By THOMAS GRILLO
LYNN — As the Trump administration tries to stop the flow of immigrants from Muslim countries, a local Islamic group is opening its doors to the public.
The Islamic Society of the North Shore (ISNS) is hosting “Ask a Muslim” next Sunday from 1-6 p.m. at its mosque on Lynnfield Street.
It’s an opportunity to join in a conversation, ask questions and learn about the faith and the mosque’s role in the community, according to the flyer posted at City Hall.
Muslims are a growing population in Massachusetts. Of the 6.8 million Bay State residents, more than 81,000 — or 1.2 percent — are Muslim, according to the Association of Religion Data Archives. The Lynn area has an estimated 2,000 Muslims.
ISNS bought their 8,772-square-foot building in 2012 for $290,000. Their goal is to make improvements to the facility so that it accommodates 800 people.
Sunday’s gathering comes as President Donald Trump signed a scaled-back version of his controversial ban on many foreign travelers hoping to avoid a new round of lawsuits while fulfilling a campaign promise.
His order still bars new visas for people from six Muslim-majority countries and temporarily closes the nation’s refugee program.
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The revised order eliminates some of the most contentious aspects in an effort to surmount the court challenges. Trump’s first order, issued one week after his inauguration, was halted by federal courts.
But last week, judges in Hawaii and Maryland blocked his newest executive order that was expected to take effect March 16. The courts rejected arguments from the government that the amended travel ban was substantially different from the first one, using the president’s own words as evidence that the order discriminates against Muslims.
This is not the first time local Muslims have reached out to the community. One year ago, three American Muslims, John Robbins, Kemal Bozkurt and Mona Haydar, participated in a panel discussion at Nahant Town Hall where they answered questions about the Islamic faith and their experiences as Muslims in America.
Material from the Associated Press was used in this report. Thomas Grillo can be reached at [email protected].
