Islam in Canada

8/14/2019 Islam in Canada

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The latest statistic shows that Muslims is 5% of the population in Greater

Toronto area .

Islam in Canada From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

According to 2001 census , there were

579,640 Muslims in Canada , just under 2% of the population. [1]. In 2006 , Muslim

population is estimated to be 783,700 or

about 2.5%[2].

Demographics, concentration, and life

Most Canadian Muslims [i.e. followers of Islam ] are people who were

raised Muslim. There are also small numbers of converts to Islam from other religions. As with immigrants in general, Muslim immigrants have

come to Canada for a variety of reasons. These include higher education, employment, and family reunification. Others have come for

religious and political freedom, and safety and security, leaving behind

civil wars, persecution, and other forms of civil and ethnic strife. In the

1980s, Canada became an important place of refuge for those fleeing

the Lebanese Civil War . The 1990s saw Somali Muslims arrive in the wake of the Somali Civil War as well as Bosnian Muslims fleeing the

breakup of the former Yugoslavia . However Canada has yet to receive

any significant numbers of Iraqis [Muslim or Christian] fleeing the Iraqi Civil War . But in general almost every Muslim country in the world has sent immigrants to Canada from Albania to Yemen .[1]

The majority of Canadian Muslims and not coincidentally a large

proportion of the country's immigrants live in the province of British Columbia , with the largest groups settled in and around the Greater

Contents

1 Demographics, concentration, and life 2 History 3 Organizations 4 References 5 See also 6 External links


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Vancouver Regional District . According to the 2001 Census, there were

258,500 Muslims living in the Greater Vancouver Regional District . [2]

Assuming that most immigrants from Pakistan and Iran are Muslims, the two largest Muslim communities in the were Pakistani (>50,000)

and Iranian (>30,000). [3] Canada 's national capital Ottawa hosts many

Lebanese and Somali Muslims, where the Muslim community numbered approximately 40,000 in 2001. [4] Greater Montreal 's Muslim

community neared 100,000 in 2001. [5] It is home to large numbers of Canadians of Moroccan, Algerian and Lebanese descent, as well as smaller Syrian, Iranian, Pakistani and Turkish communities. [6] These

communities are not exclusively, but predominantly, Muslim. In

addition to Toronto , Ottawa, and Montreal , nearly every major Canadian metropolitan area has a Muslim community, including Halifax

(3,070), Windsor (10,745), Winnipeg (4,805), Calgary (25,920), Edmonton (19,580), Toronto (52,590), where more than a third are of

Iranian descent, and Victoria (1,230). [7]

Table 1: Current and Projected Muslim Population of Canada [8]

Muslim Population 2001 2017

Canada 579,700 1,421,400

Atlantic Provinces 5,300 14,500

Quebec 103,900 247,600

British Columbia 57,200 131,100

Manitoba 4,900 12,100

Saskatchewan 2,000 4,700

Alberta 49,300 100,300

Ontario 356,700 910,600

As the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees freedom of

religious expression, Canadian Muslims face no official religious

discrimination . Under Section 2(a) of the Charter, the wearing of the hijab is permitted in schools and places of work. Religious holidays and


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dietary restrictions are also respected, but outside major urban areas it

may be difficult to find halal food. It is also often difficult to observe

Islamic rules against usury .

History

The Muslim community in Canada is almost as old as the nation itself.

Four years after Canada 's founding in 1867, the 1871 Canadian Census found 13 Muslims among the population. [9] The first Canadian mosque was constructed in Edmonton in 1938, when there were approximately 700 Muslims in the country. [10] This building is now part of the museum

at Fort Edmonton . The years after World War II saw a small increase in

the Muslim population. However Muslims were still a distinct minority. It was only with the removal of European immigration preferences in the late 1960s that Muslims began to arrive in significant numbers.

