Beside the religious role that a mosque has as a place of
worship, its social mission has always been an essential
ingredient in the well being of the Muslim community. It has
a central role in many aspects of the Muslims’ life as
individuals and as a community. It was this role that Islam
has conferred to the Mosque from the beginning which allows
it to fully accomplish its mission.
Also, it is in this perspective that the hearts and minds of
Muslims can be connected with the Mosque. This connection is
urgent and crucial when it concerns a Muslim community
within a non-Muslim western society. In this context, the
Mosque takes the role of an identity preserver for the whole
community; for the pioneers who spent part of their lives in
a Muslim country, and for the generation of those who were
born in a land of immigration.
The mosque has become more than necessary to offer an open
door to the society at large in order to discover the true
image of Islam, in a time when this image is getting
tarnished by events and ill-motivated media attacks. It is
in this perspective that the Muslim community in Gatineau
would like to establish the first mosque: to have a place of
worship, to preserve the community, and to show to the
hosting society the true image of Islam and Muslims.
