Help to Find Muslims Living Near You

The National Council of Churches and its partner institution, the Macdonald Center for Christian-Muslim Relations at Hartford Seminary, have spoken with a number of Muslim organizations about this Open House project in the past several months. They have all expressed excitement and support.

Among these organizations are

• The Council on American-Islamic Relations -- contact Director of Governmental Relations Jason Erb jerb@cair-net.org

• The Islamic Society of North America -- contact Executive Director Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed Ssyeed@aol.com

• The Islamic Circle of North America -- contact Secretary General Naeem M. Baig icnasg@aol.com

• The Muslims in the Public Square Project at Georgetown University -- contact Project Director Zahid Bukhari zbh@georgetown.edu.

In general these Muslim leaders have said that it would be easiest for them to help us identify particular mosques once we know what Christian congregations want to hold Open Houses.   Therefore, if you decide that your church is interested in pursuing this project, first check the following sources of information to find mosques in your local area:

• The web site of Harvard University's Pluralism Project (www.pluralism.org) is currently the most comprehensive online source for the contact information in the United States. This directory of over 4500 religious centers lists Islamic centers across the country as part of its overall listings of religious sites and communities in America. Go to www.pluralism.org/directory/index.php and click on the listing for Islam.

• The Hartford Institute for Religion Research at Hartford Seminary  is creating a database of contact information from the Faith Communities Today research project (http://FACT.hartsem.edu).  This database will be available soon -- watch for it! -- at http://hirr.hartsem.edu/org/mosquedirectory.html.  

If your congregation wants to hold an Open House and would like more assistance in finding an appropriate mosque or in knowing how to make contact with a mosque they have identified as a potential invitee, please be in direct contact with either Jay Rock at the National of Churches jrock@ncccusa.org or Jane Smith at Hartford Seminary jismith@hartsem.edu.

The months since September 11, 2001, have been difficult ones for American Muslims. While they are extremely grateful for the efforts that many Christians have made to reach out to them, that very initiative has meant that they have been called on to respond and to participate in speaking and dialogue events to an unprecedented extent.

Often those serving in leadership positions in mosques are volunteers who must balance their mosque responsibilities with full-time jobs. In some cases Muslims simply do not have the time, energy and resources to respond further right now. In other cases, mosque congregations are dealing with the reality of being Muslim in the American context by consolidating their own resources and not, for the present, involving themselves with non-Muslim groups. Even if your invitation should be declined, it does not mean that Muslims are not deeply appreciative of Christian efforts at support and communication. Your invitation itself will be received as an important statement of good will and openness.

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Click on one of the links below to read other sections of this guide to an Open House:

• Introduction to the Open House Guide

• Steps in Planning and Holding an Open House

• You are Here > Help to Find Muslims Living Near You

• The Experience of One Congregation in Christian-Muslim Dialogue

• After the Open House—Going Forward Together

• Basic Facts About Islam, and Resources

• Hospitality

All of this material may be downloaded, copied and used freely, with credit to National Council of Churches, USA. Copies are not to be sold.