Excerpt:
Mosques from San Diego to Los Angeles opened their doors to people of all faiths on Sunday. Now in its 12th year, Open Mosque Day is sponsored by the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California. The event aims to dispel Muslim stereotypes and Islamophobia that still persist in the U.S. more than a decade after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
On a Sunday, when Christians attend church, Muslims invited the public to step inside their place of worship to take a tour and ask questions. Ahmed Asim Buyuksoy is the Director of Religious Affairs at The Islamic Center of Southern California.
"The whole purpose of Open Mosque Day is to introduce ourselves and our community, our religion, our culture to other brothers and sisters from different faiths and backgrounds," said Buyuksoy.