[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.
