HOUSTON – There was only standing room available at the Brand Lane Islamic Center in Stafford. Concerned members were asking questions to people who had the answers.
"We don't need to see America going backward. We need America to go forward," one member of the Brand Lane Islamic Center said. "What can the FBI do to protect the Muslim community?"
M.J. Kahn, president od the Islamic Society of Greater Houston, said they invited representatives from all law enforcement agencies to answer the questions weighing on the minds of his people.
"The fear of the unknown, when people don't know what their rights are, what they can or cannot do, how should they respond, that anxiety results in fear," Kahn said.
From simple traffic stop etiquette to concerns over the national climate, Kahn said there was no bad question.
"We want the community members to be part and parcel of keeping the society safe," he said.
Redouane Rostane was one of those asking questions, saying he and his congregation just want to be important, law-abiding members of society.
"We are all immigrants in this country, from our grandparents and everything. But everybody is contributing to society, and that's why this country prospers," Rostane said.
Saturday's town hall lasted about two hours. This is the first time the society has put on a town hall like this, and it hopes to continue it every three months.