Hoping to nurture good will between two major faiths, Christians and Muslims will mingle Sunday at a Texas barbecue at a Keller church.

The Rev. Bob Roberts, pastor of the 3,000-member NorthWood Church, said the gathering is intended to create friendships and recruit Muslims and Christians who will work together on a series of community projects.

"We've got a big Muslim issue in America," Roberts said. "There are 2 billion Christians in the world and 1.5 billion Muslims. If we don't learn how to get along, we are going to have a very sick world."

Those attending will be served beef slaughtered according to Islamic rules.

It's a follow-up to a similar service at NorthWood – attended by 1,500 Muslims and 1,000 Christians – shortly after the 10th anniversary of 9-11. That service, labeled "repulsive" by a political activist, was highly emotional.

At one point, Roberts told the Muslims, "We love you." After a standing ovation, a Muslim in the audience stood and replied to Roberts, "We love you too."

At Sunday's event, Muslims and Christians will sign up to work together on several volunteer projects, including painting and remodeling homes and renovating a Haltom City baseball field. Also, women will take part in cooking clubs, sharing recipes from their different cultures.

Among the speakers will be U.S. Rep. Kay Granger; former South Carolina Gov. David Beasley, director of the Center for Global Strategies in Colorado Springs, Colo.; and Azhar Azeez, vice president of the Islamic Society of North America in Plainfield, Ind.

Star-Telegram, 18 January 2013

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Some 15,000 Muslims are expected at this weekend's 37th annual convention of the Islamic Circle of North America in Hartford, where the theme of "Defending Religious Freedom: Understanding Shariah" reflects the worry that anti-Muslim activists are fanning fear of Islamic law to marginalize U.S. Muslims.

The May 26-28 gathering, which is also sponsored by the Muslim American Society, is the second-largest Muslim convention in the U.S., behind only the annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America, which draws between 30,000 and 40,000 people.

Earlier this month, the Kansas House and Senate joined Arizona, Oklahoma, Missouri, South Dakota, and Tennessee in approving legislation to prohibit state judges from considering foreign laws, including Shariah, in their decisions. Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, a Republican, has not yet signed the bill.

"It's a deep-down hatred of Muslims that motivates" the anti-Shariah movement, said Naeem Baig, ICNA's vice president of public affairs. "They don't want to see Muslims in America."

Many of the convention programs focus on educating Muslims about Shariah, such as myths about Shariah used to demonize Muslims, as well as its role in their day-to-day lives.

"Muslims need to be educated about Shariah. There's a need for the community to better understand what Shariah means to us, and how to apply Shariah in a society where most people are not of the same faith," Baig said.

The convention is open to non-Muslims. About 100 or 150 non-Muslims have come in recent years.

Some of the best-known Muslims in America will be speaking, including Rep. Andre Carson, a Democratic Muslim from Indiana; Islamic Society of North America President Imam Mohamed Magid; and Imam Siraj Wahaj of Brooklyn, who in 1991 became the first Muslim to give an Islamic invocation to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Religion News Service, 23 May 2012

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