Mosquée a'rahman opens its doors
Members of the public were invited to visit the Mosquée a'rahman mosque in Sherbrooke on Saturday afternoon as part of ‘Visit My Mosque Day,’ a cross-canada initiative to engage and interact with local Muslim communities with the intention of overcoming racism, Islamophobia, and discrimination.
“It’s a symbol that we are open,” explained Majdid Djouaher, Vice-president of the Association Culturelle Islamique de l’estrie.
The open house, which the Sherbrooke mosque holds each spring and fall, is an opportunity for people to ‘go to the source’, Djouaher said, where they can meet with members of the Muslim community and learn first hand about the culture. “After that, form an opinion,” he said.
‘Visit My Mosque Day’, in the national context, was organized by the Canadian-muslim Vote, a non-profit, non-partisan organization increasing democratic engagement within the Muslim community.
Sherbrooke’s implication coincided with the Semaine sherbrookoise des rencontres interculturelles, and was more about cultural exchange, Djouaher said.
A video was on display, showing the various activities that take place at the mosque. There was also a display of reading material religious symbols that are part of the Muslim faith for people to look at and learn about.
Djouaher added that in the afternoon a demonstration of Muslim burial traditions was scheduled, and representatives of other faiths would be present to discuss the similarities and differences.