Largest annual Muslim convention in western Canada returns to Calgary
Thousands are expected to attend the Jalsa Salana Western Canada conference in Calgary at the Genesis Centre this weekend.
The two-day event that took place on Saturday and resumes on Sunday is returning to the city after a pandemic hiatus.
“Words cannot express how important this event is and today as I walked around many people have come up to me and mentioned that they are so delighted we are able to gather together again,” said Malik Agyemang, one of the organizers.
“This is the time where we talk about spirituality, but we also talk about interrelationships, we renew our friendships, we make new friends and for two years during COVID we couldn’t have that interaction.”
The conference is a time where Muslims can gather to pray together and be reminded of their religious obligations and obligations to fellow humans, according to the president of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at in Canada.
“We should be loving each (person) and have hatred against none, this message is important, particularly because of the divide which is taking place in society these days and we hope that this conference will be furthering this cause,” said Lal Khan Malik.
The conference is also focusing on building connections with Indigenous communities. The event will feature a special Indigenous prayer, highlighting the community’s commitment to interfaith harmony and reconciliation.
“We owe it to them (to show) that we are here in peace and we should know them and we have been having various events with them and we invite them into our community,” said Malik.
We know their problems, their backgrounds, their history and we offer our services to them and they know us and this brings the communities together.”
The event used to move between cities in western Canada, but organizers chose Calgary as a permanent host since it was a central location.
The event resumed at 11:30 a.m. Sunday and will end around 2 p.m.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.