Muslims respond to Woodstock, Ont., mosque push back with public seminar about Islam

A Stratford imam wants to teach people in Woodstock about his faith after the idea of a mosque in the southwestern Ontario town received some negative responsefrom residents.

Omar Alshehri of the Stratford Mosque said some Muslims in Woodstock reached out to his mosque for help to create their own. As part of that, they asked the city council for a grant to help a mosque get started in Woodstock. They currently use Church of the Good Shepherd for sermons.

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Council denied a grant, but Alshehri said there was also backlash from some local residents.

"The problem is with the way it was rejected by some of the locals. We went on social media and kept ready negative comments and we were like, whoa. Compared to what we experienced in Stratford, this is like the very far end" of the spectrum," Alshehri told The Morning Edition host Craig Norris Friday.

"Some I don't think I can say live," he added. "It's no problem to express your disagreement with asking for a grant, but the language that was used, and the spirit, you feel some darkness in it."

'You fear what you don't know'

It was a shock, Alshehri said, because Muslims in Stratford received a warm welcome when they started building a mosque.

"The first cheque donated to the mosque was by a Christian man," he said. "We were like, 'Oh, that's beautiful.'"

We will not chase them to accept us, but at the same time, we'll just pray for their guidance and pray for them to be nothing but a better human being, to be nothing but a better Canadian.- Stratford Mosque imam Omar Alshehri

He added they regularly have non-Muslim visitors attend the Friday sermon, just because those people want to understand Islam.

Alshehri is hoping a seminar on Saturday in Woodstock will allow those in the community who want to know more to get that information.

"You fear what you don't know," Alshehri said.

"We are eager to make Canada safer. Because, we hear in the news and everyone knows what I'm talking about right now in the States in particular. The hate crimes are happening because of nothing but ignorance."

Seminar being held Saturday

Alshehri said Woodstock's Mayor Trevor Birtch has been very helpful and welcoming to their group. Birtch tweeted about the seminar and will be there to welcome people.

The seminar will be held at the Church of the Good Shepherd in the city's Springbank and Devonshire area from noon until 4 p.m.

There will be several talks throughout the afternoon by scholars, including discussing what is Islam, the role Islam and Muslim plays in current societies and history, Islam and women, and one on Islamophobia.

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Alshehri said the day will be a great opportunity for anyone who just wants to know more to get that information.

"Either you educate yourself and be a better Canadian Or you choose the other side," he said.

As for those people who don't want to understand or listen, Alshehri said he hopes for the sake of the next generation, they will change their mind.

"We will not chase them for them to accept us, but at the same time, we'll just pray for their guidance and pray for them to be nothing but a better human being, to be nothing but a better Canadian," he said.