Ahlul Bayt News Agency, Orlando, Florida -- Together, the Christians and the Muslims walked at dusk from the Islamic school to the Islamic Center of Orlando. Together, they ate dinner to end the fasting of Ramadan. Together, they lined up in rows inside the mosque and prayed.
"This is what we should see all over the nation," said Raza Ali, 62, a member of the mosque. "We have to be together. We should fight together those who go to the extremes."
The interfaith gathering Monday night of Christians and Muslims, along with some Jewish friends of the mosque, was a show of support, unity and faith at a time when the nation seems drawn to polarizing extremes over religion and terrorism.
Some of the 70 non-Muslims who participated in the Islamic observance said they came because in times of divisiveness, it's essential for people to come together.
"I believe in finding interfaith common ground," said Ron Wilensky, 61, a member of the Windermere Union Church.
Imam Tariq Rasheed, director of the Islamic Center in southwest Orange County, said that "this past year there's been growing Islamaphobia spreading in the U.S. We felt we had to show the real faith of Islam to the people. They need to know who we are. Everybody is not Osama bin Laden."
About two dozen members of St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Orlando were among those who attended the meal, called an Iftar.
"To be supportive of our Muslim friends is an important value for us," said Pastor Bill Barnes.
The meal, which drew about 300 people, took place after sunset, signifying the end of the monthlong fast of Ramadan. During Ramadan, Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from dusk to dawn as a lesson in patience, humility and spirituality.
Respect and acceptance of another's faith doesn't come from one meal, one night, one mutual prayer meeting, the Methodists observed. Monday night was one moment in an evolving relationship.
"We were doing these things with our Muslim neighbors before the mosque issue arose," Barnes said. "I think we will move through this [anti-Muslim sentiment], but there needs to be recognition that people are people, and it's unfair to characterize a whole group of people based on one extreme element."
At the end of the prayer in the mosque, Rasheed thanked those who came and offered a prayer for all: "May God bless us all, and may God let us live in peace."
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