Open house at our mosque

Muslims reach out
Monica Wolfson, Windsor Star
Published: Monday, October 27, 2008
An open house at the Windsor Mosque on the weekend provided the public with a look at Islamic culture.
"(Muslims) are no longer just over the Atlantic," said Abdelkader Tayebi, a member of the Windsor Islamic Association's board of directors.
"They are your neighbours, your physician. About (one-fifth) of the doctors in Essex County are Muslim. The issue isn't the number, it's that they are part of the local fabric."

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ISLAMIC CULTURE: The Windsor Islamic Association held an open house on the weekend, celebrating Canadian Islamic History Month. Gabriel Keresztes, left, who embraced Islam five years ago, and Abdelkader Tayebi, a member of the board of directors, discuss display material at the mosque.
Scott Webster, The Windsor Star


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Gabriel Keresztes's deep love for God drew him to the Islamic faith. He "reverted" to the religion five years ago.
Tarik Baalbaki, an Islamic association volunteer, said the term "revert" is in reference to someone who takes up the Muslim faith after being gone for a while. Since Baalbaki believes everyone is born a Muslim, when they come back to the faith, they are reverting.
"When I was in high school, I would take books from the library and read about Islam," Keresztes said. "The more I learned, the more (I was drawn to it). There is God in each religion. They all bring the same message."
In the mosque there were displays of local and nationally renowned Muslim artists, fabrics representing the different styles of dress, posters explaining the history of Islam and it's stand on war and peace. A table was laden with Middle Eastern delicacies including humus, samosas and vegetable-stuffed grape leaves.