At the disappearance of twilight, dressed as modestly as my wardrobe allowed, I enter the gate of the Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California in Oakland. It's the holy month of Ramadan. All I know is that it's the month of fasting. Growing up under communism, the closest I came to religion was when a missionary dressed as a clown grabbed me by my hand and prayed for me. It was the early '90s when western missionaries flooded Eastern Europe to save our lost communist souls. Years have passed, and I know religion is not the face of a scary clown trying to convince me I am not a descendant of a monkey. But each time I enter an unknown zone with the name of God, I feel nervous.

The aroma of Middle Eastern spices that mingle around the hallway pulls me in. A woman dressed in a blue blouse buttoned up all the way to her neck and a long blue skirt welcomes the last arriving guests with "Assalamu alaikum." In English this Islamic greeting means "peace be with you." Her head is covered, bringing my attention to her intense, dark eyes, contoured with black mascara.

It is hard to tell who belongs to which religion as women, men and children socializing in the hallway wear buttons that read "Salaam, Shalom."Three weeks ago a local synagogue organized interfaith gathering with other local religious groups. After some Muslim women admired these pins, Eva, a Jewish activist, brought 30 of them last night for this special occasion.

The Islamic Center, together with other groups, has organized interfaith meetings. For years, local Muslims have visited synagogues as well as Christian churches in efforts to break down religious boundaries. Since Sept. 11, 2001, the Islamic Center has opened its doors to others, hoping to demystify the stigma of their faith. Tonight is the last Saturday of Ramadan and people of all religions and ethnicities join Muslims as they pray.

Maghrib — the fourth prayer of the day
The sun is down, and only the beams of street lamps penetrate through the large windows of the lecture room. Before the worshippers line up on layers of Persian prayer rugs, they take off their shoes. Women cover their bodies and heads with a white robe. Imam, the prayer leader, raises his hands while spouting the words "Allahu Akbar" ("God is most Great"). Three rows of men followed by four rows of women holding Muslim rosaries follow his lead. The gender separation aims to maintain modesty and concentration. As the faithful men and women put their hands on the ground, they lean their foreheads on a prayer stone. Shiite Muslims use this mud stone to separate themselves from unnatural surfaces to pray in absolute purity.

Muslim Children
About 50 people have gathered in this large room to observe the sunset prayer. Children's laughs are the only interruption during the prayer, but no one pays attention. According to the Quran, the Prophet Muhammad was very tender towards children and sometimes even carried one of his grandchildren on his shoulders while leading the prayer. None of the children participate in tonight's prayer, although the Islamic Center offers Farsi school every Saturday where children learn the language, culture and values of the Islam. According to Quran, girls should begin to fast during Ramadan at the age of nine, boys at 15. It is said girls mature earlier and that's why they may be ready sooner. But, the ages at which children begin to fast vary. The Farsi school encourages them to fast, but they need permission from their parents. Mormoz Mogharei, the Farsi schoolteacher, later tells me that before they begin the fast, the children need to understand they need to be good people. He shares a story of an 8-year-old girl who found a wallet with $20 in it and brought it to the class instead of keeping it. He made the class applaud her and, since there was no name in the wallet, the instructor had her donate it to the school. He complains some parents forget to teach these kinds of values to their children. Also, the children are being taught, if they wish to be among good people, they have to take on the responsibilities "God put on their shoulders." Such responsibilities, among others, are praying up to five times a day to purify their souls.

Fasting and not drinking are not the only rituals of Ramadan. Smoking and sexual relations are also forbidden during fasting. Telling a lie, slandering, denouncing someone behind his back, a false oath or greed, can destroy the good that is acquired through the fast.

A woman from Iran, Akthar Helalian-Ganji, later tells me that during Ramadan her family focuses on helping others and engages in volunteer work. She says her sons don't fight for the entire month, acting much more civilized. Although Helalian-Ganji doesn't fast due to her heart disease, she follows the spiritual path. People with illnesses are not required to fast. "I was tempted this year and last year," she admits. "But my heart is fasting."

The Iftar — breaking the fast
After completing the sunset prayer, everyone gathers for a nutritious meal down in the basement. As the night has progressed, the crowd has grown close to 200 people, which the large dining room easily accommodates. As I enter, two lines had already formed; one for vegetarians and another for meat eaters. Among the variety of ethnic dishes are soups, salads, fruit, rice dishes and meat.

The meal begins with a prayer, "O God, for you I fasted, and in you I believe, with your provision I broke your fast." I sit at a table with a middle-aged couple from Iraq. The man, very respectful toward my lack understanding of Islam, brings me a cup of tea. He explains Muslims drink a lot of tea because of its antioxidant values. As I take a bite of my lamb with spinach and beans, the couple begins with dates, small piece of feta cheese, walnuts and bread. I learn that nuts and dates ease a hungry stomach into a heavier meal after a full day of fasting.

The man, Salam Albaker tells me fasting and hunger has taught him compassion towards poor people. He started fasting at the age of 10 and soon it became an automatic part of his life, teaching him self-control. His wife Aalya says she misses Ramadan in Iraq where people would get together and break the fast every night. In the United States this holiday tends to be less social. The couple, both professors, always find time to pray at least three times a day. But they never pray together. They say they don't want to be each others leaders in prayer. "She's a chemist and I am a physicist," the husband jokes. "We don't want to fight." The woman laughs.

The Rituals of Islam
Accommodated by hot tea and water, the crowd moves back to the upstairs lecture room and begins with a prayer. Imam Saeed Bahmanpur visiting from England, wearing a black robe and a white turban begins his lecture. Islam believes that God has only one religion, which was translated to people by different prophets. He says people developed rituals and religion throughout history, but Muslims believe that what they do is what God originally communicated to everyone.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Islam uses a lunar calendar which means each month begins with the sighting of the new moon. Because the lunar calendar is about 11 days shorter than the solar calendar that is used elsewhere, Islamic holidays change dates each year. The speaker says Ramadan is the blessed month when Muslims receive special benefits, which are not available without spiritual cleansing. The use of bad language is prohibited and not much attention should be paid to worldly issues. The night is the time of deliberation, reflection and meditation.

The atmosphere in the room is relaxed. Some women whisper to their children, others sip on tea listening to their leader explain the rituals of their faith to us visitors. A young man steps out of the crowd and raises a question of violence. In Islam, violence is only permitted if one has to defend himself, the speaker explains.

"Violence due to political fact is not Islam," he adds. "What we are witnessing today are policies that were injected into the Muslim world in a wrong way. Many western countries create violence and we don't connect that to Christianity."

After a few more questions from curious guests, the evening comes to an end. The room slowly empties out. I snatch a piece of cake and, unnoticed, push myself through the crowds gathered in the hallway. My natural instinct tells me to get lost before someone tries to save me from burning in hell. But again, this is not a gathering of Christian clowns, and I am not a little girl brainwashed by someone's political beliefs. And hopefully, neither are the others.