The Rev. William Miller’s voice cracks with...

The Rev. William Miller’s voice cracks with emotion when he recalls the January day a Muslim visitor walked into his Rosemead United Methodist Church with a candle.

It was shortly after Allied forces had launched the first attack on Baghdad. The visitor, Nisar Hai, was presenting the candle as a peace offering from his mosque, the Masjid San Gabriel.

“We had a noontime vigil all through the war,” Miller said. “As we prayed for our young people in the war, we lit this candle. It was just a powerful experience. The people were really moved.”

The war is over, but Miller and Hai still plan to continue a special relationship forged between their congregations. Today, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church of Alhambra, they will conduct a workshop on the Islamic faith. Christian and Jewish

leaders have been invited to participate.

“We’re not dealing head-on with the war but with the shadow of the war--

stereotypes of Muslims,” Miller said. “How can we deal with the war experience, and how can we live together as neighbors?”

Hai knows of Muslims who received threatening telephone calls after Iraq launched a Scud missile attack on Israel and of many Muslims with relatives in the Persian Gulf who turned to him for reassurance. He said the workshop is testimony to new hope and friendships that have grown out of the tragedy of war.

“There are a lot of silent casualties . . . amid the yellow ribbons and flag waving,” Hai said.

The workshop is open to the public; the church is at 9 N. Almansor St., Alhambra.