Islamic center to present 12 nights of sermons

Local Muslims will gather starting Sunday at the Islamic Educational Center of Orange County in Costa Mesa to celebrate the holiday Muharram, the first month of the Muslim calendar.

The center will feature 12 nights of sermons about Imam Hussein, a grandson of the prophet Muhammad. The gatherings begin at 7 p.m. with prayers, followed by speakers and dinner.

On Jan. 7, the center will mark Ashura, the 10th day of Muharram, when Shiites mourn Hussein’s martyrdom in 680.

Imam Sayed Moustafa al-Qazwini recently returned from a pilgrimage to Mecca and will soon head to Michigan for this year’s lecture series on Muharram.

For more information about the center and its activities, call (714) 432-0060.

— Paul Anderson