Muslim Association Open House

This is a last reminder that the Muslim Association of Lehigh Valley is holding an open house Saturday from 11-3.

It's a great opportunity to meet your Muslim neighbors, learn something about Islam, get a guided tour and enjoy ethnic snacks from around the Muslim world. They're at 1988 Schadt Ave., Whitehall.

I did a column about this event the other day, pointing out that local Muslims have indeed spoken out against the violence happening in the Middle East in the name of Islam. But if you have questions of your own about what's happening there, how it relates to the Quran, what American Muslims think about or anything else, this is your chance.

Since our screwed up blog platform won't allow comments if the post is too short, I'll tack one of my old columns about Muslim-Christian relations on here. It ran in May 2013:

An American Muslim man was standing in a parking lot the other day when a passing motorist shouted something familiar at him.

"Go home!"

The Boston Marathon bombing offered new fuel to people who have difficulty distinguishing, not just between foreign terrorists and ordinary American citizens, but also between the radicalized version of Islam pursued in some Middle Eastern countries today and the reality of the religion practiced by truly devout Muslims.

I got a strong reminder when I posted a note on my blog about last Thursday night's gathering of the group Muslims and Christians United, A Lehigh Valley Initiative for Justice and Peace, for a potluck supper and discussion.