On Saturday, the call for Asr, the third prayer of the day, rang out over the loudspeaker at the Islamic Center of Raleigh's open house.
Then an atypical moment took place: A large group of non-Muslims witnessed about 100 followers of Islam pay homage to Allah.
The afternoon event at the Islamic Center on Atwater Drive in West Raleigh was billed as an opportunity for non-Muslims to learn more about Islam. Discussion naturally arose of the uprisings that have recently kicked out the leaders of several Middle Eastern countries with majority Muslim populations.
Saad Mohamed, a Libyan who has been living in Raleigh the past three years, gave a simple explanation:
"The people just want their freedom," said Mohamed, who still has family living in Libya. Mohamed noted that the most recent media reports indicate that his country's dictator, Moammar Gadhafi, has ordered his followers to kill dozens of protesters who want to topple his regime.
"No leader," Mohamed said through a translator, "should order others to kill his own people."
Hundreds of people from across the Triangle visited the mosque during the open house, which featured presentations about Islam, tours of the mosque and traditional foods from countries in the Islamic world.
Traditional Islam got its start in Raleigh in 1981 when foreign graduate students at N.C. State University started a small community that consisted of themselves and family members, said Imran Aukhil, an Islamic Center spokesman.
Now, nearly 30 years later, that small community has blossomed into one of the largest mosques in the Southeast. Although there is no official tally of the Islamic Center's membership, Aukhil said about 10,000 people attend prayers at the mosque during the faith's two biggest holidays.
One believer, Rashad Muhaimin, the assistant general manager of WSHA-FM at Shaw University, said he attended the open house to support the Islamic Center and the open house.
"This is about teaching people about Islam," said Muhaimin, who had been viewing an exhibit on the early roots of the religion in America. "There are people here from all walks of life."
Christians intrigued
The non-Muslims who arrived Saturday came for a variety of reasons.
Steve Chapman, an IT technician who lives in Raleigh, left impressed with the energy and vitality of one of the presenters who did a session on basic Islam.
"It's a very deep religion. It's reflective, a deeply felt religion," he said.
Chapman, who is a Christian, said he was also impressed with the Islamic perspective of Jesus Christ, as explained by Muslim presenter Nouman Siddiqui.
"Mary was a virgin. That means there was no husband, no man. We believe that. This is Jesus' miracle," Siddiqui said. "We liken it to Adam, who had no mother, no father. This is no stretch for us."
Tracy Williams, a phlebotomist who lives in Franklinton, said she was reared as a Christian. Still, she says she has been reading "a lot of Muslim versus Christianity stuff" lately.
"The two books contradict themselves," she said.
Williams wanted to talk with a new acquaintance, a Muslim woman in attendance, who was standing beside her.
"Maybe I will understand it better," she said.
Although talk of the uprising in Libya was not part of the day's planned activities, it certainly appeared to be Saad Mohamed's task to get the word out: His countrymen are suffering under the Gadhafi dictatorship.
"I am calling on all human rights organizations to not side with Gadhafi. Do not use military action," he said. "Use humanitarian activities to help the people become liberated."
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