For the second year in a row, neighbors, families, and first-time visitors filled the Palos Islamic Center on Saturday, Sept. 28 for an afternoon of food, conversation and learning.
The Palos Park mosque’s third open house overall offered an easy way for people to meet, ask questions, and see the space for themselves.
From 2 to 4 p.m., guests shared grilled koofteh (a seasoned meat kabob), and tahini salad, catered by local restaurant Fattoush in Worth. Attendees had an opportunity to try on a hijab, get their name written in Arabic, and watched others lined up for henna tattoos.
The event drew a mixed crowd of Muslims and non-Muslims, longtime locals and newcomers gathered together under one roof.
SERV and Community Connections
The event was organized by two of the mosque’s volunteer groups: SERV (Serving the Community) and Community Connections.
“This is an invitation to everyone,” said Reema Dana, “It’s not just restricted to Arabs or Muslims, it’s a chance to learn the faith a little better, even if it’s just a few people who come through, the quality of those conversations matter.”
Abeer Taiym explained how Community Connections focuses on people who are new to Islam: “When someone accepts Islam, they often lose old friends or family ties, we want them to feel included, to feel like they’ve gained a family.”
Fedaa Hamdan said SERV’s role is to extend hospitality beyond the mosque. “We want people to see the goodness in the programs we run,” she said. “We deliver Ramadan baskets to our neighbors; it’s about giving back and showing that we’re here for the whole community.”
Nehma Atieh, also part of Community Connections, added: “It’s a prophetic path – to care for your neighbors, Prophet Muhammad was so good to his neighbors that they thought they might even inherit from him, that’s the example we try to follow.”
In the Prayer Hall
When it came time for the lecture, guests gathered in the prayer hall for a talk and open Q&A with Sister Karen Danielson.
She began with the Quran: Its 114 chapters, how it has been preserved by memorization, and its role as a moral and spiritual guide. Then she shared verses about equality and respect:
“We created you from a male and female, and made you peoples and tribes so that you may know one another. Surely the most noble in the sight of God is the most righteous among you.”
Audience members asked why men and women sit separately during prayer, what Islam teaches about neighbors, and whether Muslims believe in Jesus and Mary. Danielson answered each in turn, noting that Mary has an entire chapter in the Quran and that Muslims deeply revere both figures.
“It was beautiful to hear the breakdown of the word Islam, and how simple and peaceful its meaning really is,” said Sana Shouli, attending for the first time.
Maureen Dring said she appreciated being able to ask questions directly. Sue Serafin added: “It’s a process, learning about other faiths. Eventually, we’ll all come to understand one another more. Events like this help move that along.”
Though the Palos Islamic Center only opened in late 2021, it already runs more than a dozen programs with about 150 volunteers. That includes youth groups, women’s classes, senior gatherings, and interfaith service projects.
Visitors toured the facility, tried on hijabs, received calligraphy keepsakes, and shared lunch with neighbors. Conversations carried throughout the mosque.
“You learn the most when you step into someone else’s space and listen,” Dring said. “That’s what today was about.”
The mosque plans to continue hosting open houses each fall and during Ramadan.
