Kingston, Ontario
Distance from Toronto: 263KM (approximately 2.5 hours)
Distance from Ottawa: 195 KM (approximately 2 hours)
Equi-distant from Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa, where the St. Lawrence River meets Lake Ontario and the Rideau Canal (a UNESCO World Heritage site) – Kingston is a stunning, historic city that consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in Canada.
Kingston's 123,363 community-minded citizens enjoy an outstanding quality-of-life enhanced by superb intellectual, recreational and creative opportunities and supported by excellent health care facilities and municipal services, programs and facilities. Kingston is home to: Queen's University, the Royal Military College of Canada and St. Lawrence College (Kingston has the most PhD graduates per capita and the "smartest" workforce in Canada). |
Fort Henry and the Kingston Fortifications (part of the Rideau Canal UNESCO World Heritage site).
The resting-place of Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada's first Prime Minister. Vibrant arts, entertainment, recreation and leisure communities. Festivals! Events! Attractions! See the Tourism Kingston site to find out more. Burgeoning green technologies and alternative energy sectors. Kingston was the first Canadian City to adopt a protocol for sustainable energy procurement. The best freshwater sailing harbour in North America (Kingston hosted 1976 Olympic sailing events) A healthy and bustling downtown core offering a variety of independent shops and superb restaurants. Beautiful parks, trails and strolls steeped in history free for everyone's active enjoyment. |
For more information about Kingston and to learn more about the Muslim community, please click the above links.
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Islamic Society of Kingston
Islamic Society of Kingston
1477 Sydenham Road, Kingston, Ontario K7L 4V4 http://kingstonmuslims.net/ President: Dr. Mohammad Saleem 613-530-3655 Centre Coordinator: Mohammed Babikir 613-547-4551 [email protected] The CommunityLike many other communities, Muslim students came to Queen's University during the early 1960's. At this time, the Muslims were few in number and prayed in each other's homes as there was no official organization. In 1965, the Muslim students and faculty of Queen's University formed the Queen's Islamic Society. The Muslims were still very few in number. Friday prayers were held in a small room at the University (the Memorial Room) while social functions were held in the International Centre, which was established in the 60s.
In the early 1970's, a weekend Islamic school was started with the children of three families and was held in the International Centre. The school as later moved to St. Lawrence College and, then to Calvin Park Public School, under the auspices of the Frontenac County Board of Education Alhamdulillah, the size of the Muslim community grew over the years as more people settled down in Kingston. This led to the formation of the Islamic Society of Kingston (ISK). The Muslim students at Queen's University continued to be a part of the ISK. However, as the number of students increased, the Queen's University Muslim Students' Association (QUMSA) was formed. QUMSA, however, remains a part of the ISK but focuses its activities on students while community activities are open to all. |
At the moment, there are over 300 Muslim families in Kingston. Moreover, during the academic year, the community is joined by numerous Muslim students from around the world. Within the student population, the demographics have changed to reflect the state of the Muslim Ummah in North America. Whereas in the 1960's and 1970's, most of the Muslim students were International students, the majority of the Muslim undergraduate population now are Canadian. The ISK aims at providing these students with an anchor, a home away from home.
As the Muslim community in Kingston grew, it realized the need for a formal organization. Thus, in September of 1982, the Islamic Society of Kingston became a registered organization in Ontario. It was at this point that the community started to look for a permanent place of worship and other activities. The land for the Islamic Centre was bought in 1987 and, on June 1, 1995, a ground-breaking ceremony was held for its construction. Alhamdulillah, the vision for the Islamic Centre of Kingston (ICK) has become a reality with the grace of Allah (SWT) and help from our Brothers and Sisters from within the Kingston community and beyond. ISK was able to hold Eid prayers for Eid-ul-Fitr in the masjid and, since then, it has been used regularly for daily and Juma'a prayers. In addition, regular halaqas and meetings are being held at the Centre. It is now a focal point of activities for the Muslims in Kingston. As the community grew, the need for an Imam was felt. In September 2006, ISK hired an Imam. As a result of the presence of an Imam, daily evening classes are held at th ICK for children. Some other adult classes are also held at the Centre. |
30 MasjidsYou can find 30 Masjids' article on the Islamic Society of Kingston here.
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My Experience
I arrived at the Islamic Society of Kingston in the afternoon between prayer times. There were young children playing at the outdoor playground and field behind the mosque. Women were having discussions as they supervised the children. You could sense that the children and women were enjoying themselves.
As I walked inside the Centre, I really appreciated that the Community Hall was the first thing that you walk into as you enter the Centre. It has a very open and communal feel to it that allows women and men to enter together. There was a woman who was teaching young children about Islam. I didn't want to interrupt her but she could sense that I was looking to speak to someone. She asked if she could help me with anything and I had inquired as to whether Dr. Saleem was available. He was in board meeting but she politely went into the meeting to let him know I was here. Dr. Saleem was a very kind man who welcomed me and allowed me to explore the Centre. I had indicated that I hadn't offered my prayers yet so we decided that I would pray, take some photos and videos and he would join me once the meeting had ended. |
As I offered my prayers, I noticed that the prayer hall was just one hall marked off for women and men. Once again, I really enjoyed the communal aspect of this Centre as it was clear that women and men had active roles here. I didn't take photos/videos of the women's section as there were some members of the community there and I didn't want to bother them in their worship.
By the time I was taking photos/videos of the exterior, Dr. Saleem came out to meet me. He spoke to me about the community and how it really comes together acting as a group that builds together on each of their successes as they achieve it. They are clearly heading in the right direction. After I shot the video and continued the conversation, Dr. Saleem extended the community's hospitality to me but I had indicated that I was en route to the East Coast and had thousands of kilometres ahead of me but I would come back. As I got back into my car and looked at myself through the rear-view mirror, I was reminded of the closing verses from one of my favourite Robert Frost poems "But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep." |