Thousands pack Saskatoon hall for communal Muslim prayer to mark end of Ramadan

Members of the Saskatoon chapter of the Islamic Association of Saskatchewan turned out in droves Sunday to celebrate the end of Ramadan.

Between 7,000 and 9,000 packed Hall E at Prairieland Park to celebrate Eid al-Fitr with a communal prayer and sermon, followed by an exchange of gifts and congratulations.

Asim Khan was one of them, beaming proudly at the sight of his father Rustam Ali Khan, who flew to Saskatoon from his home in Pakistan to join his son for the celebrations.

The younger Khan said he moved to the city last December from Toronto.

"It's a very nice community," he said when asked about practising his religion in a large public space like Hall E.

Mateen Raazi of the Islamic Association of Saskatchewan andone of the organizers of Sunday's event attributed the turnout to two factors: its falling on the weekend, and the growth of the city's overall Muslim population, which estimated at around 10,000, or four per cent of the city's population.

"We estimate that the population has increased quite a bit," said Raazi.

Progress on graveyard funding

That growth has spurred the Prairie Muslim Association to try to raise $440,000 by July 1 for a Muslim graveyard located in the Rural Municipality of Corman Park, about 30 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon.

According to a June 20 post on the Islamic Association of Saskatchewan's Facebook page, $390,000 has been raised so far.

Khan says the site is needed.

"At Woodlawn Cemetery [where some Muslimburial plots are set aside], we have to pay $7,000 for one grave," he said, whereas the Prairie MuslimAssociation says a grave could cost half of that because the association would provide the land and all services.

"We definitely need a new graveyard in Saskatoon because all the Muslim community, as you can see, is growing," said Khan.

A new mosque?

That's not the only project in the planning.

Raazi of the Islamic Association of Saskatchewan-Saskatoon says the association wants to build a new mosque "a little bit further outside the city" on 8th Street.

He estimated the capital cost at more than $10 million.

"We expect that maybe the end-stage of prior-to-planning-and-construction to happen this year if we can raise enough funds," said Raazi.