The Mecca Center and Lewis University came together recently for a meeting aimed to help create a welcoming environment for Muslim students at the university.

Lewis University, a private Roman Catholic and Lasallian university, currently serves approximately 100 Muslim students and as part of their efforts to create a more welcoming community on campus, they are eager to engage with the Mecca Center to develop a fruitful relationship of friendship, learning, and ‘humanely engaged interaction’ with Muslim students when classes begin in September.

As part of the meeting, Dr. Christine Billups, Professor of Theology and representative from the Office of Service Learning, brought a group of interested students to the Mecca Center to attend Jummah prayers and experience the congregational day of prayer for Muslims. Sh. Hassan Aly, the Mecca Center’s Imam and Religious Director, gave an informative tour to the students who had never visited a mosque or Islamic center before.

As part of this exchange of learning and relationship building, Sh. Hassan Aly has visited the university to address various topics on Islam, and professors and students from the university have visited the Mecca Center for tours to learn more about Islam.

To schedule a visit for your school or institution, please contact Sh. Hassan Aly, Imam and Religious Director, at imam@meccacenter.org.