Halton Islamic Association and Halton Mosque:

Dream to reality In the early sixties, Canada opened its doors to the world for immigration. During this period many people chose Canada as their future home including Muslims from various countries. Muslims mostly settled in the Southern Ontario, Montreal and Vancouver. In the late seventies, approximately half a dozen Muslim families residing in Burlington felt the need to have their own place of worship since the nearest mosque was on Hamilton Mountain and not conveniently located for daily worship. At the time the Muslim community met on a weekly basis in various facilities in Burlington. Members began delivering some programs and services even before construction of a mosque. Regular Friday congregational prayers were conducted in the home of a founding member of the community for more than ten years prior to the development of the mosque. Weekend religious classes for children were held in a local public school. Later language programs were initiated for children in Arabic and Urdu, sponsored by the Ontario Heritage Language program of the Halton Board of Education. The opportunity to build a mosque came in the eighties after the establishment of the Halton Islamic Association (HIA) in 1981. The HIA initiated the project for the construction of the Halton Mosque in Burlington. Land was purchased on Fairview Street from funds raised by the community through fund raising dinners and bake sales and chocolate bar drives as well as donations.

Halton Mosque The ground breaking ceremony took place on Oct 16, 1988. Construction continued at a constant pace until the early nineties with the help of many volunteers from the community. A grand ceremony was organized for the inauguration of the Mosque on June 27, 1993 which was attended by several Members of Parliament for Halton, the Mayor of Burlington, the Halton Police and Fire Chiefs, various civic business officials and representatives of several faiths. A congratulatory message was read from the Prime Minister of Canada. The inaugural function was attended by 300 participants. The Hamilton Spectator devoted a full page of coverage to the event in the June 22, 1993, issue. The HIA has always endeavored to organize seminars, tours and information sessions for elementary and high school students, members of various churches, senior citizens and newly recruited members of the Halton Police Service seeking diversity training. Consequently, since its inception HIA has succeeded in developing friendly, cordial and peaceful relationships with the community at large as per the teachings of Islam. The Mosque is open daily for the five daily prayers as well as for Friday (Juma), and Eid prayers, and funerals. The Mosque is also a centre for social, educational and cultural activities. Religious and Arabic language classes are provided every Saturday for children. The well maintained and attractive Halton Mosque building is located on the busy corridor of Fairview Street connecting Appleby-Walkers Lines. It serves as one of the landmarks of the city of Burlington. It offers an eye-catching and unique architecture depicting an integration of modern design with the traditional Islamic architecture of a dome and minaret.

A peaceful mosaic of Canadian MuslimsThe Muslim community in Halton is ethnically, linguistically, culturally and economically diverse. In addition to Canadian-born members, Muslims from over a dozen countries from around the globe are represented within the community. Among them they speak over two dozen languages. The variety of their native modes of dress, their cuisine and their customs are equally astonishing and wide-ranging. They earn their livelihoods through professions in medicine, management, science, ecology, engineering, law, computer science, and education. They are in trades such as plumbing and building construction and in the ownership and operation of small and large businesses (restaurants, garages, etc.). What binds such different entities into a solid, unified community of common purpose are the religion of Islam and its belief system, the Arabic language, which is the language of the Qur’an, and the universality of Muslim religious practices which are the same, wherever one travels in the world. Thus, the Muslims of Halton find unity within the wide-ranging diversity of the community and the Halton Mosque serves as a focal point for the social, cultural, religious, educational and business needs of Muslims in Halton Region. The Halton Mosque maintains an active calendar of activities for Muslims as well as other fellow Canadians to promote peace, harmony and better understanding among members of different faiths. Consequently the first open house called “Neighbors' Day” was organized on Nov 22, 1992 which was attended by more than 200 people. The program consisted of an exhibit about Islam and its contributions to humanity, science and civilization, guided tours of the Mosque and its functions, presentations about Islamic faith, beliefs, human rights, peaceful co-existence and comparative religion.

HIA constitution and not-for-profit statusHIA is a not-for-profit organization recognized by the government of Canada. It has a constitution which has been adopted and approved by the community members. The constitution established three standing committees: 1) Election; 2) Education; and 3) Women. The Election Committee conducts elections independently every 3 years following the standard procedures of nomination and voting for various candidates, including women. The Education Committee is responsible for the educational and training needs of HIA members, including children, youth and adults. The Women’s Committee deals with the specific needs and education of girls and women.

Education committee and weekend schoolThe Committee is very active and organizes the following: • Weekend school on Saturdays from 9:00a.m. to 2:00 p.m. • Study circles for correct reading of Qur’an with Tajweed for youth and adults • Halaqas (Study Circles) on selected themes and contemporary topics • Seminars by invited scholars • Youth forum and discussion groups • Qiyamul Lail gatherings for youth • Open houses and exhibits for elementary and high schools • Exhibits and presentations for Police Academy cadets, church groups, Rotary Club members and multicultural groups

Programs and services:HIA programs include: • Congregational prayers (salat) five times daily • Two sessions of Friday Congregational prayer (Salat al Jum’a) each week to accommodate capacity crowds • Salat al Taraweeah each night during Ramadan and community Iftars on weekends • Salat al Eidain (Eid Festivals) • Religious and Arabic language instruction for children on weekends • Weekly evening Qur’an recitation (tajweed) sessions for adults and children • Weekly evening study circles (halaqas) for adults and youth • Picnics, barbeques and other outdoor summer activities for families Services provided by HIA include: • Solemnization of marriages by provincially appointed Muslim marriage officers • Muslim funeral services • Counseling and prayer services for Muslim inmates of correctional institutions

Community services: HIA also conducts outreach activities and interfaith dialogue, which include: • An Open House, annually held at the mosque, for Muslims and non Muslims to share food and information and to get to know each other • Participation of members in providing sensitivity and awareness training for police, correctional, health and social service workers in the region • Involvement of HIA members in the provision of non-denominational pastoral services to patients in hospitals and their families

Membership: HIA participates with: • IDEA (Interfaith Development Education Association), Burlington • Halton Regional Police Service • Halton Multi-cultural Council • International Heritage language program