The Islamic Center of Virginia, 1241 Buford Road, will hold an open house from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 18. The purpose of the free event is for residents to meet members of the local Muslim community and to learn about the mosque. Food will be served. For more information, call (804) 320-7333.

Leaders of Richmond’s Muslim community said they are pleased with President Barack Obama’s speech yesterday in Cairo, not just because they’re Muslims but also because they’re Americans. “There’s a lot of excitement,“ said Imam Ammar Amonette of the Islamic Center of Virginia. Obama “addressed both the American Muslim community and our history and our part in America, as well as acknowledged the Muslim world as a whole and the need for a new beginning of mutual respect and recognizing problems.“

Today, as Muslims around the world celebrate the holiday Eid al-Adha, known as the Feast of Sacrifice, thousands of Richmond-area Muslims will gather at the Arthur Ashe Center for a morning prayer service.

Today, as Muslims around the world celebrate the holiday Eid al-Adha, known as the Feast of Sacrifice, thousands of Richmond-area Muslims will gather at the Arthur Ashe Center for a morning prayer service. The holiday comes at the end of the hajj, the annual pilgrimage to the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. According to Islamic teachings, the hajj is a spiritual journey that cleanses the soul and wins absolution. Yesterday, nearly 3 million Muslims converged on Mount Arafat, a rocky desert hill outside Mecca to perform the ritual of forgiveness marking the climax of the hajj.