According to the Canadian Census of 1971 there were 33,000 Muslims

in Canada . [11] In the 1970s large scale non European immigration to Canada began. This was reflected in the growth of the Muslim

community in Canada . In 1981, the Census listed 98,000 Muslims. [12] The 1991 Census indicated 253,265 Muslims. [13] By 2001, the Islamic

community in Canada had grown to more than 579,000. [14] Preliminary

estimates for Census 2006 point to a figure of almost 800,000. [15] The community is expected to grow to 1.1 million by 2011 and 1.4 million

by 2017. [16]

Compared to Muslims in Europe , Canadian Muslims have not faced the

same set of problems. [17] The Muslim community in Canada is just one among many ethnic, religious, racial and cultural communities that

together make up Canada . At the same time, it must be noted that

although Canadian Muslims may be classified as Muslims for official governmental statistical and policy making purposes, that does not

necessarily mean that all who are identified as such are practicing Muslims. In other words, they may be culturally Muslim, while at the

same leading secular lives. Among the more prominent Canadian

Muslims are

Rahim

Jaffer ,

who

has

sat

as

a Member

of

Parliament

(MP)

for Edmonton Strathcona since 1997, Irshad Manji , a feminist Muslim activist who wrote the international bestseller "The Trouble With

Islam " an excoriation of violent radical Islam , and Maher Arar , a

Syrian Canadian renditioned to Syria by the United States due to

misleading information received from Canadian intelligence services.

The role of Islam in Canada in the 21st century is represented by the


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success of the television sitcom Little Mosque on the Prairie , produced

by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).

Organizations

Toronto Dawah Centre

The Muslim community in Canada is represented by several

organizations: the Canadian Islamic Congress , which represents

traditional opinions in the community and has the support of most mosques, the Muslim Association of Canada (MAC) which has its foundation rooted in traditional Islamic ideology with a focus on dynamic application within the current Canadian context, CAIRCAN

Council of American Islamic Relations Canada which has now become

one of the leading advocacy and civil liberties groups on behalf of the Muslim community, the Muslim Canadian Congress , a progressive, liberal group that was founded in 2002 as well as other organisations such as Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and the Islamic Circle of

North America (ICNA). These are only some of the key organisations

within the Muslim Canadian community, the community is a large, diverse community with well over 60 ethno cultural groups and so organisations are continually emerging as they seek to meet the needs

of community members.

Student associations are strongly established at most Canadian universities, with the MSA at the University of Toronto , started in 1966,

being the largest student organization on campus [3]. Student led initiatives are generally well supported and successful, including annual

events such as MuslimFest and the Reviving the Islamic Spirit

conference, the largest Islamic event in Canada .

References

1. ^ 2001 Census of Canada :

http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census01/home/index.cfm

2. ^ Canada 's Demo Religious Revolution

3. ^ 2001 Census of Canada



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8. ^ Canada 's Demo Religious Revolution


10. Saudi Aramco World: Canada 's Pioneer Mosque:

http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/199804/canada.s.pioneer.mosque.htm

11. 1971 Census of Canada




15. Canada 's Demo Religious Revolution

16. Canada 's Demo Religious Revolution

17. Canada 's Muslims: An International Comparison: http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/islam/muslim

survey.html

See also

Religion in Canada

Category containing Canadian Muslims

External links

Canada religious census 2001

Canada s Demo Religious Revolution: 2017

Canadian Muslim Business and service Directory

Islamic Association in Canada

Canadian Council Of Muslim Women


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MuslimFest Artistic, Innovative, Captivating

http:/ / en.wikipedia.org/ w iki/ Islam_in_Canada

The oldest mosque in Canada 1930 founded by 800 Muslims .

Al-Rashid Mosque

Al-Rashid Mosque, constructed in 1938, was Canada 's first mosque. Originallylocated at 101 Street and 108 Avenue, Edmonton , Alberta , it was moved a fewblocks in 1946. Today it is preserved at Fort Edmonton Park .

Maulana Abdul Aleem Siddiqui was instrumental in establishing Al-Rashid Mosquewith the local Arab community.

A few months later the cornerstone for this building was laid by Abdullah Yusuf Ali

(Translator of: "The Meanings of the Holy Qur'an")

Al-Rashid Mosque at its newlocation. [ 13070 113th St. Edmonton , Alberta ]

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=14272&l=20921&id=711951981

From your album:"The oldest mosque in Canada 1930 founded by 800 Muslims ."

