The Yellowknife Public Library meeting room basked in the aroma of coffee and the warmth of community spirit as the local Muslim community hosted a unique outreach program billed as ‘Coffee and Islam Yellowknife’ on Saturday.
The event — hosted by Islam Ahmadiyya Yellowknife and part of an international initiative — aimed to foster dialogue and understanding about Islam while sharing free coffee and food.
The program coincided with a significant date for the community: March 23, the day their community was founded in 1889. On this day, the community commemorates the initiation of their founder, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, whom they regard as the prophesied messiah foretold by various religions. The event marks the day when 40 individuals pledged their allegiance to him as the messiah, a moment that led to the formation of their Ahmadiyya movement in Qadian, India.
Now spread across 200 countries, the community’s message has reached Yellowknife. Despite facing persecution for their beliefs in some parts of the world, followers remain steadfast in their message of unity and adherence to the original teachings of Islam.
“We believe that Islam is an universal religion, so we are trying to unite everyone, not just Muslims,” said Mozaffar Ahmad, missionary for the Muslim community. “Because the main meaning of Islam means peace, with all the turmoil, especially what happened these past few weeks, there’s all this extremism and terrorism as well as warfare that’s happening between two different countries in the name of religion, even though it’s a geopolitical… we’re trying to spread peace and brotherhood among each other.”
He added, “Since my posting here in January 2024, we’ve been working to make Islam understood, to show that it’s a faith that preaches peace and tolerance.”
While relatively new in its formal capacity locally, the mission builds on over two decades of Muslim presence in the area.
“We’ve have Muslims living here for more than 15 years, and now we’re establishing an official mission to continue our outreach,” said Ahmad.
Though there wasn’t a big turnout at the event, he’s hopeful that as long as he puts in the effort, people will hear and understand the adherents’ beliefs.