Moncton's growing Muslim community raising funds for new community centre, mosque

The Muslim community in Moncton is outgrowing its mosques and community spaces.

So much so, that community members have taken it upon themselves to construct a new community centre in northeast Moncton.

"This is a really ambitious project," said Ibrahim Najum, one of the organizers of the Al Salam Community Centre project. 
"The Muslim community is growing and we need infrastructure, social infrastructure."

Currently, there are three mosques in the city — Masjid Yusuf, Moncton Mosque and Hassnain-e-Karimain Masjid. But with an ever-growing Muslim population, they're often full, especially during busy prayer times, such as the Friday afternoon jummah.

"The mosques that we have currently just aren't big enough … for the number of people that are coming to pray," said Evan (Yahya) Briggs, a Muslim convert who grew up in Moncton.

"We're actually having to make people pray outside or turning people away or sometimes we have to do the same prayer two times. One group comes in and prays, and then later on the second group comes in."

In 2021, the most recent year for which statistics are available, the Muslim population in the Moncton metropolitan area was 3,515, compared to just 845 in 2011. In the whole province, 9,190 identified as Muslim, compared to just 2,640 in 2011.

"There will be hundreds of guys there bumping into each other, trying to squeeze in through the door,"Briggs said. "And unfortunately, we have to keep telling people that you're going to have to either wait for a second prayer or you're going to have to try to pray outside."

Not just a mosque

The idea for the new Al Salam Community Centre first came about in 2020, and while it's just a concrete foundation right now, the first phase is expected to be completed this fall.

That first phase includes the mosque, with space for 500 people.

"We have everything — or almost everything — ready. All the engineers, the architect and everything," said Najum. "It's just a matter of time to complete the construction of this first multi-purpose building."

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Moncton's growing Muslim community is building a new facility to address overcrowded mosques and to expand cultural and social spaces.The new building will fit about 500 people once completed.

Later phases of the mosque will also include a gymnasium, business plaza and an Arabic school for children.

"The need is there, the community is growing and I believe we need this community centre for the benefit of our kids,"  Najum said. 

Briggs said it gives the Muslim community a sense of independence, that they will no longer have to hold Arabic classes in rented spaces or people's homes.

"Hopefully, this should really help the community to have a sense of 'OK, now we have a foot in the door here in New Brunswick, that this community can really grow and feel safe,'" he said.

All this will sit on 1.9 hectares of land at the end of Fiedmont Street, where Najum hopes the community can come together to celebrate, mourn and gather.

"This is not only for a place to pray. We can pray in a parking lot, we can pray almost anywhere," Najum said. "But it's a cultural place, it's a community centre. There are newcomers, people want to stay in touch with the Islamic culture."

A community effort

Individual community members like Briggs and Najum are the backbone of the project, coming together not just to raise funds but also to help with construction.

"People have helped with clearing up that brush and the trees and stuff, pouring the concrete," Briggs said. "We've saved something like $30,000 on volunteer work."

"This shows that the Muslim community really cares, the Muslim community, they won't just sit back and let other people do all the work," Briggs added.

The original $480,000 needed to buy the land was made up entirely community donations.

"For the last four years, five years, we hold fundraising events. For now, we don't have any government funding yet,"  Najum said.

There's still another $300,000 needed to be able to complete the first phase of the project. But Najum and Briggs have faith in their community, and are also looking forward to welcoming all New Brunswickers to come see the Al Salam Community Centre once it's complete.

"Right now there is a pause just because of winter and we plan to start in the coming weeks," Najum said. "And hopefully by October 2025, the building will be complete, and Ramadan 2026 we'll pray here."