http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2015/12/28/1464300/-Muslim-woman-sets-up-Ask-A-Muslim-stand-in-Mass-rather-than-ask-most-tell-what-s-on-their-minds?detail=email
In a beautiful act of courage and hope, Mona Haydar, a Muslim, set up an “Ask a Muslim” stand in Cambridge, Massachusetts, hoping to bring more understanding of the Muslim community. She also offered people who passed by the stand in front of a local library a free cup of coffee and doughnut to further beckon a Q&A chat.
The idea came to Haydar during dinner with her husband. In efforts to create positive change, they decided to do something “kind of crazy.”
"He had seen this segment on This American Life, where a young Iraqi man had done 'Ask an Iraqi,' " Haydar tells NPR's Carrie Kahn. "And so [Sebastian] was like, 'Why haven't we thought of this before? Why don't we get out and talk to people?'
"So, we did it," Haydar says.
NPR staff reports:
After the day was done, she posted a summary to Facebook — a post which has now garnered more than 11,000 likes and the attention of several different media organizations.
"We weren't out there that long today but the take away was clear: Keep your heads held high, dear Muslim family," she wrote in that post. "There is an overwhelming amount of love and so remember this post when you are faced with bigotry and hatred towards you or your faith.
Mona Haydar says she initially thought the experience would be negative. As it turns out, the experience and interaction with many folks was very positive—so much, in fact, that she and her husband look forward to doing it again soon. Haydar mentioned that rather than asking questions, most people approached her to say they liked what she was doing. Some passersby even felt compelled to apologize for the worldwide discrimination against Muslims. Pretty cool.
you know you might never know these people existed if you just listen to republican hate rhetoric the barring Muslims from entering, the attacks by White supremacist, the over all demonetization of a people who like us have a element within it's society that is not representative of them all. so much is left out of discourse that it just prolongs the light at the end of the tunnel from coming into view. some do it intentionally others they just never consider it others they wait on the wrong people to advise thgem they will never hear those words.
PRAY FOR THEIR SAFETY AND THE INSPIRATION OF OTHERS TO FOLLOW THEIR LEAD AND MOST OF ALL PRAY FOR OPEN MINDS TO ABOUND.
