People getting into Indianapolis’ Coffee and Pastries (MOTW) shop will get a mix of coffee scent, French pastries, and different cultures melting together.
The coffee shop opened in mid-June as the brainchild of owners Sajjad and Fatimah Shah, who sought to create a space that brings people together, Fodors Travel reported.
It all started with Muslims of the World Instagram page in 2014 which was created by Sajjad.
📚 Read Also: Illinois Mosque Opens Doors to Neighbors
Now, more than 625,000 people follow the page to share the beautiful stories of real Muslim men and women from around the world.
“The overall mission of the MOTW Coffee shop is to bring people together,” explains Sajjad Shah, who is also the author of Muslims of the World: Portraits and Stories of Hope, Survival, Loss, and Love.
“To serve as a place where people can learn about one another. Yes, it’s called ‘Muslims of the World,’ but most of our customers are not Muslim.
“Recently we had a bible study here in our coffee shop. So, this is not about Islam or being Muslim; it’s about a much stronger message, which is to bring humanity together.”
Multi-cultural Team
The shop is run by an entirely all-woman team, with staff from Algeria, Jordan, the Dominican Republic, Yemen, and Nigeria who can take orders in Spanish, English, Arabic, French, Japanese, or Urdu.
Owners host dialogue to bring community together.
“Our goal is to highlight events that mean a lot to people,” Shah adds.
“Recently, Palestine was a hot topic, so we had three Palestinian speakers come to our coffee shop and discuss the situation. The world is often misinformed about the reality of many events, and our goal is to be an authentic source to discuss topics that are relevant and important.”
Another Muslim couple from Tucson, Arizona, have used their small food store as a melting pot for faiths, offering both halal and kosher food.
An Australian Muslim woman also arranged speed dating events in her café in Melbourne,, in 2016, inviting non-Muslim men and women to ask Muslim women about their faith and their culture.