Crowd packs inside local mosque to show support for Muslim community
Dozens packed inside the Colorado Springs Islamic Center for an open house hosted by the Muslim community to hear about Islam and ask questions.
The crowd was served traditional foods before removing their shoes and taking a seat inside the mosque.
Kamel Elwazeir with the Islamic Center thanked everyone for coming and showing support during this difficult time for Muslims. Elwazeir said the Colorado Springs mosque has been overwhelmed with emails filled with kindness from the community. Elwazeir said it’s been a difficult time to be Muslim.
“Walking down the streets or the mall or any grocery store, people when they look at you, you don’t know what to expect, you don’t know if they think of you as a terrorist, as a threat to this country,” said Elwazier. “You just want to tell everybody I am just a random person, a normal person that lives in this country and cherishes living in the United States.”
Elwazeir also thanked Mayor John Suthers’ Office and the Colorado Springs Police for their support in recent weeks.
Attendees received a lesson in Islam and after, had a chance to ask questions.
Arshad Yousufi told the crowd that ISIS does not represent Islam and their violent actions are the opposite of the teachings of Islam.
“Yes, we have our fair share of crazy people. But please don’t blame Islam for that. Islam can be an additional excuse for a crazy person but it is not a reason for someone to do something crazy,” said Yousufi.
This comes after Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump proposed a ban on letting Muslims into the US after two people killed more than a dozen in San Bernardino.
