Hundreds of people poured through the doors of the Canberra Islamic Centre on Saturday as part of a national open day for the country's mosques.
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The event, now in its third year, was set up as a way for the general public to gain an insight into the religion as well as debunk misconceptions or stereotypes about Islam.
The Islamic Centre's president Azra Khan said more than 500 people visited the site, although the only one personally invited to the open day failed to make an appearance: Pauline Hanson.
"We invited her here so she can come and meet the community so she could be better informed about Islam," Mrs Khan said.
"We want to encourage the interaction between the community. It's all about individuals talking to real Muslims and gaining an understanding."
Guided tours, questions and answers sessions with Islamic Centre members as well as plenty of food were all part of the event.
While many outsiders came to the Islamic Centre not knowing many details about the religion, Mrs Khan said there's more in common with Christianity and other religions that people think.
"One of the biggest misconceptions is that Islam is radically different and it isn't," she said.
"The teachings of Jesus are exactly the same as Muhammad, with the same principles of peace and harmony."
One of the visitors to the centre in Monash was Sam Ryan, who is in the middle of converting to Islam.
He said his visit during the open day was to get a greater understanding about the religion as well as Canberra's Islamic community.
"It's been something I've been thinking about for a few years and the more I researched it, the more it resonated with me," he said.
Renee Jones also visited during the open day, and while she didn't believe the stereotypes peddled by some politicians, she said it was eye-opening to get a first-hand look.
"They're an incredibly welcoming and inclusive community, with genuinely really lovely people who always feed you," she said.
"They're all quite welcoming and great to engage with."
While many came to the Islamic Centre armed with questions about jihad and why women wear the burqa, Mrs Khan said many left with a greater understanding.
"This is exactly the thing we as a community need to be doing more of so we can dispel those stereotypes and people can leave being more informed," she said.
