Meet the members of a long-standing Snoqualmie Ridge community and learn about their culture, 9:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Jan. 30, when members of the Muslim Association at Snoqualmie Ridge host a community open house at Snoqualmie City Hall.

“Everyone is invited,” said association president Mujeeb Mohammed, a Snoqualmie resident since 2006. “This is basically a socializing and networking opportunity to meet and share conversation.”

The association, comprised of about 25 families from Egypt, India, Morocco, Bangladesh and Pakistan, had been planning to host an open house event for some time, Mohammed said, and recent events and comments by local and national politicians that put Muslims in a spotlight have helped to emphasize the need for some outreach.

At around the same time, Snoqualmie Police Chief Steve McCulley first learned that there was an association and a mosque on Snoqualmie Ridge and made contact with the board.

“I felt it was important to reach out and let them know that their police department supports them,” McCulley said, “not just as Muslims, but as any member of our community.”

The association was grateful for the outreach, and not at all surprised by it.

“We know our police department is very friendly,” Mohammed said, adding that several groups in the community expressed their support in recent weeks.

McCulley said he also discussed reporting hate crimes when he met with association members, and “They have not experienced anything like that…. unfortunately people fear what they don’t understand.”

Education will be a big part of the community event, which will feature scholars from the Puget Sound Muslim Association discussing Islam and answering questions about the religion.

Islam is a peaceful religion, emphasizing non-violence, Mohammed said, and holding many values in common with Christianity. He hopes the open house will “open up the door, to see what else we share.”