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The Ottawa Citizen - May 20, 2006
Ottawa mosque a shining example of
co-operation between Sunnis, Shiites
By Charles Enman
No matter how much carnage we see between Sunni and Shia groups in Iraq, an Ottawa mosque is proving that Sunni and Shia Muslims can worship and work together quite nicely.
"We all believe in one God, and we should not we separated by events of many centuries ago," says Akbar Manoussi, a Shiite who, for several years, has been vice-president of the Ottawa Muslim Association, the Sunni group that runs the Ottawa Central Mosque.
"We can't do much about the historical differences, but we can remember that we are brothers in Islam, a religion of peace and brotherhood," said Mr. Manoussi, a professor at the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University.
Mr. Manoussi, an Iranian immigrant who came to Canada 35 years ago, has been a vice-president of the association for more than two years, and in that time has won two elections to the position. This is surprising, given that at least 95 per cent of the congregants at the Ottawa Central Mosque are Sunni.
Though the presence of a Shia Muslim on the executive of a Sunni mosque is rare, the mosque's imam, Gamal Solaiman, says tolerance has been a practice since the community's inception.
"Right from the beginning, the Shia were welcome to come and pray with us -- but it was time for them to form part of our leadership, as well."
Seven years ago, Mr. Manoussi, believing bridge-building was important, had joined the Central Mosque.
"I wanted to see what I could do to unite the two communities," he says. "And I thought Ottawa was a good place for this to happen. Those of us in this city are a very well-educated community, and I think there was a general perception that we needed to seek unity."
The divisions between Shiites and Sunnis occurred when the Prophet Muhammad died in 632. The Sunnis believed the leadership of the Muslim community should go to Abu Bakr, a follower of the prophet. The Shia Muslims, however, believed that Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of the prophet, should become leader.
"Shia" is a shortened form of a phrase that means "followers of Ali."
Ali did eventually become the fourth successor to the Prophet, but there was a huge rift between the communities that has continued down to the present day.
But all this seems unnecessary to Mr. Solaiman. "Yes, there are differences, but they are not to my mind crucial."
All Muslims believe in the oneness of God, the hereafter, the prophets, the angels, and virtually all theological matters, Mr. Solaiman said.
There are small differences in religious practice, Mr. Solaiman said, and the Shiites believe in their 12 imams -- historical leaders, including Ali, who are not recognized by the Sunnis.
"But to me, taken all together, these are not differences that need destroy our sense of brotherhood. As Muslims, I believe it is our duty to affirm that brotherhood."
Bader Siddiqi, president of the Ottawa Muslim Association, believes that common sense does not allow any other course.
"Look, we are constantly reaching out, through interfaith dialogue, to our brothers in the Christian and Jewish faiths and beyond that, we have established relations of trust and respect with the Sikh community, the Hindu community, and many others.
"And once we establish that we respect these other religions, we cannot possibly say, 'Oh, but we have problems within our own Muslim family.' That can make no sense."…..
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=0014fcc4-b7f6-4249-9c94-645efb7de81b&k=48595
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