Vandalism At Nashville Mosque Pulls Faiths Together

February 14, 2010

Author: Natalia Mielczarek

Source: The Tennessean

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100214/NEWS06/2140356/Vandalism+at+Nashville+mosque+pulls+faiths+together

At least 150 people, including spiritual leaders from several faiths, spent Saturday morning at the Islamic Center of Nashville learning about the world's second-largest religion and pledging their support for local Muslims in the wake of last week's defacement of a mosque.

An open house, which lasted more than two hours and concluded with a prayer, featured a crash course on Islam and a panel of Christians, Jews and Muslims who condemned what authorities are calling a hate crime.

Wednesday morning, Muslims coming to pray at the Al-Farooq Mosque on Fourth Avenue South were greeted by a wall spray-painted with "Muslims go home" and several crosses. A letter left by the vandals included hate-speech messages directed at followers of Islam.

But the mood at Saturday's session was far from somber.