My wife and I were among several members of Trinity Lutheran Church in Everett who attended the overflow meeting Wednesday evening in Mukilteo to learn about Islam and the project to build a mosque. The meeting was organized in response to local controversy.
Peter Zieve, a local business leader, who earlier sent a postcard to all Mukilteo residents, raising fears about the project, then met with Muslim neighbors, publicly apologized, and promised soon to send a second postcard, saying he now supports building the mosque.
Community conversation with Muslim neighbors is personally important to our family. Our younger son became a Muslim six years ago, married a Muslim woman from India, and they blessed us with our first grandson, Omar. Omar’s mom, our daughter-in-law, who is studying for a master’s degree in public health at the University of Washington, wore a hijab (head scarf) until the murder of the three young Muslims in North Carolina, one of hundreds of hateful attacks on American Muslims last year.
As a warning of how ignorance and fear can turn into hate, in the gathering Wednesday night of 200 or more warm and welcoming people, there were two men, who claimed to be Christians, who had to be escorted out by police after loudly uttering hateful comments about Islam and Muslims to a woman in the audience. We all can do something to help build bridges and overcome hate with love.
Responding to a call by the Faith Action Network fanwa.org, our church plans to post a banner welcoming the holy month of Ramadan that begins June 6. The message reads, “To Our Muslim Neighbors, Blessed Ramadan.”
Ron Young
Everett
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