MASSACHUSETTS – Mosques in Massachusetts will be opening their doors on April 8 to welcome their neighbors of all faiths, in an effort to bring people closer and counter anti-Islam misconceptions.

The event is designed to combat “widespread misunderstanding about Islam” and show residents that their “Muslim neighbors live, pray and dream just like everyone else,” Wafaa Wahabi of the American Islamic Center in Everett  told AP.

The event is organized by the Massachusetts chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

More than 20 mosques will be participating, including the Worcester Islamic Center and the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center.

During the event, people will be offered a tour of a mosque to observe a prayer service and learn about Islam.

The event is not the first in the US.

Earlier this month, people in Harris County in Texas were offered a similar tour in the city mosques. Over the past three years, Houston mosques have also hosted these types of open houses regularly.

In the UK, more than 200 mosques nationwide opened their doors to welcome people of all faiths.

The annual event was initiated in 2015 by The Muslim Council of Britain, i.e. the largest Muslim umbrella organization in the UK with over 500 affiliated British organizations, mosques, charities, and schools.