Airdrie’s Muslim families now have a place of worship all their own, after the Airdrie Islamic Centre (AIC) opened Aug. 16 behind the Safeway at Tower Lane Mall. The AIC provides local Muslims with a gathering space to pray the five times a day their religion dictates. “We were in need to have a mosque for our five-time prayer. In [the] new AIC, not only can we pray five times [a day] but we have classes for kids, too,” said Fareeha Ali, one of the people responsible for opening the centre in Airdrie. Prior to the opening of the new mosque, Ali said, services were held at the Airdrie United Church – but only on Fridays. The rest of the week, the approximately 60 Muslim families who reside in Airdrie would have to travel to Calgary, causing them to sometimes miss this important facet of their religion, especially during poor weather. “It means a lot for us. When I moved here 10 years back, my kids were young…and there was no [Muslim] community here,” she said. “I was looking for classes for my kids and there is no class here. I had to go to Calgary for those classes.” Eventually, Ali said, she gave up on driving through winter snow to get her children to classes, and instead relied on online instruction or teaching them herself. “Now, the children can go to the AIC and feel so good and relaxed,” she said. “I feel that if there is anyone else out there like me that is taking care of her kids, she doesn’t have to go to Calgary now.” The Muslim Council of Calgary (MCC), which represents approximately 80,000 Muslims in the area, provided funding for the new AIC. “We felt that the Muslim community is growing in the Airdrie area, and they require a facility there for their religious purposes,” said MCC secretary Ghazanfar Zafar. The AIC also provides an opportunity for Airdrie’s Muslim community to break down some misconceptions about the religion. “We believe that God created us with all the diversity of race, religion, language and belief to get to know one another, respect one another and uphold our collective human dignity,” Ali said. “The biggest misconception about [the] Muslim faith is that Islam was spread by the sword – that is absolutely wrong. Islam means peace, purity. We have faith in all the holy books, all the prophets. We respect all religions.” It’s hoped the centre will act as a hub for the Muslim community and as a gathering spot to host a variety of cultural and social events, she added.
