his was the first visit for some within DeKalb’s Beloved Community. The group is open to people of different beliefs and backgrounds. They meet monthly at various locations to discuss a variety of topics facing residents of the DeKalb area.
Michelle Goodenough heard about the tour in her home church’s Sunday bulletin. "We are a community, and we should extend our fellowship beyond our church doors," Goodenough said. "We are amongst each other in this community, and we should learn more about each other.”
Carol Hajic says she has been reading about Islam and enjoyed hearing answers to common questions in-person.
"I thought the explanation of why you take your shoes off was so down-to-earth and logical. They are prostrating themselves on the carpet, of course, they don’t want people bringing in stuff from outside," she chuckled.
President of the Islamic Center of DeKalb, Mohammed Labadi talked about the importance of daily prayer and took questions from the visitors.
From her side, Angela Baron-Jeffrey says she appreciated the interaction among people of different backgrounds.
"The doors have always been open, but the community felt invited and welcomed. I hope that it has helped us understand our brothers and sisters of faith better,” Baron-Jeffrey said.
