The Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California hosts plays, open mic nights, painting and ceramics classes. PHOTO: ICCNC 

Places of religious significance have long been centers of the community spirit. Moving beyond discourses and rituals, their supreme ability lies in bringing people together on some common ground. And projects like the Islamic Cultural Center in Northern California demonstrate how art and culture can bridge gaps within the space of beliefs.

Many mosques preach against even listening to music, let alone playing it on the premises. But here, in a huge auditorium filled with dozens of people, a Moroccan singer on stage sings the praises of the Prophet Muhammad, playing a stringed instrument called an oud. Next to him, a man plays a North African drum called thedumbek. The people here are white, black, Asian — some in embroidered green Sufi robes, others in black Shiite turbans or flowing white Arab jalabeyas. Some women cover their hair, some don’t. Ask anyone who’s been to a mosque, and they’ll tell you this scene is definitely not a common one — which is precisely why many people feel comfortable here.

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