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Additional ResourcesCHAPTER 3: LIVING FAITHS IN NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR
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IntroductionIn Chapter 3 of the student resource Expressions of Faith, you learn that religion in Newfoundland and Labrador did not begin with Christianity. Long before Europeans set foot on the shores of what is now our province, Aboriginal peoples followed religious rites and practices and had distinct religious beliefs about life and afterlife. You also learn about the living faiths of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. Although for most of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, religious diversity in the province consisted largely of divisions within Christianity, today members of several other religious traditions live here. These religious traditions include Baha'i, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Sikhism.
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Fig. 1: Bethel Synagogue on Elizabeth Ave., St. John's, NL
Increasing Religious DiversityAfter the Second World War, religion in Newfoundland and Labrador became more diverse, largely because of greater immigration from areas other than Europe. The 2001 census reports that Newfoundland is the only province in Canada where the majority of the population is Protestant. It is also the province with the least number of people who indicate "no religion." The table below gives the statistics for 1991 and 2001. Unfortunately, Statistics Canada numbers do not include members of the Baha'i Faith community. There are approximately 160 Baha'i in Newfoundland and Labrador. Table 1: Major religious denominations, Newfoundland and Labrador, 1991 and 2001 (1)
Statistics Canada: 2001 Census: analysis series: Religions in Canada Catalogue #96F0030X1E2001015 "Major religious denominations, Newfoundland and Labrador, 1991 and 2001," from the Statistics Canada publication, "Religions in Canada, 2001 Census (Analysis series)," Catalogue 96F0030, May 13, 2003.
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Fig. 2: Hindu Temple at Penney Lane, St. John's, Newfoundland
and Labrador Comparing the statistics for 1991 and 2001, you can see that the Muslim, Jewish, and Sikh communities in Newfoundland and Labrador have grown during the decade. Since 1991, three religious traditions were also able to build a dedicated place of worship: Hindus, Muslims, and Jews now have a temple, mosque, and synagogue in St. John's.
The Muslim Community of St. John'sThe Islamic community of St. John's is particularly active. It is strengthened by a very active Muslim Student Association that arranges lectures and provides to fellow students facilities for prayer and worship on the campus of Memorial University. Dr. Muhammad Irfan, a Pakistani Muslim and nuclear physicist by profession, who joined the faculty of Memorial University in the 1960s, founded with several other local Muslims the Muslim Association of Newfoundland and Labrador. The people who joined the organization were largely professionals and came from many different countries. Some are Sunni and some are Shiite, but all worship together, especially during Friday prayers. Members of the community take turns leading prayers at the mosque. Before a formal place for worship was built, prayer meetings were held in private homes. In the early eighties, however, the Islamic community had grown large enough to sustain separate religious facilities. St. John's Muslims thus decided to build their own Mosque. A suitable property was purchased on Logy Bay Road, next door to NTV and the Newfoundland Herald. Fellow Muslims from all over North America and the world helped finance the building, which cost $500,000. Even the King of Saudi Arabia contributed $50,000. The Mosque and Islamic Centre opened their doors in 1990. Later a Minaret was added, which had to be shortened so as not to interfere with NTV transmissions.
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Fig. 3: Mosque at Logy Bay Road, St. John's, Newfoundland
and Labrador Although Muslims can pray anywhere as long as the place is clean and there are no distractions, having a Mosque is very important to the community. It is the centre of the Muslim community's activities. According to Mahmoud Haddara, one of the members of the community, "Having our own mosque ensures steadiness. In addition, it is where we meet to discuss common issues, where we have our social gatherings, all our cultural activities and celebrations." Today, the approximately 40 Muslim families of St. John's can participate in two of the several traditional daily prayers. Children and adults are also instructed in their faith by attending an Islamic school on Sundays. Like other Canadians and Newfoundlanders and Labradoreans, Muslims living in the province were saddened and horrified by the events of September 11. In order to tell people about the fundamentally peaceful nature of Islam, St. John's Muslims arranged occasions for dialogue and better understanding, such as dinners, open houses, and lectures, where the public could learn more about Islam and meet practising members of that faith.
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