On Friday, a Muslim prayer service took place at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.
This is the first time in history that a Muslim religious service has taken place at the National Cathedral in Washington, which is all the more impressive because it is typically the venue for Presidential funerals and other national important services.
Of course, it is not totally unheard of for a location that is important to one faith being used by another. Some Muslim services are sometimes held in synagogues if there is not enough room, and the National Cathedral in Washington has held religious services for Jewish people before. However, this is the very first time that a Muslim service is going to be held in the National Cathedral, which is a huge statement to make. It is hoped through this service that a greater understanding will be reached between Christians and Muslims, who after all share a huge amount of religious history.
Muslim's pray during Washington National Cathedral's first-ever Muslim prayer service. #WashingtonNationalCathedral pic.twitter.com/RquCwFepMY
— Doug Mills (@dougmillsnyt) November 14, 2014
Rizwan Jaka is a spokesman for the ADAMS mosque in Sterling, Va., which is one of the mosques that is sponsoring the Friday service. He has stated: “We want the world to see the Christian community is partnering with us and is supporting our religious freedom in the same way we are calling for religious freedom for all minorities in Muslim countries. Let this be a lesson to the world.”
However, the prayer service didn’t go off without a hitch: blogger Terry Firma from Friendly Atheist describes a woman interrupting the service, walking towards the front of the cathedral shouting anti-Islamic statements.
There are many religious minorities in countries that are struggling with ISIL, the new radical Muslim caliphate. They are experiencing persecution for their differing faiths. Many Muslims around the world have been shocked and horrified by the things that are being done in the name of Islam, and are now distancing themselves from what ISIL is doing.