The first mosque will be built by Muslim Gander.

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID,GANDER — Municipal Government Jars in Newfoundland, Canada, in collaboration with the local Muslim community, plans to establish mosque first in town. In addition, the city government of Gander is also trying to bring Muslim doctors to the area.

As reported Global and Mail Thursday (8/18/2022) Gander Mayor Percy Farwell and Newfoundland Islamic Community Center Director Dr. Mohamed Barasi hoped that the presence of a mosque in Gander would encourage Muslim doctors to live in the region.

Farwell said several foreign-trained Muslim doctors have worked in Gander in the past. But at that time, the city government was struggling to convince Muslim doctors to stay in Gander. Farwell also praised the provincial government’s efforts to recruit international medical graduates to place in Gander.

“Doctors are part of the family, and families have needs far beyond doctors’ working lives. The rest of society needs to be part of that,” Farwell said.

Like Newfoundland and other Labradors, Gander needs more doctors. In the province of about 522,875 people, almost a quarter do not have a family doctor.

Barasi, an orthopedic surgeon, said his community had been working with Kota Gander for over a year to build the mosque. He said his group is now in the process of completing paperwork to establish itself as a registered charity so it can start raising money to buy land. The complex process takes time and resources, and Barasi hopes someone can help them.

Gander has a population of approximately 11,600 and is home to a busy regional hospital and health centre. Farwell estimates the local Muslim community at around 55, but he says the figure is closer to 100 if the surrounding community is taken into account.

Barasi said a local mosque would meet a critical need for Muslims in Gander, as well as residents of nearby communities.