The men sit on the floor but offer a stranger the most comfortable chair in the room. They speak quietly of everyday things while awaiting the arrival of their comrade, who is bringing dessert.
Basboosa , a flat cake sprinkled with coconut, and tea with honey are served and enjoyed before anyone gets down to business.
This is the way of Fort Walton Beach’s small Islamic community.
The local leadership have rules of engagement. No names, no photos and no descriptions of the small Hollywood Boulevard building they have called home for over 20 years.
Security issues have arisen, they say, since a man named Dave Gaubatz published a blog portraying this particular Muslim prayer center as an incubator of terrorist activity.
They have agreed to discuss the controversy the blog has created.
“We have absolutely nothing to hide,” the group’s primary spokesman said.
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This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: ISIS threat in FWB? Local Muslims dispute depiction as incubator of terrorist activity