Al Rashid Mosque: Building Canadian Muslim Communities by Earle H. Waugh (review)

This is probably one of the most unique books I have reviewed out of the nearly fifty that I have done so. Earle Waugh explores the history of the Al Rashid Mosque in Edmonton – the oldest mosque in Canada. It was built in 1938 and the book is an eightieth anniversary history. One of the reasons that I agreed to review the book is because I lived in Edmonton for two years and got the impression that the mosque was one of the things that made the city unique and was something it was proud of. The original mosque building was outgrown by its followers and is now housed in Fort Edmonton Park, which I think highlights the significance placed on its position in the heritage of the city.

The book first offers some historical context to the establishment of the mosque, with the situation in the homeland, Lebanon, of the original Muslim settlers who established the church, and why they had a travelling identity, focusing on the 1850s–1930s. It then breaks down the history of the mosque into the following periods: 1930–70, 1975–2005, 2001–10, 2010s, and beyond. Waugh illustrates that the mosque was intended not only as a religious place of worship, but also a social and cultural place. During the period 1975–2005 the mosque took on a Canadian flavour and moved on from its settler origins. It has though come under growing pressure post-911, with Canadian Muslims coming under increasing suspicion due to the fear of Islamic extremism.

However, Waugh's book is much more than the history of one mosque in one Canadian city, as historically significant as that might be. Instead he uses the site of the mosque to make broader points about the history and experience of the Canadian Muslim community. This in my opinion is the strength of the book. The book is also based on excellent research, including the archives of the Mosque and other Muslim organisations in Canada, as well as oral interviews with key figures involved in the organisation of the Mosque over the years and prominent members of the Canadian Muslim community. In addition Waugh shows that the history of the Al Rashid Mosque is not only the history of one religious group in Canada, but is Canadian history. This is a fundamental point, and one that needs to be stressed, as often anything that is outside the dominant white Canadian historical narrative is seen as the 'history of others', instead of the 'history of Canadians' as it rightly should be.

The book looks at the history of a very notable place of worship in Canada, but more importantly explores the broader history of Canadian Muslims, which is an integral part of Canadian history. I wholeheartedly recommend it to readers, both expert and general.