St. John's Muslims celebrate Eid, embrace cultural differences

The growing Muslim community in St. John's celebrated Eid on Friday, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

Observers around the world abstained from eating and drinking from sunrise until sunset for an entire month.

Dr. Shahzad Waheed and his wife Hira, originally from Pakistan, moved to St. John's in 2011 and now proudly call Newfoundland and Labrador their home.

Waheed said when they moved to the city, they didn't encounter any difficulty celebrating their Muslim culture and the community embraced them.

'I'm feeling like a Newfie and I don't want to go anywhere [else] and I want to stay here.' —Hira Shahzad

"It's important to have a community where, when you have a family, at least your children get to know your culture, your religion, and for that reason having a good community makes a huge different," Waheed said.

He said there were some people who weren't familiar with the culture when he first met them, but they were open to learning about it.

"They appreciate it. They respect a different culture and different religions, for sure," he said.

According to Waheed, the Muslim community in the city is more tight-knit than in his hometown.

"The [Muslim] community is so strong here even though … the population is not really as high. But it is still, there is a bond between the community [members], so I think we are more busy in St. John's visiting friends on Eid day as compared to back home."

His wife said she feels like the city has a small town feel, and it's the perfect place for them to raise a family.

"Now I'm feeling like [a Newfoundlander] because in coming October it will be two years, so I feel like I'm a Newfie," she said. "I always told him that I'm feeling like a Newfie and I don't want to go anywhere [else] and I want to stay here."

Island meets Islam

Ashley Smith, from Norman's Cove, was raised Pentecostal, but converted to Islam after years of researching other religions to find one that suited her personality.

She said the more she learned about it, the more appealing it became to her.

"It was some big changes, but … I'm really, really glad I did it," Smith said.

"I finally feel at peace with myself and I finally feel like I found what I was missing. Islam for me is maybe different from what most people think of as Islam, but I think that I can still be myself and still be who I am."

Smith said her Newfoundland culture is still very much alive within her Islamic beliefs.

"I'm from Newfoundland, I cook Jiggs dinner, I make fish and brews. I was reared up with my two grandparents, pretty well, so I've got a lot of those tendencies, but I think that just adds to it. Islam is a growing face."

Steadily growing population

Dr. Syed Pirzada, the president of the Muslim Association of Newfoundland and Labrador, said the growth of the Muslim community has a lot to do with the overall growth of the province.

"Over a period of time, the community has evolved. The Muslim community has increased tremendously — not only just the community, because Newfoundland is prospering and Newfoundland is a have province now," Pirzada said. "There are a lot of professionals — they have come from all over the world."

He said with the booming population, there have been challenges facing the Muslim community, as well.

"One of the major challenges was how to accommodate everybody in the mosque, which was made 22 years ago," Pirzada said.

"We've renovated most of it inside, but still we are short [on space]."

Pirzada said there is a proposal for land to build a new mosque on, but they are awaiting approval before plans can get underway.

He said the project was shot down once before four years ago, but he hopes with the continuous increase in the population it will get approval this time around.