Thousands mark Eid at Muslim centre in Vaughan

YorkRegion.com
July 18, 2015
By Tim Kelly

Thousands of men, women and children bowed in prayer Saturday morning at the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Centre in Vaughan as the holy day of Eid-al-fitr was celebrated.

Muslims around the world marked the end of the holy month of Ramadan, 30 days of fasting and reflection, which culminates with Eid-al-fitr when the new moon marks the culmination of the month.

“Now we celebrate. We gather with family, children get a small amount of money. We start with morning prayer and a sermon and then we head out to houses with our family and friends,” said Basil Ahmad, a media relations representative of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Vaughan.

He also noted it’s common practice on Eid-al-fitr to “replicate the actions of the Prophet Muhammad and eat something sweet,” on the morning of Eid to break the fast.

The Ahmadiyya Community, which includes a community centre and a beautiful impressive Baitul Islam Mosque which has hosted Prime Minister Stephen Harper, includes tens of thousands of members according across Canada, many of whom live in York Region according to Ahmad.

Shabbir Jaffir, spokesperson for the Jaffari Centre at 9000 Bathurst St., in Thornhill, said another important aspect of Eid-al-fitr is to give alms.

“The other thing must happen at the mosque prior to the celebration is an obligatory giving of charity or alms to the less fortunate. Giving of charity not obliged by those who are not well off but everyone else who can afford it is obliged to give and charity goes to help local people in the community,” said Jaffir.

Jaffir said the Jaffari Centre offers its members much more than the chance to worship each Thursday evening and Friday afternoon.

“We get together for reasons of education, we have lectures from medical experts and social experts, religious lectures, we have gymnasium and sports, recreation. There are so many activities taking place on a week-to-week basis.”

And he said the growth of the community has been pretty strong since back in the 1970s when Ugandan dictator Idi Amin drove many Muslims out of the country.

“This community really sprang to life in the late '70s after people of Indian origin were expelled from Uganda by Idi Amin, prior to that there were a few families here,” said Jaffir.

“Since then, people of Indian origin have moved here from East Africa: Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, as well as from Pakistan and India and even some from the UK like myself,” he said.

And he said, like the rest of the Muslim community in York Region and in Canada, the Jaffari Centre community continues to grow.

SIDEBAR

• 70,000 MUSLIMS IN YORK REGION
• According to the most recent census data, Muslims comprise approximately six per cent of York Region’s population, which means their total population is about 70,000.
• The vast majority live in the three largest southern municipalities of Vaughan, Markham and Richmond Hill, which is where nearly all the mosques and community centres are located.
• Newmarket has the Newmarket Islamic Centre at 700 Mulock Dr., but the Jaffari Centre in Thornhill with some 4,000 to 6,000 members, and large mosques in Markham -- Islamic Society of Markham, 2900 Denison St., Islamic Centre of Valieasr, Birchmount Road and 14th Avenue, and Al Hussain Foundation Centre, 10992 Kennedy Rd., testify to the large Muslim populations in Vaughan and Markham.
• Richmond Hill is home to the Islamic Society of York Region at 1380 Stouffville Rd. It’s also where you will find the Al Nadwa Educational Islamic Center at 10 Newkirk Rd #13, Anjuman-e-Burhani, 8929 Bayview Ave., and Imam Mahdi Islamic Centre at 7340 Bayview Ave.