A Muslim woman walks into a coffee shop and creates a movement
Moina Shaiq created “Meet a Muslim,” a series of gatherings in which people meet her for coffee and talk about the religion, with an aim to show that followers of Islam aren't all alike.
(Seattle Times) – In 2015, Moina Shaiq took an ad out of her community newspaper inviting people to meet her for coffee. “Meet a Muslim,” she called it. It was shortly after a Muslim couple opened fire at a San Bernardino office party, killing 14 and wounding 22, and Shaiq wanted to prevent prejudice before it took hold, and show that followers of Islam weren’t all alike.
She went to the coffee shop with her laptop, expecting no takers; just to get some work done. But there were 20 people waiting for her. In all, 100 people would respond to her invitation, and Shaiq didn’t leave until every question was answered.
“It showed me how much people were extending their arms, reaching out,” she recalled.
It was the same the other night at north Seattle’s Indo Cafe, where Shaiq met with more than 20 people who showed up hungry not only for dinner, but for an understanding of the religion that some Westerners still know little about. And what they do know is often seen through a suspicious lens.
The “Meet a Muslim” event was one of three being held over the next few days by Crooked Trails, a nonprofit focused on cultural exchanges.
“You can’t know a country if you don’t know the people,” said executive director Christine Mackay, who recalled Googling “Meet a Muslim” after the 2016 election and finding Shaiq. It took more than a year to get her to Seattle.
“I’ve been traveling the world for 40 years,” she said, “and I don’t know a lot about the Muslim religion.”
On Saturday, Shaiq was at the Muslim Association of Puget Sound Mosque, where people were invited “to experience the truth” about Islam and those who practice it. The “Meet a Muslim” event included afternoon tea and a session with Shaiq.
