Central Coast Muslims coping with New Zealand mosques shooting

The Islamic community on the Central Coast is coping with the New Zealand shooting at two mosques that left 49 dead on Thursday.

” Shock, to say the least,” is how Hisham Hassal of the San Luis Obispo County Islamic Society described his reaction. “It was devastating because it was in more than one place, in two mosques.”

Hassal said the tragedy is just another reminder of how Islamophobia stems from lack of knowledge and understanding.

” Usually people who say [we are terrorists] don’t really know any Muslims. So the message is: if you get to know a Muslim neighbor or colleague or coworker you’ll change your mind. The majority of Muslims are just normal, kind people.”

” The number one thing that overcomes misconceptions about Islam is knowing Muslims,” agreed Cal Poly Religious Studies professor and Muslim Student Association Advisor, Stephen Lloyd-Moffett. “And that is far more important than whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican or an Independent.”

Lloyd-Moffett estimates there are around 300 Muslim students on campus. He says some of his classes are helping others at Cal Poly better understand Islam.

“I’m teaching two sections of Islam right now and we have 70 students, only a handful of which are Muslim. So there’s a lot of interest in Islam, both here on campus and in San Luis Obispo generally.”

For Hassal, the SLO community has been welcoming, too.

“We’re not worried about this happening here,” he confesses, though the mosque does stay in touch with the San Luis Obispo Police Department, which is down the block from their place of worship.

Hassal says the Mosque of Nasreen serves around 100 families from Paso Robles to Santa Maria.