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data on the ummah in Canada

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data on the ummah in Canada
amatullah
11/28/03 at 10:01:48
The following data about Muslims in Canada and around the world is quite interesting.



About Muslim Community

Statistics Canada Census 2001
Canadian Muslims 579,640 (2 % of Canadian Pop.)
Increased by 128.9% since 1991
Ontario Muslims more than doubled: 352,500
Muslims in Quebec up by 141.8%
Median age of Muslims in Canada is 28.1yrs.
Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada, 2001 Statistics Canada Report
Many people emigrated for economic reasons; some came to Canada to reunite with their family; others chose to leave their homeland for political or other personal reasons.  However, many face challenges overcoming labour market problems and language barriers.

There is no official estimate for Muslims in Canada.  The unofficial estimate is about 600,000; about 300,000 of whom live in Southwestern Ontario.   There are more than 80 mosques in Canada, four of which are located in Ottawa.  In addition to mosques there are numerous locations in most major cities where space (known as musallah) is set aside for prayer purposes.  

Like other major world religions, Islam has no geographical boundaries.  Accordingly, Muslims of many races, colours, nationalities, languages, and cultures have emigrated to North America and Europe.   Today in almost every Canadian city one encounters Muslims and Islamic centres, associations, educational institutions, and mosques.   In Ottawa, for example, Muslim women dressed in Islamic garb have become extremely visible, particularly since the late 1980's.

The Muslim community in Canada has its foundation in the West, where Al-Rashid, the first mosque in North America was built in Edmonton, Alberta, in 1938. Although the majority of Muslims are among Canada's most recent immigrants, Islam does have a long history in the new world.

The earliest record of Muslim presence in Canada dates back to 1871, when the Canadian census recorded 13 Muslim residents.  According to the 1981 census there were 98,165 Muslims, accounting for less than half of one per cent of all Canadians.    There are about 600,000 Muslims in Canada, the large majority of whom are immigrants or descendants  of immigrants who arrived within the past 35 years.

Muslims have immigrated to Canada from different parts of the Arab world (Lebanon, Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria), and from Iran, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Turkey, Africa (especially Somalia), Eastern Europe, the Caribbean, and South and Central America.  As a result, Muslims living in Canada represent not only different ethnic background and races, but different nationalities, languages and cultures as well.

Muslims who immigrate to Canada from Muslim countries often find themselves deprived of a social structure which encouraged the practice of Islam and helped them to maintain their Islamic identity.   The preservation of religious belief is central to the maintenance of a Muslim's identity.   There are pressures within the Canadian society that are in direct conflict with the religious boundaries that are crucial to a Muslim's identity.   Social and economic boundaries require abstention from consuming alcohol and other intoxicants, eating pork and pork products, engaging in economic activities that are usury based such as mortgages, bonds, and interest-based transactions, gambling, and sexual activities outside the bonds of marriage.  As a result, Muslim communities focus on the establishment of institutions, the mosque being the first to be established, to help sustain and safeguard their Islamic identity.  

The first Muslim who immigrated to Canada came from a village in Lebanon called Kfarmishky..  The Wahab family consisting of two parents and six children settled in Ottawa; the father emigrated to Canada in 1903.  Eva Wahab was the first Muslim born in Ottawa in September 1914.  In the 1920's about twenty-five Muslims related to the Wahab family was living in Ottawa.  Today there are approximately 60,000 Muslims in the Ottawa area, including Aylmer and Hull across the Ottawa river in Quebec.   The dramatic increase in the Muslim population in the last 15 years can be accounted for primarily by the influx of Somali refugees.  Immigration of Muslims to Canada in the last 20 years relate to economic advantages, educational opportunities, political oppression in their homeland, family sponsorship, and freedom of faith and expression.   The Muslim population  in Ottawa are on average highly educated and their presence are visible in educational, governmental, and research  institutions, the Information Technology (IT) sector,  and small businesses.  

 

World Muslim Population.........................1,482,596,925
(1996)
Muslims in Asia........................................1,022,692,000
(1996)
Muslims in Africa.......................................426,282,000
(1996)

Total World
population................5,771,939,007
(1996)
% of Muslims.................................26%
(1996)
Islam annual growth rate (94-95)......6.40%
(from U.N.)

World Muslim population
(1998)........1,678,442,000
World Muslim population (Projected in
2000)........1,902,095,000
Growth of Islam:
North America (1989-1998)....................25%
Africa.........................................2.15%
Asia..........................................12.57%
Europe....................................142.35%
Latin America..............................4.73%
Australia..................................257.01%
Islam is the second largest religious group in France, Great Britain  and the US (Muslims in the US are ten million)
=========================
ref: Community News and views
Vol 8 No. 5,  ISSN 1067-5523

Re: data on the ummah in Canada
deenb4dunya
11/29/03 at 00:17:19
Assalamu Alaikum,

SubhaanAllaah... the amazing thing is though we are 2% of the population, that is for all of Canada. Here in Ontario, the majority of Muslims live; not mnay live in other provinces.

Here in ottawa, I thikn 1/4 to 1/3 of all high school students are Muslim. It is probably a similar if not higher number in Toronto...subhaanAllah! Yet the amount that is practicing....?! If the youth actually practiced their deen.. we would lave an unbelievable impact!

Make du'aa for the ummah of Rasoolullaah (saws). :-(

Wassalamu Alaikum,
Deen
Re: data on the ummah in Canada
Ayla_A
11/29/03 at 03:28:49
[slm]

In Calgary it is estimated that there is about 50,000 muslims here, not bad for a city with the population of 980,000 (5% of the pop) and growing!!!

At the main Eid prayer this year, there was about 10,000 muslims, this is a first for me to see this many muslims in one place :)

[wlm]
Ayla_A
Re: data on the ummah in Canada
jannah
12/02/03 at 04:35:22
[wlm]

Wow very interesting about the history of Muslims in Canada. It's always fascinating to read about Muslims who came to N. America back in the 1800's etc. and worked to build the 'first' mosques in their place and tried to preserve their heritage. Their stories are inspirational.


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