In city built by Mennonites, growing Muslim community connects, finds support through weekly prayers

When FezanHashamkneelson a prayer mat in the gym of an active living centreand closes his eyes, thenewcomer to Canadafeels at peace.

"I come here, close my eyes, and I see children playing," he recalls.

"I turn around,I think my dad will be there. That's how good it feels. It feels like I'm at home exactly."

It's a sentiment Hasham, who moved from Kenya two years ago, didn't imaginefeeling in Steinbach, Man., a small faith-based city of 18,000 people with more than 20 churches serving the community.

There was a belief among local Muslims there weren'tenough of them in this fast-growing southeastern Manitoba cityto host regular prayers. They'd have to travel toWinnipeg, about 50 km to the northwest, for the closest mosque.

But in February, they set up their own prayers anyway and not only are people showing up,they'rerentingabigger room to accommodate everyone.

Mosque fostersbelonging

"It feels really good," Hasham marvelled after a recent prayer, the first Friday onwhich they rented the gym of the Pat Porter Active Living Centre, rather than a room in the facility.

A pilot in training, hethought of moving to Winnipeg to be closer to a place of worship. He doesn't think aboutthat anymore.

"Usually you feel lost when there's no mosquearound, but with the mosqueyou feel really good," he said. "I hope it becomes a big thing."

Serious discussions around starting prayersbegan in 2019, but were derailed by the pandemic,saidSaif Asi, 28, who moved to Steinbachfive years ago as a Syrian refugee.

Asi organized the start of Friday prayers at the local active living centre. The Jumu'ah prayer,theweekly sermon and congregational prayer every Friday afternoon,is obligatory for all Muslim men to attend. Women and children arewelcome to attend, but it's not obligatory for them.

"The first time we did it, we saw so many new people. We didn't know each other before," Asi said.

Around 30 to 35 people attendedthe first two prayers. The third prayer was opento women and children and more than60 people showed up.

At the beginning, Fahim Din expected to see maybe10 Muslimsthat'sthe number of Muslims he knew in Steinbach, all of whom he met through soccer.

He used to travel to Winnipeg forJumu'ah, but he could rarely make it. He worked full-time in accounting, and would need to takethree hours off to attend the prayer and commute both ways.

"I've talked to Saif a couple of times and we have bounced around with an idea of [starting prayers], but there was not enough Muslims in the Steinbach community to actually have a thing," he said.

"I've been coming for thelast three weeks or so during my lunch hour. Itworks pretty well."

Muaaz Jutt, who volunteers with theManitoba Islamic Association,came in from Winnipeg to give the sermon and lead the prayer on a recent Friday.

In 2014, he travelled to Steinbachdailyfor work.He couldn't always make it back to Winnipegin time for Jumu'ah.

"It was a real struggle to find people in this town toconnect with," he told the congregation during his address.

One day, he happened to hear the Jumu'ah was being performedin someone's basement. He was welcomed with open arms.

It made him think, even back then, that there could be moreMuslims in rural Manitoba than he realized. The 2021 census listed Muslim as the religion of 45 people in Steinbach.

The fact thistraditionally Mennonite community now has weeklyMuslim prayers might be shaking perceptions of thecity, saidEd Neufeld, a retired educator whose Mennonite church sponsoredthe Asi family's arrival to Canada.

"InSteinbach, we are diverse much more sothan people like to think, and I think it's amazing," he said.

Asi's arrival in Canada, and that of his parents and siblings the year before, were sponsoredby Neufeld's church,Grace Mennonite. The church was among manygroups in Canada that acted to bringSyrian refugees to the country after the unsettling photographof a drowned boycirculated around the world.

The church's efforts to resettle a Syrian family proved to be an example of Mennonites helping Muslims, and now one of those Muslims Saif Asi is bringing people of his faith tradition together.

"We made a decision that we were choosing a Muslim family [to sponsor] and thatwe were going to learn together with them and respect them," said Neufeld, who was a guest of thefirst Jumu'ahin Steinbach.

"We've had nothing but wonderfully respectful conversations with them."

Asicommends the Mennonitesfor being a support.

"Sometimes they help us, sometimes we help them," he said. "Ithink that's a very good thing and it's a very nice place to live here withthese kind people."

His parents beamas they speak of Saif living out their faith in their new home.

"When I have Saif, I pray for God,'Please, my God, I need this son for you,'" Faten Assi, his mother, said.

"My son, he is helping Muslims, helping Islam," she added, her voice trailing off whileshe holds backtears. "I am very excited, I feel like crying."

"Alhamdulillah," she adds, an Arabic phrase that means "praise be to God."

Audrey Harder, executive director of the Pat Porter Active Living Centre, said their facility has been thrilled to help the Muslim group findthe space they need.

Harder knows their facility may not be big enough for long. The Muslims hope to operatea mosque of their own one day.

"That would be great for them; they would be able todo what they need to do without us," she said. "It'll be fantastic when they get to that point."

Muslims in Steinbach find support through weekly prayers

2 years ago

Duration 3:03

Steinbach is known as a traditionally Mennonite community, but that's starting to change as the southern Manitoba city grows. In February, the local Muslim community started hosting weekly prayers. As more people showed up, they needed a bigger room at the seniors centre to accommodate everyone.