington Hills, talked about the Quran's inclusion of information about Jesus and Mary, key figures in the Christian faith. Talah Saleem, 16, of West Bloomfield explained that Muslims believe strongly in peace and look at war as a very last resort, only for specific aims.

Asim Khan said that, because of construction, the Open House was not held for a few years. The sixth event, held Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., also included a variety of health screenings in the gymnasium and on the second floor. He said the mosque was not large enough to offer it in previous years.

"We have a lot of people in our community who are doctors," Khan said, adding Henry Ford Health System also supported the event.

He said the health fair was designed especially for those who don't have health insurance. After the basic testing and exams, physicians will follow up to ensure the individual gets whatever care is needed.

For more information about the Tawheed Center, visit tawheedcenter.org, or write to info@tawheedcenter.org