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Toronto Chinese, Muslims Make Peace

A P Kamath

Putting behind months of bitter controversy over a mosque project, Chinese and Indian subcontinent immigrants in Markham declared last week they will work together to bring about harmony between the two communities. There are dozens of Chinese and Muslim families around the mosque site.

Many Chinese had steadfastly opposed the construction of the mosque, which will cost about four million Canadian dollars and will cater to about 10,000 Urdu-speaking Muslims, mostly from India and Pakistan in this city which is close to Toronto. But in July the city council approved the project.

The opponents had argued the building of the mosque -- the first in Markham -- would increase traffic and noise pollution.

But Muslim community leaders persisted, assuring the Chinese that their fears were exaggerated. The leaders were also reminded of similar opposition to mosques and Hindu temples in many parts of America. Typically, the objections would center on the issues of noise and traffic flow. In most cases, the immigrants have been able to win the battle, either after allaying the fears of the majority of the community or by seeking the help of local courts.

"Most often than not it is just prejudice against newer immigrants," says Pradip Kothari, an Edison-New Jersey businessman who had to sue the local communities before he received the permission to hold all-night Navratri celebrations. "The fear about traffic flow is actually an excuse to stop newer immigrants taking roots in their new country of adoption."

Unlike in other situations where the protests came from white American communities, in Markham it was mostly the Chinese who opposed it.

When the ground-breaking ceremony took place which was attended by Markham Mayor Don Cousens, a member of the Markham council, Khalid Usman, assured the Chinese community that amity would be ensured and there would no grouse held over protests past.

For Mayor Cousens, the mosque meant yet another fragment laid in Canadian's religious mosaic. One of Canada's strengths is the respect shown for all religious faiths, he said.

"A community without these kinds of roots is shallow and baseless,'' he said.

The mosque, which is to be ready by the end of 2001, is to be located at the corner of Denison St and Middlefield Ave, less than an hour's drive from downtown Toronto. The 26,000-square-foot building will contain an elementary school, a community center and family counseling rooms.

There were signs of reconciliation between the two communities when a Chinese Canadian member of the council attended the ground-breaking ceremony, and when many Muslims attended several fund-raisers by the Chinese community to help senior citizens.

Councilor Tony Wong said that while there would be differences of opinion in all communities, it was important that efforts were made to reconcile differences.

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