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Perhaps to some
in the community it seemed a little dangerous to
complete construction even before the money to pay for
the building had been raised. When the Gatineau Mosque
opened in Ramadan 2008 it bore an outstanding debt (at
the time) of over $900,000 and there were fears that the
building could be put in lien if payments were not made.
Perhaps others in the community saw it differently. They
may have seen it as a demonstration of solid trust in
Allah and unwavering belief in the generosity and
dedication of Gatineau Muslims.
Either way, the plan has worked in an amazing way; a
continuing miracle, in fact, over the course of the last
year.
The Muslims of Gatineau have to date donated over 2.2
million dollars to support this mosque project. The fact
that the Outaouais Islamic Centre, the group in charge
of the mosque, hasn’t received a single dollar from any
embassy or foreign country makes this project even more
miraculous, and to the community, more dear.
The Gatineau Mosque serves over 4,000 Muslims living in
the Gatineau/Hull area. Previously, there was just one
prayer space in the area and it only accommodated 75
worshippers. And that is another reason why this project
is special to the community.
A line chart showing the progress of the fundraising is
a diagonal line towards the goal, and would make any
businessman drool. Each deadline for funds has been met
by the community in a systematic way. In July of 2008,
the OIC started a blog to keep the community abreast of
construction and fundraising developments. The blog has
been instrumental in collecting donations through the
PayPal service and the frequent posts complete with
pictures of the mosque’s progress, has surely motivated
donors to give generously.
A call goes out for donations and they come. Around 80
families who regularly attend the mosque have signed up
for automatic withdrawals of $40 each month. Others have
sold their personal belongings to raise funds.
The Gatineau Mosque construction is certainly an
inspiration for any mosque project in Canada. A major
factor in the success of its fundraising was the
agreement with the contractor to pay in installments.
This meant that in the course of a year, $250,000 would
be collected every two months and given to the
contractor.
The fundraising efforts before July 2008 raised $45,527,
no doubt because of the innovative “Windows to the
Future, Doors to Paradise” women’s fundraising event
held in June that year. Just two days before the first
deadline in August 2008, the community had raised around
$141,000. A few days later, they paid the full
installment of $250,000.
The next deadline in October was easily met as September
had coincided with Ramadan. The December payment was a
real problem however. By mid- November, the OIC had
raised just $36,230 and had learnt that the City Council
required an additional $425,000 to fi t ramps for
accessibility and finish inside the structure. Again the
community rallied to help, and the deadline to pay the
contractor was amazingly met on December 15th.
February’s deadline was also met, with the debt to the
contractor standing at $496,300. All along the way, the
OIC continued to repay interest-free loans from Muslim
organizations in the region, which total approximately
$98,000.
Since May, community barbecues have been held every two
weeks, when weather permitted. And there have been other
activities including a yard sale last month that brought
in about $1000. The OIC has collected enough to meet the
second to last deadline. The OIC is now just $141,000
shy of completing payment.
Although the OIC wants to increase the number of
families that donate through automatic withdrawals from
80 to 120, Abdellah Sebbar, the project’s manager is
leaving the rest of the debt to Allah, as he and the OIC
have done the past year.
“All this was done by the grace of Allah, and the
sacrifice of thousands of Muslims. May Allah reward them
greatly. We intend to use this month of Ramadan, the
month of giving, to get the necessary funds,” he says.
The OIC invited two scholars from abroad, Sheikh Mohamed
Bourass from Libya to lead the Taraweeh prayers and
Sheikh Mokhtar Shinqiti from Qatar (he was previously in
Texas) to give lessons and hold seminars during Ramadan.
Allah out of His Wisdom and Mercy has allowed the final
payment due on September 30, to fall just after Ramadan.
Given the miraculous progress of the mosque, the
blessedness of Ramadan and the unparalleled generosity
of worshippers during this month, there is every hope
that the OIC will again meet its payment deadline and
the community of Gatineau can continue to enjoy,
worship, learn, and give in this beautiful and amazing
mosque.
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