Muslims in Fredericton hoping for new mosque.

A Man Praying in the Mosque

It was the first thing recited in the ears of Roya Fahimi when she was a newborn.

It was the first thing recited in her new home when she first came to Canada.

It rings out in mosques, homes, and on the streets of Muslim countries five times per day.

The Adhan, or the Islamic call for prayers, is what most Muslims in Fredericton miss the most.

The mosque is the base stone for Muslim society.

It is the place of worship where believers congregate to get to know each other and share their pleasures and problems.

“If you ask me what I usually do when I go home, you will be surprised to know that I stand in front of my balcony five times a day to listen to the voice of the Adhan coming from the mosque,” said Fahimi. “It is so powerful, it is beautiful, and it rings in my ears even here in Fredericton.”

The mosque on Lincoln Road is an essential part of life for many Muslims in Fredericton. In 1995, the Islamic Association of Fredericton raised more than $95,000 to convert the former church into a mosque.  Now, the association hopes to find the mosque a new home.

“We were looking for a place where Muslims in Fredericton can worship God. But we also wanted it to serve as the center for all social, cultural, and various political activities and the one we have now isn’t enough,” said Dr. Fouad Ahmad, president of the Fredericton Islamic Association.

Ahmad said the location of the mosque, the lack of space to hold Muslim ceremonies, and its small parking lot make the mosque unattractive to Muslims.

“It is just not the right place to pray,” said Ahmad. “We face air problems, electricity problems, we don’t have a day care for children, and we don’t have enough space to teach the Quran and the Arabic language to young people who were born here.”

Finding land for a new mosque is one problem, and raising more than $600,000 to build it is another.

Muslims aren’t able to raise that money because they are afraid of Canadian Security Intelligence Services (CSIS), said Naveed Majdi,  communication director for the Fredericton Islamic Association.

Naveed Majid, the Communication Director of the Islamic Association in Fredericton

“Before 9-11 a friend of mine who lives in Saudi Arabia decided to go home and agreed to pay at least half of the money, but following 9-11 everybody was being questioned and they all were afraid so he backed up,” said Majid.

Majid said Muslims in Fredericton shouldn’t be afraid of the government if they didn’t do anything wrong.

“Let’s go to CSIS and face them,” he said. “Let’s tell them that we are trying to raise money from Saudi Arabia or whatever country to build a new mosque for Muslims in Fredericton, can we do it or we can’t, it is as easy as it sounds.”

Canadian Muslims in Fredericton haven’t yet unpacked their bags because most of them don’t feel at home.

“Sometimes I feel scared to say that I am a Muslim here,” said Fahimi. “Sometimes I hesitate to go to the mosque and pray there after what happened to Abousofian Abdelrazik and all the other Muslims who were detained in Canadian jails for practicing their religions in public.”

Never charged, Abosofian Abdelrazik was interrogated by CSIS officials for practicing the Islam religion in Canada and countries like Afghanistan after visiting mosques.

Muslims in Fredericton are hoping for a new mosque.

They are thinking of the future of their community.

They are hoping to build a traditional mosque with features of dome and a minaret.

It will give them a sense of being at home.

The Churh before it turned into a mosque in 1995

“The mosque will be a showcase for Muslims, non-Muslims, it can bridge the gap between all of us,” Fahimi said.

“We want to be a part of the Canadian society.  We don’t want to live in fear and isolation.”

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Posted by Ayat Abu Hantash on Nov 20, 2009. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.