By Canadian Press

National ‘bring a friend to the mosque’ event aims to foster dialogue and combat hate

Dec 16, 2023 | 11:58 AM

MONTREAL — A Muslim group is organizing mosque visits across Canada this weekend in hopes of building bridges with other communities after an uptick in Islamophobic and antisemitic hate incidents nationwide.

Jari Qudrat, faith outreach director with the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association, says more than 20 mosques are hosting tours for the two-day “bring a friend to the mosque” event.

He says the goal of the event is to foster dialogue between participants of all backgrounds.

He says he hopes non-Muslim Canadians will take advantage of the opportunity to learn more about Islam and converse with members of the Muslim community.

Qudrat says creating opportunities for better mutual understanding is the only way to combat hate like the Islamophobia and antisemitism that emerged following the outbreak of war in Gaza.

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The Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association is using an online sign-up sheet as a security measure to facilitate mosque visits.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 16, 2023.

The Canadian Press

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