While on an annual elk hunt, when the Canadian Forces camp opens to the public, Mahmoud Mourra was surprised to see a phoney mosque at CFB Suffield. Mahmoud Mourra was out hunting in southern Alberta’s prairies when he came across a common figure in a strange place: a mosque’s dome, complete with minaret and crescent emblem.
The only difference was that the mosque was not actual. It was part of a training complex at CFB Suffield, some 250 kilometres southeast of Calgary. According to Canadian Forces authorities, such training camps must be as realistic as possible in order to represent the types of conditions that soldiers may encounter while on patrol.
However, seeing the construction felt like a violation to Mourra, who had created a life in Canada since emigrating from Lebanon centuries back. “I believe there is a systemic problem because this is just the tip of the iceberg to see such a field exist.”
The video of the mosque recorded by Mourra that began spreading online has caused concerns in the Muslim community, according to Mustafa Farooq, CEO of the National Council of Canadian Muslims, particularly in light of white racist elements in the military.
“Thinking about such a mosque and its existence on any armed forces post is highly alarming,” he said. Further, he added, “We understand this was a British installation, but comparable structures and facades of this sort have been set up in other sites in Canada in the past.”
Source: CBC News
