Source: Brampton Guardian –

In an effort to dispel myths about Islam, a group of Muslim youth has organized an open house in the city.
The event by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association of Canada (AMYA), a national non-profit group, will take place Saturday, Feb. 4 at the Four Corners Branch Library, located at 65 Queen St. E. between 12 noon and 4 p.m.
Several copies of Koran, the Holy Book of Muslims, will be on display and volunteers will answer questions on issues such as honour killings, status of women and terrorism within the context of Islam.
“It’s an open house to promote religious harmony, dispel misconceptions about Islam and most of all, reach out to the residents of Brampton about the true and peaceful teachings of Islam,” said Rizwan Rabbani, national executive director, AMYA and a Brampton resident. “Those that opt for extremism do so because of a lack of knowledge.”
The open-house style event in Brampton happens to be one of many taking place across Ontario. The idea to host these sessions was conceived as a ‘peaceful’ response to an act by a U.S. pastor who burned the Koran.
“Early last year, there was an incident in which the Holy Koran was burned by a pastor and Muslims around the world were outraged by the incident,” Rabbani said. “At that time, Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the spiritual head of our community advised us that we should respond to the incident in a peaceful way. He told us we should exhibit the Koran in various languages in open houses, set-up displays and discussions so that people can pick the Holy Book and ask us questions.”
Since the campaign was launched 13 months ago, some 2,300 youth volunteers in Canada have visited some 100 towns and knocked on approximately 320,000 doors. They have talked to people, handed out leaflets and hosted events, said Rabbani.
Plans are also underway to host four open-house events in Kingston. Ont. where four members of the Shafia family, a Muslim family from Montreal, were murdered in 2009. Organizers hope the event will educate people on the fact that Koran condemns honour killing.
For more information visit www.quranopenhouse.ca