Alberta Muslims welcome all on Canada Day

Celebrating Canada, July 1

On July 1, the largely immigrant Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Edmonton opened up their Mosque for Canada Day festivities. Guests from all walks of life were welcomed, allowed to visit inside the mosque and treated to a free barbecue.

The ceremony began with a recitation from the Holy Qu’ran and ended with a traditional Islamic silent prayer, and everything in between was one great tribute to Canada.

The walls were adorned with Canadian flags, little children sang the national anthem and community members gave short speeches on what it means to be Canadian.

In the ceremony, attendees were especially reminded of their Canadian responsibility to reflect on past and present injustices in the country and do whatever it takes to right those wrongs. The focus of this message was reconciliation with our underserved Indigenous populations.

The Muslim community opens its heart for Canada and, in turn, hopes that Canada, too, can overcome the rising sentiment of Islamophobia and open its arms for them.

It’s about time we accept the essence of being Canadian, highlighted by the Ahmadiyya Community’s motto, “Love for all, hatred for none.”

Ali Shahan Butt, Edmonton