Earlier this month, Stephanie Holderfield, the Illinois State Director for the Trump campaign, reached out to the Mosque Foundation in Bridgeview, Ill. She was interested in whether Trump could appear publicly before their congregation on Sept. 12, says the mosque’s president, Oussama Jammal. The day was during Eid-al-Adha, a major Islamic celebration, when 20,000 American Muslim would gather at a stadium to pray in the morning.

Its leaders rejected the idea outright, both because it was an Islamic holiday and because they didn’t want to give Trump a stage, but said they were open to a private meeting between local Muslim leaders and the Republican nominee.

“Our religion teaches us that if someone is willing to come forward for peace, you should come forward as well. Ignorance can lead to animosity. So if you can come together… then we should,” Jammal said.

Holderfield asked instead if she could join their breakfast reception preceding Eid-al-Adha prayers. The mosque agreed, and she attended along with other local politicians—Bridgewater Mayor Steven Landek, state Rep. Andre Thapedi and U.S. Congressman Dan Lipinski—and continued conversations about the mosque hosting Trump at some point.