Can Muslims still pray five times a day in the military? Can women wear the hijab while serving? Will I have to fight against people in my home country? These and other questions may be part of an upcoming "town hall meeting" in Burnaby's mosque Oct. 8.The Canadian Forces are hosting a recruiting session in the Al-Salaam mosque on Canada Way, and the event is eliciting discussion in the Muslim community.
What about Canada's participation in the war in Afghanistan, where troops are fighting the Taliban and their version of Islamic jihad? "You'd be surprised, a lot of Muslim people want to go over," said Imaad Ali, youth director at the mosque. "There are a lot of misconceptions of what people do over there." Canada has 2,500 personnel in Afghanistan, mostly working in Kandahar province in the more dangerous southern region.
Vancouverite Toshio Rahman said he was a bit shocked to hear the military would be recruiting inside the mosque he attends. "I honestly don't see too many Muslims signing up for the army," he said. "If Muslims want to go to the army, that's their issue, but I don't think the mosque is the proper locale for it."