By KENNETH KNIGHT | The Tampa Tribune
A gleaming new mosque topped with two soaring minarets and a golden dome is open for daily prayer services on Morris Bridge Road north of Cross Creek Boulevard.
Leaders of Dar-us-Salaam, which translates in English to House of Peace, want the center to serve as a place of worship for area Muslims and a gathering spot for people of all faiths to foster a better understanding of the Islamic religion.
"We really hope the mosque will bring the community together," said Hassan Shibly, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Tampa, and a spokesman for the mosque at 15830 Morris Bridge Road.
"We invite our neighbors to come to visit us. We have a lot more in common than what some (people) might think divides us."
Members of congregations such as St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church say they welcome a chance to work with area Muslims on goodwill missions beneficial to the entire community.
"Religious freedom has no meaning unless there is freedom for everyone," said Scott Paine, a deacon at St. Mark....
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