The Al-Rashid: Canada’s model mosque

Last updated on: January 12, 2011 at 5:45 am by Guest Contributor

The Al-Rashid: Canada’s model mosque 2011-01-12T05:45:39-04:00 Guest Contributor

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A bigger mosque on the prairie

Visitors to the history park in Edmonton, Canada often pause in front of a small, red brick building wondering about its identity. Its long and narrow rectangular shape and onion-like domes suggest that it might be an Eastern Orthodox church. While the minarets rising from either side of the front entrance and crescent moons atop the domes betray its Middle Eastern roots. Inside, there are no pews, only 70-year-old carpets, faded and worn thin at spots. It is Al-Rashid, Canada’s oldest mosque.

Built in 1938, it was relocated to Fort Edmonton Park, set up to preserve and celebrate the history and heritage of the city of Edmonton, after controversy over its credentials for a berth among the historical landmarks. Its age was an issue because it was relatively young vis-à-vis the other buildings there, but its unique architectural design and significance in Canadian religious history won it a place of distinction.

Mosques with exteriors looking like churches are found in other Canadian cities as well. These were originally churches or parish halls that Muslims purchased and renovated. Toronto’s Jami Mosque, for example, used to be a Presbyterian church. Unlike these church buildings remodelled to look like mosques, however, Al-Rashid is the only structure originally built as a mosque that resembles a church.

The design of a place of worship is the public expression of the identity and vision of the people who built it. Most of the mosques in Canada are typical of Middle Eastern and South Asian architecture, reflecting the regions of origin of a vast majority of Muslim Canadians.

But the Al-Rashid is unique. It blends in with the local landscape like its builders who celebrated similarities with mainstream society while recognising differences.

The first Muslim settlers on the Canadian prairies came from Syria and Lebanon with the opening up of Alberta and Saskatchewan for development at the turn of the last century. Excited by the promise of the new land, they wasted little time putting down roots. They embarked upon a new beginning in the new country, preserving the fundamentals of their faith and adopting what was good in the local tradition, as their ancestors had over the centuries when they migrated to new lands.

A mosque synthesising elements of the local culture with the essentials of their faith was only their first step towards forging a Canadian Muslim identity. Patriarchal practices that excluded women from a fulfilling role in the mosque were also discarded. In a rare move, six of the 32 founders of the Al-Rashid were women.

Inside the mosque, male and female worshippers shared the same space. Everyone worshipped in the main hall, with women standing behind the men, separated only by the distance between them. Gender did not determine who could enter the house of God from the front door.

None of this would have been possible without a vibrant religious leadership because the pulpit was, and is, the revered source of authority.

For more than half of its active life as a place of worship, the Al-Rashid was guided by two dynamic imams who were more accepting of change than a newly imported imam would have been, because their background had prepared them to relate 7th century teachings of Islam to the contemporary world of their congregation. Imam Nejib Ailley (Aly) grew up in Canada after immigrating as a teenager. While the second imam – Dr. Abd al-Ati – was imported from Egypt, he was not new to Canada, having previously spent three years in Montreal as a graduate student at McGill University.

The fellowship kindled by a respectful etiquette, meaningful sermons and dynamic leaders moulded scattered individuals into a well-knit community whose descendents have produced a stream of devoted public servants and caring citizens. The list of the Al-Rashid mosque’s alumni reads like a ”who’s who” of Muslim Canadians.

Elsewhere in the country, mosques continue to be embroiled in the same old issues of identity, women’s place in the mosque and the disconnect between imported imams and their Canadian congregations. Al-Rashid gave us a model to meet these challenges seven decades ago.

Daood Hamdani is the author of The Al-Rashid: Canada’s First Mosque. This article was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).

Briefings

Previous Post

January 10, 2011

Extremism in Pakistan: The path of silence

Next Post

January 14, 2011 Arizona shootings: Why isn’t Jared Lee Loughner a homegrown terrorist?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 2012 Elections 30 Dayd 30 Writers (2017) 30 Days 30 Writers 30 Days 30 Writers (2015) 30 Days 30 Writers (2016) 30 Days 30 Writers (2018) 30 Days 30 Writers 2017 Ali Asadullah Ali Eteraz Alper Bilgili Arthur Richards Asides Asma Uddin Black History Month Briefings Charles Turner Commentary Cyrus McGoldrick Eman H Aly Fatimah Popal Hajj Hajj and Dhul Hijjah Hesham Hassaballa Hisham Hellyer Ibrahim Abusharif Inas Younis Irfan Yusuf Jalal Baig Junaid Afeef Laila Alawa Laila Alwala Mas'ood Cajee Muqtedar Khan Nakia Jackson Newsmakers Parvez Ahmed Podcasts Rabia Chaudry Rafia Zakaria Ramadan Reviews Safiyyah Ally Saud Inam Shahed Amanullah Svend White The Opinionated Oncologist Visions Wajahat Ali Zahed Amanullah Zahir Janmohamed Zainab Khan

Select a Month November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 December 2002 November 2002 October 2002 September 2002 August 2002 July 2002 June 2002 May 2002 April 2002 March 2002

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which Christian group traditionally avoids military service?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Methodists Evangelicals Pentecostals Quakers