The shelves by the entrance of the Pullman Islamic Center overflowed with shoes of all kinds, traditionally removed to keep the mosque clean for prayer. They belonged to the many attendees of the center’s open house on Saturday.

The mosque welcomed people of all faiths to meet and listen to community leaders and members speak about uniting not under the name of a particular faith, but rather under the common human cause of maintaining peace.

Fouad Bayomy, a civil engineering professor from the University of Idaho, represented the Moscow Muslim community. In his welcoming speech, he implored those at the event to embrace differences.

“We are diverse people because we were meant to reach out to each other,” Bayomy said.

The Rev. Stephen Van Kuiken, a minister from Pullman’s Community Congregational United Church of Christ, said America is in a critical time characterized by fear of groups such as immigrants, refugees and Muslims. But he said through diversity, people discover their oneness.

“An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us,” Van Kuiken said. “Authentic unity embraces difference. Interfaith dialogue gives deeper understanding of my own tradition.”

Raed Alsawaier, an imam (or prayer leader) of the Pullman Islamic Center, said he was overwhelmed by the level of support the community showed. Some members of the congregation shared a box of tissues, wiping their eyes.

Attendees packed the main room until no open seats remained, and the rest sat on the carpeted floor or stood near the back. Late arrivals filled the hallway just outside the main room as well, watching through the glass wall as they listened through an overhead speaker.

To those scratching their heads, wondering “How did we get here?” in light of the presidential election, Azhar Subedar, religious adviser to the state of Florida and member of the White House Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, said “it was not what we did wrong, but what we failed to do right.”

More than ever, he said, people need to set aside their differences in order to stand up for members of other communities.

“All of us sitting here aspire for the same thing,” Subedar said. “We want peace, we want prosperity, we want opportunity, and we want to thrive. This is called the American Dream.”

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Other speakers included retired U.S. ambassador Asif J. Chaudhry, the vice president for International Programs at WSU.

“I cannot tell looking at this room who is Christian, Jew, Muslim,” he said.

Imam Mohamed Elsehmawy of the Islamic Center of Tri-Cities in Richland said adults set the example for youth, and so it is important for parents to pass on a message of peace to their children, some of which sat beside their elders nibbling on complementary desserts prepared by the Islamic center.

Pullman City Council member Nathan Weller said, as someone who grew up with Muslim friends and families, it was essential that “everybody understands and continues to understand how important of a role the Muslim community plays.”

At around 4 p.m., members of the congregation began Maghrib prayer, or salat al-magrib, meaning “west sun prayer” in Arabic, the fourth of five daily prayers, performed just after sunset.During prayer, not only are shoes taken off when entering the mosque, but cleanliness of the body, breath and clothes are mandatory as well.

Ma Yanhan was looking for a place to pray when he found the Pullman Islamic Center through a quick google search. He arrived in Pullman on Nov. 23 as a visiting scholar of WSU’s department of animal science, and is an associate professor of Gansu Normal University for Nationalities in Gansu, China, which is home to many Chinese Muslims.

“It seems very open for Muslims and non-Muslims to express their opinions,” Yanhan said of the event.

He described it as “very friendly.” Subedar greeted him and shook his hand, thanking him for coming and telling him he was the first Chinese Muslim he had ever met.

After the event formally ended, people lingered throughout the mosque, deep in conversation.

Abdelsalam Aldrom, who has been going to the mosque for three years, was able to speak with many people at the event. He said Pullman was a good area to live because of the people.

“This event really shows the activity of the community,” he said.

Alsawaier referenced a passage in the Quran which spoke to how differences lead to wisdom.

“There is no meaning in justice if we are all the same,” said Alsawaier. “Our differences allow us to see each other.”