Muslim Hookah Bar Opens Its Stage to Christian Musicians

c. 2007 Religion News Service MORRISTOWN, N.J. _ Three Muslim brothers plan to open their cafe and hookah bar for Christian music nights starting next month. Every Thursday night from June 7 through July 26, Cafe Arabica will set up the stage for several Christian rock bands that have traveled from around the country. The […]

c. 2007 Religion News Service

MORRISTOWN, N.J. _ Three Muslim brothers plan to open their cafe and hookah bar for Christian music nights starting next month.

Every Thursday night from June 7 through July 26, Cafe Arabica will set up the stage for several Christian rock bands that have traveled from around the country.


The Christian Concert Series will try to build bridges between Christianity and Islam, said Ali Hablawi, who owns the cafe along with his brothers, Adnan and Adel.

“I would like to have unity between the two religions, so I thought, why not have a night when we could have Christian music so everyone can see that the religions have a lot in common?” Hablawi said.

On typical nights, Cafe Arabica serves up Middle Eastern foods and customers can relax and smoke flavored tobacco through a hookah water pipe. The cafe also features an eclectic blend of Middle Eastern, American and relaxing lounge music.

The weekly night of religious music will add to the establishment’s multicultural theme, Hablawi said. In the future, Hablawi said he hopes to also include Jewish musicians.

The Christian Concert Series is being organized by Reach Out Communications Corp., a Christian entertainment company that presents an online television program.

“I’m usually interested more in what goes on outside of the church, so I got this crazy idea” to start up a Christian rock night in the hookah cafe, said Gary Scarano of ROCC.

Scarano approached Hablawi in early May, and both thought it was a great opportunity.

“We’re not trying to throw this in anyone’s face,” said Scarano, adding that his organization just hopes to appeal to the young crowd that often fills the cafe.


It’s a rare opportunity to bring Christian rock bands into an area where they seldom tour, Scarano said. “The Nashville Christian music scene is one of the biggest in the country, and you will see that most of the bands there skip the whole Northeast completely,” he said.

Presenting Christian music is also an opportunity for Muslims to learn about another culture, said Hablawi, who immigrated to the United States from Jordan 27 years ago.

“In Islam, we do not have an Islamic music like the Christians have Christian music,” he said.

He said he hopes that bringing in a mixed religious crowd will allow for discussion and entertainment.

“We believe that all religions come from one God,” Hablawi said, “but just come with different names.”

KRE/PH END VYAS

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