History


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In the hopes of beginning a new life of peace and prosperity the first Muslims arrived in Canada in 1871. They arrived byboat on Canada 's east coast and by 1931 the Census of Canada registered 645 Muslim residents. In the early1930's inEdmonton , Mayor John Fry was approached by a group of Muslim ladies for a plot of land on which a mosque could be builtfor the growing Muslim community. An amount of 5000 dollars was needed to buy the land that was located next to Royal

Alexandra Hospital . A Ukrainian-Canadian named Mike Drewoth was hired as the contractor for this historic undertakingthat would be the first mosque built in North America . The official opening of the Al Rashid Mosque was on December 12,1938.The ceremony was attended by various prominent figures including Abdullah Yusuf Ali, whose English interpretation of the Holy Qur'an is renowned. The mosque served the Muslims as a religious and community centre. As a result of themosque's presence, many Muslim families were attracted to Edmonton . They immigrated here to raise their families in anew land, interacting with Canadians while maintaining their religious beliefs and cultural practices.

Over the years as the community continued to flourish, their numbers grew to over 16,000 Muslims by the early 1980's. Bythat time the mosque was becoming over crowded so a bigger facility was needed to meet the community's needs. InNovember 1982 the new Al Rashid mosque opened its doors to serve over 20,000 Muslims in Edmonton .

The old mosque would remain empty for another 10 years until the expansion of the Royal Alexandra Hospital jeopardizedthe future of this historical landmark. The Canadian Council of Muslim Women lobbied to have the building saved from thewrecking ball and in 1992 the old Al Rashid Mosque was preserved as an historical building in Fort Edmonton Park . Itreopened its doors to the public on May 28, 1992. Visitors to this monument of peaceful coexistence can go on a tour andlearn some of the history behind its pioneering heritage.

As the community grew, more services and facilities were needed. To meet this challenge the Canadian Islamic Centre/ AlRashid Mosque offers many services including housing, funeral services, educational programs, an accredited private schoolfor grades K-9 and much more. Today the Muslim community boasts over 30,000 members of over 62 ethnic backgrounds.Its members have contributed to Edmonton 's dynamic character for over a century and look to the future as an opportunityto continue to live in harmony and prosperity with Canadians of all religious and ethnic backgrounds.

SAVING A MOSQUE FROM DEMOLITION


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AND WITH IT THE MEMORIES OF A COMMUNITY

By STEPHANIE NOLEN / The Globe and Mail / MARCH 20, 2000

Reprinted from "The Friday Bulletin" published by the Canadian Islamic Congress

EDMONTON -- The building is squat and square, made of red brick. It looks,well, like a church -- and indeed, the man who drew up the plans in the 1930shad experience only with churches. But silver domes gleam on this building'stwin towers and each one is crowned by a crescent moon.

Inside, there are no pews, no altar: just streams of light from six archedwindows and rich Persian carpets on the floor. There is a podium at the front,on which a copy of the Qur'an rests in a gilt box, and an arched Qiblah builtinto the wall, showing the direction to Mecca [Makka].

This is North America 's oldest Mosque. Called the Al Rashid, it was built bythe children of Muslim farmers and fur traders, people whose stories don'toften make the history books. Erected in 1938, it served the burgeoningMuslim population of Edmonton faithfully for 50 years -- but it's small, just 30by 50 feet , and eventually it fell into disuse as newer, bigger Mosques werebuilt.

And it was very nearly demolished for a parking lot, until a feisty group ofwomen, Muslims from all ethnic heritages, fought city hall -- and a communitythey say was at times overtly racist -- to have it declared a heritage buildingand moved into the Fort Edmonton Park historic site.

The Al Rashid Mosque was saved, but it's still empty most of the time. Thewomen hope that when refurbishment is finished, it can be used on occasionssuch as the three-day Eid al-Adha celebration, which ended yesterday. Andthey are enormously pleased to see it settled there in the park, at the end of arow of 1920s shops, a red-brick testament to the long presence of Muslims intheir country.

