"mosque" : shaping an architecture for the Muslim community of Northern Ontario

Abstract

The role of a mosque in a minority community, such as Northern Ontario, shifts from its common role as solely a sacred place. There is a consistent conflict that arises in western mosque architecture: western mosques have become isolated entities, located on the edges of cities and disconnected from the communities that need them.01 In a minority community the mosque must transcend the singular program of prayer/religious practice and begin to serve the secular along with the religious communities.02 This integration of community allows the mosque to become a more integral part of the society as a whole. Beyond the traditional roles they play in Muslim majority communities, mosques become places for both secular and non-secular programs through secular spaces, such as, educational, cultural, art, and social places. Thus, this thesis will re-investigate western contemporary mosques to understand how these mosques could be able to provide for both the secular and religious communities in Northern Ontariowhile still maintaining the sacred qualities that make these spaces unique. The thesis will tackle this issue through three different categories of communities: non-Muslim community, current community, and new community. In this discussion, the three categories represent the following demographics. Non-Muslim communities refer to the secular society of the region along with the indigenous population. Current community is the first, second, and third generation of Muslims who are currently navigating their own identities and require a place to learn and grow in a healthy environment. New community refers to the population of people who have recently immigrated or been displaced to the region; for example refugees, or converted Muslims, the communities who are in transition and need help establishing their new lives. The key to this thesis is taking agency in the approach as a first generation MuslimCanadian and tackling tackling the issues through this particular perspective