The Little Mosque in Canada is not as great as the mosques in Turkey, Egypt, Cairo, Syria, or Damascus. However, for the Muslims in Canada, the Al Rashid Mosque has a story to tell. The mosque was the first to be established in Canada.
During the first census taken in Canada in 1871, there were about 13 Muslims known. They later came in large groups from Syria and Lebanon during the 19th and 20th centuries.
The Little Mosque is a 148 sq. m. is Mosque sitting in the Park of Fort Edmonton. According to Richard Asmet’s book “Canada’s First Mosque: The Al Rashid” Christian Arabs established the Christian community in Canada. However, Muslims were not able to establish a community in eastern Canada and they preferred to go west.
In the early 1930s, some Muslims approached Mayor Fry in Edmonton asking for donations to build a mosque for the Muslim community, which was growing at that time. The Muslims in the city wanted the mosque to be more than a place for worship. They wanted it to become the burgeoning community’s center as well. Their request was considered, and their efforts bore fruits. The Mosque was then opened to the public in 1938.