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Islam 101 Class is Ezzeddine's Personal Mission

Lecture series at Islamic Center of Maryland seeks to spread a deeper knowledge of Islam.

About a year ago, Amin Ezzeddine had an idea to fight misperceptions of Islam he believed were coming out of ignorance. His answer: to share his experiences with what he has found to be the true character of his faith.

So Ezzeddine approached officials at the Islamic Center of Maryland in Gaithersburg about donating his time to teach an “Islam 101” class.

A year later, his efforts have become a monthly lecture series that teaches the faith’s basics—and its common ground with Christianity and Judaism.

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"It's my personal initiative," said Ezzeddine, 57, an electrical engineer who lives in Germantown. "I found a lot of people don't know anything about Islam. … Most people need to know that Muslims, Christians and Jews share a heritage with each other. They think that Islam is a strict religion, and many people don't know that Muslims share the same stories as the Bible."

Two dozen people gathered at the class on Sunday to learn about the Quran and the basics of Islamic belief, law and jurisprudence, as well as prevailing representations of Islam in the news media.

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Class member Uschi Knauf, 63, of Derwood, was surprised to learn of the similarities between Islam and her Christian faith.

"There are more common things than are actually dividing us," Knauf said. "I did not know that Jesus, in his native tongue, he used ‘Allah.’ That's what I heard today."

Knauf, a former international consultant, said she valued diversity and frowned upon violence committed in the name of any faith.

"There is no way on earth. God doesn't tell us to kill," she said. "And, that's common in all religion."

Ezzeddine shared her concern about violence, and said it has been his goal to counter any assumption created by news coverage that these acts represent all Muslims.

"They're trying to vilify Islam and Muslims," he said. "I find a lot of stereotypes, and I try to answer it. That's really the biggest hinderance: the stereotypes."

By addressing these issues and sharing the core tenets of his faith, Ezzeddine hopes to encourage people of all religions to come together.

"I want people to understand Islam. If we understand each other, the world would be a better place," Ezzeddine said. "We have to start working together, helping people. If you don't have trust, you cannot cooperate."

Amin Ezzeddine's class is held at the Islamic Center of Maryland from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the second Sunday of the month. It is free to the public. Anyone interested in the class can simply show up. For more information, go to www.icomd.org.

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