The Canberra Islamic Centre threw open its doors to the public on Saturday, part of a national initiative aimed at removing stereotypes and misconceptions about the religion.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The centre was one of 30 mosques around the country that took part in the National Mosque Open Day, which has been running for the past five years.
Canberrans were given the opportunity to speak to members of the Islamic community and take part in question and answer sessions throughout the day.
It was the first mosque open day since the Islamic Centre's mosque, known as the Ahmad Al Sabah Masjid, was unveiled in May.
Gungahlin's mosque also participated in the open day initiative.
Islamic Centre president Zafar Ahmad said open days were important to increase understanding in the community.
"It's so people who aren't from an Islamic background can exchange views and see the place," Mr Ahmad said.
"We just want to break some barriers, and terms like 'us' and 'them' shouldn't be the case, and people can come in and find out a bit more about us."
The number of attendees has grown each year since the Islamic Centre's first open day, which Mr Ahmad said was a positive sign.
"It's very important, because unless people meet Muslims, they have no idea about it, and we're not that different from other religions," he said.
"For some people, they listen to people like Pauline Hanson, but don't interact with Muslims. Many people form views without having stepped foot in a mosque."
Visitors were also able to take part in tours of the newly-opened mosque, which hosts as many as 400 people on busy evenings for prayers.
The mosque's imam, Adam Konda, was also on hand throughout the day to answer questions from the public.
Mr Konda has been in the position in Canberra for nine years, having spent 14 years before that serving in Darwin.
"Open days can break down the doubts that people have about Islam," Mr Konda said.
"People can become aware of things they didn't know before and kick away some of the stereotypes."
Mr Ahmad said Canberra's Islamic community has come closer together since the opening of the new mosque earlier this year, and the open day was a way to share that with others.
"Now we have a dedicated place to pray and to think about life, and it's also a chance for people to learn things about Islam," he said.
