Moncton mosque overflowing since Syrians arrived
Moncton's first mosque is in need of an expansion due to the influx of Syrian refugees.
According to Riaz Akhtar, treasurer for the Muslim Association of Moncton, the congregation has doubled in size in the last six months. About 200 people now come to the mosque every Friday afternoon.
"On a Friday afternoon, when the congregational prayers are being held, this hall becomes full and we have to use the downstairs basement as a [back up], whereas before the Syrians arrived it was about a third-to-a-half full," he said.
Adjustment period
Akhtar said the Muslim Association is considering expanding the current building because of space issues, but will wait a bit longer as some members of the community may decide to seek employment outside of Moncton.
"We need to raise the funds, make plans for extending the mosque, etc. It might take a few years, but that is in the works," he said.
Akhtar says members of the mosque are happy to see the Syrian newcomers attending, despite having to adjust to the language barrier, as most of the pre-existing members do not speak Arabic.
"Whereas before the announcements were made in French and English, now we have to make sure that all announcements include Arabic, also."
The language of the announcements isn't the only adjustment. There were organizational challenges surrounding the Iftar feasts during Ramadan this year.
"This year, we were not able to do a great deal. In the past, we were able to do a supper each Saturday evening, but this year we thought, 'How are we going to handle 700 people?' It just became impossible."
He says they had to rent out the Kay Arena in Moncton for the end of Ramadan.
Growth of Muslim community
The mosque opened in 2007 after being converted from a former Baptist church.
According to Mouad Loukili, a workplace integration manager at MAGMA, mosques are not only places of worship, but community centres.
He said people often share stories and ask for advice after the Friday prayer.
"After the prayer there is a lot of gathering, we share information, we share concerns. We talk about our conditions here, the living condition, especially for the new arrivals — Syrians included," he said.
Akhtar believes a full Mosque will encourage Muslim newcomers to stay in Moncton, as they get a certain amount of community support by coming to the mosque on a regular basis.
Having moved to Riverview in 1988, Akhtar says he would never have thought the Muslim community would have an overflowing mosque.
"Moncton had a very small Muslim community at that time, and it would have been difficult to imagine that it would have grown like this," he said.
