Ma Jiacheng, the 26-year-old imamat the DoudianMosque in Beijing, hopes the religious centerwill become a platformfor the correction of misunderstandings aboutMuslims. To further that aim, he plans to open the doors to non-Muslims so they can observe religious ceremonies and learnmore about Islam.

The new mosque,which took three years to build, was completed in 2013. It is biggest mosque in North China and is situated in the Fangshan district of Beijing near its predecessor, a place of worship formore than 300 years.

Ma aims to make Doudian an international Islamic center, catering to the rising number of expat Muslims who have moved to the Chinese capital and need a place to pray.

"Everyone is welcome at Doudian Mosque. Soon, I will allow people to watch us pray and to listen tome interpreting the Quran during Jumah, the prayer session that takes place every Friday," he said, gesturing toward the planned area for visitors at the back of the prayer hall.

"I want people to understand that there is nothing mysterious about life in amosque, and to see what Muslims are really doing. We need to speak up for ourselves."

He has set up a public account for the mosque on WeChat, a popular social-networking app, so people can learn about the center via training courses he has established to help people gain a better understanding.

Ma wants Muslims and non-Muslims to feel free to ask him about anything, including tough questions, such as why extremists and terrorists cite religion as justification for their actions. He believes that imamsmust respond and counter that argument, and if they fail to do so, they aremerely providing opportunities to people who do not represent Islam.

"I always say that ifwe see Islam as chess, the players have gone wrong. Iwant people to knowthat they (extremists) are not fighting for Islam, but for power," he said. "It's really painful to see Islam used as aweapon and its teachings used as bullets. The religion is really about peace and respect."