faith
Though it may not be commonly known among Canadians, a quick look at some comparative religions shows that the Islamic faith shares many similarities to some of the other major religions that are predominant in Canada. This is especially true with Christianity, as Islam mirrors many of the basic principles that are still preached within the faith today.
RELIGION IN COMPARISON
Islam has one God (Allah), sets aside a secular day for weekly service and holds guidelines for how one is to conduct themselves on a day-to-day basis. Muslims read from their scripture, the Holy Qur’an, and believe in the presence of an existing hell and maintain that life’s one true purpose is to worship. Some extremist groups use a passage referring to the "Jihad of the Sword" as justification of violence, but this passage only pertains to self defence when Islam is being threatened. Islam also has several different branches. Much like Christianity has Catholicism, Protestantism and Eastern Orthodoxy, Islam has Ahmadiyya, Sunni, Shia among others. Sunni Islam is most predominantly found throughout world, boasting over two thirds of the Muslim population. WORLD RELIGION CONFERENCES
The World Religion Conference, held every three months at Mount Royal University, allows spiritual leaders from many faiths to share ideas and communicate openly in a multi-faith setting. Each conference has its own theme and explores how religion affects our modern world, ranging from international politics, the environment and same-sex marriage. These conferences are open to the public and offer a chance for the community to learn about various faiths. United Church Reverend Tim Nethercott, chaplain to University of Calgary and Mount Royal University students, says associating extremists with Islam is damaging to the reputation of Islamic Canadians. |
"The Muslim folks here have nothing to do (with extremism) and their religion and its teachings have nothing to do with that." — Reverend Tim Nethercott
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PRAYER TIME - BAITUNNUR MOSQUE
As part of their faith Muslims pray, or prostrate, to Allah (God) fives times every day. For each prayer Muslims must face the Islamic homeland of Mecca to solidify their faith in Allah and in their community. Taken at the Al-Asir prayer which starts around 2:00 p.m. everyday, this video shows how Muslims connect with their religion and offers an english translation of their prayer.
As part of their faith Muslims pray, or prostrate, to Allah (God) fives times every day. For each prayer Muslims must face the Islamic homeland of Mecca to solidify their faith in Allah and in their community. Taken at the Al-Asir prayer which starts around 2:00 p.m. everyday, this video shows how Muslims connect with their religion and offers an english translation of their prayer.