In Oakland, there's a towering turn-of-the-century building near Lake Merritt.
It used to be a Masonic Home, but today it's the Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California- a place where Muslims from all sects (Sunni, Shia, Sufi) come to meet, learn, and engage with one another.
We called it the Sushi Mosque because it's where Sunni and Shia Muslims (often in the headlines for fighting) find common ground. Sunni+Shia = Sushi!
It's a thing, really.
What also makes this place special is its focus on arts- music, theatre, painting, ceramics, open mic nights. In the words of one founder 'beauty is missing from the current conversations about Islam"
Really enjoyed being in this unique space.
Profiled it for KALW, and NPR. Here's the short NPR version:
