Muslim day of prayer scheduled in Washington

WASHINGTON (CNN) - About 50,000 Muslims are expected to attend a day of prayer Friday on Capitol Hill, organizers said.

"This is not a protest, it is a day of prayer, of devotion, hoping that we can work … for the betterment of the world community," said Abdul Malik, an organizer of the event, "Islam on Capitol Hill."

"We can come together and work together for the common good," said Malik, who works as a guidance counselor for the Charlotte Islamic Academy in Charlotte, North Carolina. He said Muslims in the United States have a "unique responsibility" and that the event seeks to inspire Muslims and all Americans.

"America represents still a beacon of hope," he said.

Malik said conversations about the event began between he and Hassen Abdellah, a lawyer and president of the Dar-ul-Islam mosque in Elizabeth, New Jersey, only a few months ago.

"It's amazing," he said. "The Web site has gotten more than 3 million hits already."

Friday's event is focused around a 1 p.m. prayer, but a reception will be held after, as well as a banquet, he said.

Malik said people were traveling from all over the United States - including Texas, Florida, and Georgia - as well as from other countries, such as Britain and Canada, to attend.

"The beautiful thing ... about this, is that we have a good representation of the uniqueness and beauty of what Islam stands for," he said.

The event has drawn some criticism, and Malik said he had received some "very nasty e-mails."

One Christian leader warned of a strategy to "Islamize" American society.

"It is important for Christians to understand that Friday's Muslim prayer initiative is part of a well-defined strategy to Islamize American society and replace the Bible with the Koran, the cross with the Islamic crescent and the church bells with the Athan [the Muslim call to prayer]," said Rev. Canon Julian Dobbs, leader of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America's Church and Islam Project, in a written statement.

"The time has come for the American public to call Islam to account," he said.