Students from the Al-Falah Academy, at the Islamic Center of Naperville, Chicago, will set up the third annual Muslims Around the World fair next Saturday, introducing different Muslim cultures from around the world.

“It’s important that our children are given opportunities to learn about the different cultures, foods, traditions of the many different people God has made in our world,” Kashif Fakhruddin, the school’s principal, told Daily Herald.

“Food brings people together, so we look forward to a fun-filled day with new snacks and treats to try.”

The third annual Muslims Around the World fair is set for 10 a.m. next Saturday.

Nearly 60 students will participate in the event, giving snacks or treats from 28 countries where Muslims live.

Fakhruddin believes the event is important to allow students to learn about different cultures.

“It is through education and appreciation of our diversity that we can become more strengthened and united as a community, and therefore stronger in our pursuit of God,” Fakhruddin said.

The United States is on the list of featured countries, for students to “recognize that Muslims have very much always been a part of the fabric of our country,” Fakhruddin said.

Diverse Community

The Muslim community of metropolitan Chicago reflects the ethnic and theological diversity of global Islam.

Bosnians, Arabs, and African Americans established Muslim organizations in the city prior to 1960.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations estimates Chicago’s Muslim population at between 300,000 and 500,000 people, or between 11 percent and 18 percent of Chicago’s population.

As for mosques, the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago says there are 52 within the city’s limits, but that number varies.