Starting today, “Celebrate Islam Week” will share the traditions and culture of the Muslim faith in Missoula.
The Jeannette Rankin Peace Center and a group called "Standing Alongside America’s Muslims" are hosting events all this week to educate Missoula about Islam.
Betsy Mulligan-Dague is the Executive Director of the Jeannette Rankin Peace Center. She says the recent discussion about bringing refugees to the city has scared some Missoulians. Mulligan-Dague says this week will allow those people to get a personal look at the Muslim culture.
"One of the biggest things is to be able to put a face to a Muslim in this community, because I think sometimes it’s so easy for people to generalize a group of people and make generalizations about them. It’s very difficult to be enemies with someone you can see and know, and get to know as a fellow human being."
Among the events this week, there will be a panel discussion on Thursday with local Muslims.
For more information on "Celebrate Islam Week," see the "Standing Alongside America's Muslims" event page.