All praise and thanks be to Allah Almighty, the Originator and Creator of the heavens and the earth and our esteemed salutations to the beloved Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.).
"O mankind! We created you from a single soul, male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, so that you may come to know one another. Truly, the most honoured of you in God's sight is the greatest of you in piety. God is all - knowing, All - Aware. ( 49:13 )."
On behalf of the council and members of The B.C. Muslim Association, I extend a very happy and meaningful Eid celebrations to everyone.
With the coming to an end of the blessed month of Ramadan dawns the festival of " Eid Ul Fitr ", the festival of Fast - Breaking and culminating into celebrations. Eid is a festival of joy, family reunion, rekindling of Islamic brotherhood and sisterhood, rejuvenating friendship and acquaintances and more importantly expressing gratitude to Allah Almighty. It is also a joyful occasion with religious significance, celebrating the achievement of enhanced piety gained as a result of intense ibadah during the month of Ramadan. In short, Eid is a celebration of thanksgiving, remembrance, forgiveness and yes, a message of peace.
My beloved fellow Muslims, this year, our celebrations may be somewhat tarnished and may lack lustre because of the great tragedy in Pakistan. It is a catastrophe of epic proportions when particularly almost 20-25 % of the entire population has been uprooted and disorientated. It is going to take a very long time for the return of normalcy in Pakistan. My dear brothers and sisters, we must continue to extend our helping hand and demonstrate compassion and generosity for the citizens of Pakistan. Our celebrations are also hampered by the events of terrorism arrests in Canada, a very peaceful nation. We Muslims are a peaceful and good law abiding citizens of this great nation. We cannot be held accountable or be apologetic for the actions of a few perpetrators of law and order in this country. Prime Minister Harper put it best when he said mainstream Muslims are good citizens of this country just like any other group and I fully endorse his timely comments. If we are to co-exist in this society peacefully for the betterment of our Ummah, we must learn to have an open dialogue with our fellow citizens.
We as heads of a family, a society and a nation must pay heed to the calls and challenges of our Youths . Their welfare and guidance must remain the central focus of this Association . Our Imams and administrators must pay heed to their call and address their issues head on . We must address the problems of our Youth as a priority. We are very fortunate to have some young Imams in our midst and we must utilise their potential and enthusiasm to the fullest. It shall remain the central vision of this administration to one day have our Imams who are fully qualified, Canadian born and who fully understands the complexities and issues related to our Youths. To this end, Alhamdulillah, under the leadership of Mufti Aasim Rashid, Surrey Delta Branch have taken the initiative of advanced Aalim Education Program for the Youths and soon, Insha Allah, we shall produce local Aalims to take up the leadership role in our society. We must all render our unconditional support to this program.
Alhamdulillah , a landmark decision has been made as a way of promoting Sunnah to have 2011 Eid Salah in a Eid Ga’ah . Let us have Eid Salah in the spirit of unity and diversity. Let me in closing pray to Allah Almighty to assist us in meeting our goals and missions . Let us ask Him to help those in need and to have mercy on sick and hospitalised. Let us pray for our fellow Muslims in other parts of the world especially those victims of the massive tragedy in Pakistan. Let us strive to be good Muslims and good law abiding citizens of this great nation, Canada. Let us all pray for the prosperity of our faith and this Ummah. Let us all have a meaningful eid celebrations, Insha Allah.
Eid Mubarak to you all.
Sikandar Khan.
President