Crafts, food and tours of mosque draw hundreds to event

SARASOTA— They came to the fourth annual Food and Craft Festival at the Islamic Society of Sarasota and Bradenton with open minds and empty stomachs.

They came to tour the mosque, purchase crafts and warm themselves with hot food from Morocco, India and the Middle East.

The festival, held on the grounds of the Islamic Society’s mosque at 4350 N. Lockwood Ridge Road, is designed as an opportunity for the Muslim and non Muslim community to engage and get to know one another.

“For me, the biggest takeaway from these events is the connection between the people, and talking to them one-on-one,” said Imam Mohamed Benkhaled. “This is something that is precious. As a religious leader, it is very important to me. The event has been successful for four years, and what’s beautiful about it is the number of attendees has increased. That shows that we are doing something good.”

Benkhaled has watched the event grow over the years and said the event attracts nearly 1,000 people each year.

Over 20 years ago only a few Muslims lived in the region. Some of them worshiped in a small home on the Lockwood Ridge where the mosque now sits. Benkhaled estimates that between 300 to 400 families now attend services at the mosque.

Seven years ago, local Muslims raised $2.6 million to build the 11,350-square-foot mosque. “Most people who come want to know about the religion and the architecture of the mosque,” he said.

The building is massive, with a huge red brick courtyard, men and women’s prayer places, a big kitchen and small rooms for meetings and education.

“The community is getting bigger and bigger and especially this year, when we started a new Islamic school. I think it will attract more people to come to this city because of the weather and the beautiful city,” he said.

“When you see the families and the children who live in the Muslim community, you really get to see how beautiful events like this are. What we have in common is greater than what separates us. I think it’s something everyone should do,” said Adam Anderson, who came to the festival with friend Raq Carlson.