'People here are very peaceful'
Local Muslims feeling safe in Yellowknife following wider attacks on faith
Simon Whitehouse
Northern News Services
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The topic of religion has become front and centre in much of popular discourse in Western society as 2015 comes to a close, but some members of Yellowknife's Muslim community say these tensions often seem a world away.
Most contentious of late has been in the United States where Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump called for a "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States" on Dec. 7.
Other notable points have been random acts of violence and severe damage to a mosques in Peterborough Ont., following terrorist attacks in Paris on Nov. 13.
In Yellowknife, representatives of the Islamic community - which is around 500 from various countries throughout the Middle East and northern Africa - say they feel content where they are situated.
"I would say that it is not like people here are turning a deaf ear to what is going on in the media but the thing is that we don't think we are in jeopardy," said Muhammad Ali, interim chairperson of the Islamic Centre of Yellowknife.
"People here are very peaceful and we find a very warm welcome from the local community members. We haven't been harassed ... everything is running as smooth as a Cadillac as they say."
Ali said he finds there can be a disconnect between what the media presents of Muslims versus what is really being experienced by people of the faith in their day-to-day lives.
"I don't blame the community because they might be ignorant of what activities we actually do," he said.
"Like, what is it to practise Muslim faith? It is going to be our responsibility maybe to educate the public."
Ali said the annual World Religions Conference - a regular exercise in interfaith dialogue and sharing of ideas - which has been spearheaded over the last decade by Calgary-based Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama, have been helpful. However, he said, promoting the importance of good citizenship among Muslims goes a long way in building bridges within the community.
Many members are cab drivers, which allows Muslims to more easily interact with the broader community, he added.
"These (conferences) are big occasions and they kind of attract the media," Ali said.
"But I always believe that if we could maybe function as good citizens in a small community, that would have more impact than what is is in the media. The media has been saying so many things about Muslims worldwide like describing them as terrorists. But that doesn't affect us (as Yellowknifers)."
"We feel we are reconciled with ourselves and the surrounding community."
Most promising, Ali says, is the ongoing promise the Islamic Centre offers newcomers to town.
"This is the first place I came and I drove straight to here," said Mehdi Voukhal, a new temporary resident who is working for Aurora Wonderlands this winter as a dog musher.
"Generally when we (as Muslims) travel, the first thing we look at is if there is any mosque or local community. Because that is going to be the landing point. That is the first point. As expected, they were kind enough to host us because we were new to the place."
Hasham Mohammed, a Muslim coming from Edmonton who is on a work permit from India, has only been in the city for a week.
He said he was optimistic after hearing the news the Yk for Syria refugee benefit dinner on Dec. 5 raised $19,500.
"It made me cry," he said of the results.
"It is so heart touching."
Ali said the Islamic Centre is looking to establish a new building after being at the same location for 18 years, however those details are yet to be solidified.
Last year, the society's Imam was sentenced to 33 months in prison for stealing more than $117,000 worth of donations set aside for building the new mosque.
