A cross-cultural gathering at the Community Center in St. Peter, Minnesota, aimed at building understanding between residents and their Muslim-American neighbors.
After the community center and VINE Faith in Action teamed up on a similar event last fall, enough interest was drawn to prompt another event this year open to the public focusing on women’s role in Islam.
"Our hope is that people can find common ground with each other,” said Tami Skinner, director of St. Peter Community Education. "We want to provide opportunities for people to get to know one another and learn about each other’s cultures.”
Julie Hawker, VINE’s diversity coordinator, said events like this gathering are needed, as there remain misunderstandings about Islam.
"We want to show how many things we have in common instead of the differences we have,” she said. "That’s how you build friendships.”
The US has been witnessing an increasing rate of Islamophobic acts lately.