There are misconceptions about the religious practice of Islam and a non-profit organization wants to address them.

On Wednesday, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association (AMYA) of Canada canvassed neighbourhoods in Greater Fort Erie to talk about their group and how they hope the western world should perceive their religion.

The organization’s mandate is to promote peace, condemn terrorism and dispell myths about Islam as part of a nationwide campaign over the last year.

In 14 months, they have visited 337.374 homes in over 200 communities across the country, reaching an estimated 1,303,941 people with the help of 2649 volunteers.

Starting last Friday, AMYA kicked off another campaign to visit 40 communities in 40 days.

The unique aspect that made the tour so extra-ordinary is that the day before each visit to a community, volunteers kept a traditional Muslim fast from sunrise to sunset.

Outreach co-ordinator for the group, Sajid Adin, could be found going door-to-door in Crescent Park on Wednesday, explaining the ideals of Islam.

He said one of the most prominent misconceptions is that Muslims are not faithful to the countries that have embraced them.

“A lot of people think Muslims are not loyal to the country they reside in,” he said.

“Loyalty to your country is part of our faith,” he added.

Along the way, visiting local residents, Adin said most people were rather receptive to the message they were spreading.

“Some people said they were not interested but mostly everyone was very pleasant.”

For more information, visit http://www.alislam.org.