EidFest / Muslim Day at PlayLand has been organized by Vancouver’s Ajyal for Youth Development Society since 2007.

This is the largest annual Public Eid-al-Fitr Celebration in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia.

This video provides a taste of the evening’s EidFest program held in the Lagoon Picnic area on the Pacific National Exhibition grounds.

EidFest included Nasheeds, Games, Contests, and Prizes for the young ones.
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Concluding Video for 30 Masjids Across Canada in 30 Days, recorded during Muslim Association of Canada’s Eid Al Fitr Festival inside the Vancouver Convention Centre.

There are one or two more stories I hope to add in the coming days to properly wrap up Ramadan 2016.

There are photos I was unable to edit and didn’t include in existing stories.

InshAllah, will do all that soon.

For now, I need to take a nice long rest, here in Vancouver. If you can offer up a nice place to crash, please let me know!

If you’re in Lower Mainland of BC and would like to connect before I leave Vancouver, please hit me up via Twitter: @30Masjids.

That’s it for the moment.

Eid Mubarak!

HiMY SYeD

“Masha Allah huge salatul Eid prayer at the Edmonton Islamic Academy almost a total of 10,000 people in attendance.

“Eid Mubarak to you all and may He accept our fasting and good deeds.

“Thanks to Br Mohammad Zahwee for sharing the cellphone video recording.”

Al Rashid Mosque, Edmonton Alberta, Canada

One of the three largest Eid Al Fitr gatherings in Lower Mainland of British Columbia, takes place in Richmond, in the open air of Latrace Field.

Video of Eid Al Fitr Qhutbah and Worshippers was filmed and edited by Abdulhamid Mohamed.


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001 - Jamia Masjid Vancouver - 655 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver British Columbia -Tuesday July 5 2016

LAST Iftar of Ramadan 2016 for 30 Masjids CANADA was inside Vancouver’s FIRST Masjid, founded in 1966.

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00 - Al-Masjid Al-Jamia Vancouver - 655 West 8th Avenue - Vancouver, British Columbia - Tuesday July 5 2016

[podcast]http://30Masjids.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Jamia-Masjid-Vancouver-30Masjids-Tuesday-July-5-2016.mp3[/podcast]

On Day 30 of 30 Masjids CANADA, we conclude inside Jamia Masjid Vancouver at 655 West 8th Avenue in Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia.

This is British Columbia’s FIRST Masjid. It is Vancouver’s first and oldest Masjid.

Awaiting Salat Al-Asr, we met Mohammad Iqbal.

He was a student in 1968 and has witnessed the birth and growth of The BCMAThe British Columbia Muslim Association.

He was kind enough to share some of his memories growing up in Vancouver where this remains his Neighbourhood Masjid.

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00 - Downtown Vancouver Musallah - 888 Granville Street - Vancouver, British Columbia - Tuesday July 5 2016

When I was in downtown Vancouver about 12 years ago, I found myself at a loss for a place to simply pray and then get on with my day. The Jamia Masjid Vancouver was close to Downtown but it was not in Downtown.

Today, alhumdulillah, I was able to pray my Dhuhr prayers, on this last day of Ramadan 2016 in the Musallah at 888 Granville Street.

The entrance is via the back alley. Press the buzzer, the people who are staffing the cash at the front of the address, see you via security camera, then remotely open the door for you.

I was first to arrive today for Dhuhr. A brother let me in. There is space for 20 people. Anything more is really pushing it. There is NO Friday, Jumah Prayers here.

This really feels like Steve Rockwell‘s Deedat Centre back in Toronto, though it is much smaller than even that.

10 - Downtown Vancouver Musallah - 888 Granville Street - Vancouver, British Columbia - Tuesday July 5 2016

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Recorded aboard BC Ferries en route from Swartz Bay on Vancouver Island towards Tsawwassen on British Columbia’s Lower Mainland.

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Negative Moonsighting from Reeson Park, Victoria waterfront, British Columbia - Monday Evening July 4 2016

Report filed with Moonsighting.com for Ramadan 29 1437 / Monday July 4 2016:

CANADA

Not Seen: MCW member Mr HiMY SYeD from Toronto, Ontario reported:

I began Ramadan 2016 with a negative moonsighting from St. John’s Newfoundland, and having travelled across Canada, visiting 30 Canadian masjids in 30 days as part of my http://30Masjids.ca project, I now conclude with a Negative moonsighting report for Shawwal on July 4:

On July 4, after Maghrib prayers and basic Iftar I attempted Moonsighting.

I walked to Reeson Park on Victoria’s Waterfront to get an unobstructed view of the western horizon. There were low hanging clouds, with an overall clear evening sky.

After searching for about 5 minutes, I confirmed I did not see the new moon.