The first "Mohammedans," as white Canada called them then, arrived on theprairies more than 100 years ago, leaving homes in the Middle East andSoutheast Asia in search of prosperity, and often fleeing wars andconscription. At first, they farmed or trapped, like so many immigrants; andsome opened stores. Mothers were eager to move to town, so that theirchildren could be educated and learn English. By the early 1900s, there was asmall Muslim community in Edmonton and fund raising for a Mosque started


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in the 1930s.

In the Depression years, nobody had much money for the project. All theMuslim families in town contributed what they could; so did Arab Christians,and even a few Jewish families. It was finally finished in 1938, built on a small

plot near the centre of town, on land donated by the city. Once there was a heavy green-velvet curtain that could be pulled out to dividethe women's section; it has been folded away. But in one corner stands thewash basin and porcelain jug that the faithful used to wash for prayers, in thedays before indoor plumbing. The Mosque became the heart of a community,drawing Muslims from all over -- including those who headed for Edmontonsimply because they heard there was a Mosque there.

"Some of my truly happiest memories are here," Evelyn Hamdon said, seatedcomfortably on the floor on a recent winter day, with five of the other womenwho fought to save the building. Ms. Hamdon, 45, is an adult-education

consultant; her sister Lorrine, 40, an international business consultant, satnearby. "Do you remember," she asked, "the weddings and the parties, andus washing dishes in the basement?"

http://muslim canada.org/alrashidmosque.html

History

In the hopes of beginning a new life of peace and prosperity the first Muslims arrived in Canada in 1871.

They arrived by boat on Canada 's east coast and by 1931 the Census of Canada registered 645 Muslim residents. In the early1930's in Edmonton , Mayor John Fry was approached by a group of Muslim ladies

for a plot of land on which a mosque could be built for the growing Muslim community. An amount of

5000 dollars was needed to buy the land that was located next to Royal Alexandra Hospital . A

Ukrainian Canadian named Mike Drewoth was hired as the contractor for this historic undertaking that would be the first mosque built in North America . The official opening of the Al Rashid Mosque was on

December 12, 1938.The ceremony was attended by various prominent figures including Abdullah Yusuf


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Ali, whose English interpretation of the Holy Qur'an is renowned. The mosque served the Muslims as a

religious and community centre. As a result of the mosque's presence, many Muslim families were

attracted to Edmonton . They immigrated here to raise their families in a new land, interacting with Canadians while maintaining their religious beliefs and cultural practices.

Over the years as the community continued to flourish, their numbers grew to over 16,000 Muslims by

the early 1980's. By that time the mosque was becoming over crowded so a bigger facility was needed

to meet the community's needs. In November 1982 the new Al Rashid mosque opened its doors to serve

over 20,000 Muslims in Edmonton .

The old mosque would remain empty for another 10 years until the expansion of the Royal Alexandra

Hospital jeopardized the future of this historical landmark. The Canadian Council of Muslim Women

lobbied to have the building saved from the wrecking ball and in 1992 the old Al Rashid Mosque was preserved as an historical building in Fort Edmonton Park . It reopened its doors to the public on May

28, 1992. Visitors to this monument of peaceful coexistence can go on a tour and learn some of the

history behind its pioneering heritage.

As the community grew, more services and facilities were needed. To meet this challenge the Canadian

Islamic Centre/ Al Rashid Mosque offers many services including housing, funeral services, educational programs, an accredited private school for grades K9 and much more. Today the Muslim community

boasts over 30,000 members of over 62 ethnic backgrounds. Its members have contributed to

Edmonton 's dynamic character for over a century and look to the future as an opportunity to continue to live in harmony and prosperity with Canadians of all religious and ethnic backgrounds.

For over 60 years the Canadian Islamic Centre/Al Rashid Mosque has been serving the Muslim

community of Edmonton and northern Alberta . It is located in north Edmonton on 113th Street just south of 132nd Avenue . The original Al Rashid Mosque was located in downtown Edmonton for over 40

years but due to the growth of the Muslim community and increasing demand for services, a larger


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Islam in Canada

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