Canadian Muslims community in Kanata started fundraising to build a mosque

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Wednesday 05 Aug 2015 - 14:24 Makkah mean time-20-10-1436 Kanata, Canada (IINA) - With the growth of Muslim communities around the globe and the religion of Islam, Kanata’s growing Muslim community has started fundraising to build itself a local mosque in the city. The community, which began with about 45 people a decade or so ago has grown to several thousand, said Kanata imam Sikander Hashmi, meaning the community is outgrowing its temporary home in six rental facilities across Kanata, Ottawa community news reported. But the Muslim community’s growth is just one factor leading to the need for a permanent place of its own, said Hashmi. Having a local mosque would not just be a place for Muslims to gather, but a place for the broader community to learn about Islam and their Muslim neighbours. In the past year alone the attendance at Friday prayer services has grown by about 100 people, with more than 600 attending the weekly service, held at rental spaces in the Mlacak Centre or the Richcraft Recreation Complex, he said. The Kanata Muslim Association has spread its activities across six different rental facilities, including schools, and all facilities have been welcoming, said Hashmi. “We are very fortunate that we do have a great broader community, and people have been very, very helpful,” he said. “I think it’s really important to have a place that’s just really welcoming and inclusive for everyone. It’s not just members of our community but people in the neighbourhood or anyone else who wants to come in and make use of the facilities and rent a room or hold an event or just use the green space should be welcome to do that,” said Hashmi. With that goal in mind, Hashmi and the Kanata muslim association performed a survey of the Muslim community asking them if they would support the project, which came back with an overwhelming yes, said Hashmi. Fundraising started during the month of Ramadan with a goal of raising $300,000. Though about $190,000 was raised, Hashmi said the response was good nonetheless. However, he estimates the project will require somewhere around $2 million. “We want to be very open to the community wherever this is going to be so people understand what we are doing there and understand what our vision is,” said Hashmi, adding donations will not be coming from overseas, but from local groups and people. SM/IINA