Alhumdulillah, after praying Maghrib inside Masjid Al-Iman in Victoria, British Columbia, the Imam informed this congregation that since majority of Muslim Countries did not see the new moon, Eid al-Fitr locally on Vancouver Island will be Wednesday July 6 2016.

The BC Muslim Association, Muslim Association of Canada, and every independent Masjid I know of locally, will also complete 30 Days of Ramadan and celebrate Eid al Fitr on Wednesday July 6 2016.

Moonsighting.com


When I began 30 Masjids CANADA, my intention was to begin Ramadan 2016 in Newfoundland and end on Vancouver Island.

InshAllah, we’re almost there…

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001 - Masjid Al-Hidayah & Islamic Cultural Centre - 2626 Kingsway, Port Coquitlam - Sunday July 3 2016

Masjid Al-Hidayah & Islamic Cultural Centre, Port Coquitlam, BC

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01 - TIBA Musallah - 726 12th Avenue - New Westminster, British Columbia - Sunday July 3 2016

After Fajr prayers at Masjid Al Salaam, a brother approached me and asked if I needed a drive anywhere. We struck up a conversation and turns out he’s originally from Montreal and has been in Greater Vancouver for past two years.

We join a friend of his in the underground parking lot beneath the masjid and they learn about 30 Masjids. They are very inquisitive and fascinated with 30 Masjids in 30 Days as a Concept, they keep asking me all sort of questions.

Sometimes, I find myself being “pitched” a new masjid or a new prayer space, musallah, to visit for this blog. That happened this morning.

The first brother was selling me on Tiba Musalla, they would be finishing the Qur’an Recitation, tonight, their Khatm Al-Qur’an.

They tell me the space is big enough for fifty. Regularly thirty show up for prayers. Tonight though, would be the big night. Perhaps the biggest as it’s almost the end of Ramadan, and it’s a weekend evening.

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Sharif Senbel - Masjid Al Hidayah and Islamic Cultural Centre, Port Coquitlam - Vancouver Sun December 1 2009

Architect Sharif Senbel inside Masjid Al Hidayah and Islamic Cultural Centre in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia. Photo Credit: Vancouver Sun, December 1 2009.

This ten minute podcast was recorded sitting in Masjid Al Salaam’s Noble Courtyard, essentially a public square inside this Islamic Centre, hence the many ambient voices in the background.

[podcast]http://30Masjids.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Sharif-Senbel-30-Masjids-CANADA-July-2-2016.mp3[/podcast]

Sharif Senbel is a Vancouver based Snowboarder, Windsurfer and Walk-The-Walk Eco-Activist.

Devout Muslim. Award Winning Architect. Sharif Senbel designs Ecological Masjids.

Including Prince George Islamic Centre where I was yesterday and this morning for Day 26 and Night 27 of Ramadan 2016.

Alhumdulillah, for second night in a row, I broke fast inside a Senbel designed building, Masjid Al Salaam & Education Centre, 5060 Canada Way in Burnaby, British Columbia.

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00 - Jumah al Wida - Last Friday of Ramadan - Prince George Islamic Centre - Canada Day - July 1 2016

[podcast]http://30Masjids.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Prince-George-Islamic-Centre-30Masjids-July-2-2016.mp3[/podcast]

It’s the morning after the 27th Night of Ramadan 2016.

Br. Iftikhar, a Doctor in Prince George was kind enough to open his home’s guest room allowing me a few hours of rest before my Greyhound bus ride south to Vancouver.

Afterwards, en route to the Bus Terminal, what began as recording our conversation to save me the trouble of active notetaking, turned into this podcast covering the past twenty years or so of History of Prince George’s Muslims and their Masjid, The Prince George Islamic Centre.

It indeed is a unique Muslim Community among all the many Muslim Communities 30 Masjids has visited thus far.

InshAllah, give it a listen.

By podcast’s end, you may be inspired to visit Prince George to spend time with this community and see for yourself…

Who knows?

You may end up moving your family there!

What does become very clear though, is that without a Masjid, Northern or remote communities in Canada, have a very hard time retaining Doctors for the long term.

This is akin to what we found at University of New Brunswick Saint John and their Muslim Prayer Space on Day 10 of 30 Masjids CANADA.

Previous to Prince George getting its own Islamic Centre, Muslim Doctors may have spent the absolute minimum time here, say six months, before leaving for good.

The existence of a Masjid, and by extension presence of an active local Muslim Community, even if only numbering in dozens of families, is enough to keep Doctors for the long haul. Perhaps even beyond retirement.

The high taxes these Muslims Professionals pay, is an added incentive for the local municipality to do whatever they can to ensure Prince George at large is getting the best health care possible.

Minor Correction: Near The End of the podcast, I state it’s Day 28, Got ahead of myself there, again. Today is actually Day 27 of Ramadan 2016.

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