Unity and fun at Islamic Heritage Festival on Saturday at Penn’s Landing

Source: articles.philly.com

At the Islamic Heritage Festival at Penn’s Landing, the Universal African Dance and Drum Ensemble performed on Saturday. (ELIZABETH ROBERTSON / Staff Photographer)

 

Halal Hustler T-shirts and Muslim Princess tote bags were for sale, as were funnel cakes and fried chicken.

At the Islamic Heritage Festival on Saturday at Penn’s Landing, Muslim culture meshed with classic summer festival tradition.

“Muslims are just as much a part of American life as other cultural traditions,” said Abdul Rahim Muhammad, director of the Islamic Cultural Preservation and Information Council, which started the festival 21 years ago.

Billed as the largest festival of its kind in the United States, the annual event celebrates “unity in diversity,” Rahim Muhammad said, standing in front of a table displaying a propped-up Quran, the main religious text in Islam, and pamphlets titled “Understanding Shariah” and “What Does Islam Say About Terrorism?”

While it attracts 5,000 to 8,000 people every year, Rahim Muhammad said, the event’s focus isn’t netting new followers of Islam.

Instead, it’s to make a statement that Muslims… read the rest @ articles.philly.com

Categories: Americas, Islam, United States

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