N.L.'s Muslim community will the end Ramadan by celebrating in their new mosque

Elizabeth Whitten · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 28, 2025 4:30 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

This play marks the extremity of Ramadan and Muslims successful Newfoundland and Labrador volition stitchery to celebrate, conscionable similar different years — but this clip they'll beryllium doing it successful a marque caller mosque successful St. John's.

The Muslim Association of Newfoundland and Labrador president Haseen Khan said Eid al-Fitr — the extremity of Ramadan — is typically marked with societal visits, acquisition exchanges, a assemblage dinner, and a prayer.

"We volition beryllium offering this supplication astatine our caller mosque, which is simply a precise peculiar lawsuit for Muslims successful Newfoundland and Labrador," Khan told CBC Radio's The St. John's Morning Show.

"Here, owed to the size of community, determination volition beryllium 2 Eid prayers, archetypal astatine 8 a.m. and 2nd astatine 9 a.m. connected this Sunday."

The relation officially took implicit the caller mosque, the erstwhile Mary Queen of Peace Catholic church, astatine the extremity of December, Khan said.

"We person been engaged since past successful renovating that spot to marque it acceptable astatine slightest for the Eid prayer, which volition beryllium connected this Sunday," helium said.

"We are precise pleased with its capacity, with its determination and parking. So we anticipation that it is going to beryllium the focal constituent for Muslims successful Newfoundland and Labrador for decades to come."

He said Ramadan — which started connected Feb. 28 this twelvemonth — is an accidental for Muslims to prosecute successful self-reflection, self-discipline arsenic good arsenic caring and communal cohesion.

"It is the astir almighty instrumentality for the rejuvenation of the mind, assemblage and soul," helium said, adding it's 1 of the 5 pillars of Islam.

Population boom

Across the province, Khan said the Muslim colonisation has had "substantial growth." In the 1990s helium said determination were astir 100 Muslims but wrong the past 20 years the fig has grown to astir 10,000 Muslims successful the state — 80 per cent of them living in the St. John's area.

He feels reassured by the growth, and says Muslim radical feeling comfy and harmless surviving successful Newfoundland and Labrador is a testament to the welcoming attitude of the radical of the province.

Khan said the assemblage is excited to observe successful their caller mosque.

"We are pleased. All Muslims tin commune nether 1 extortion and I deliberation this is bringing tons of joy, excitement to the community."

A mosque fulfils galore antithetic roles successful the community, helium added, including arsenic a sanctuary to worship, a schoolhouse for cognition and a spot of refuge.

"It is simply a cornerstone successful the beingness of Muslims."

Download our free CBC News app to motion up for propulsion alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here. Click here to sojourn our landing page.