St. James is home to the newest small mosque in Manitoba, with the grand opening of the Beit Nibala Mosque celebrated over the weekend at 325 Wallasey Street.

The place of worship will serve a growing number of Muslim residents – there are nearly 25,000 Muslims in Manitoba, the vast majority of whom live in Winnipeg – and will serve as the headquarters for the Canadian Palestinian Association in Manitoba CPAM.

Ramzi Zaid, president of CPAM, who was helping his mother Suad Zaid and father Wajih Zaid, said: "My father's dream was always to open a mosque and leave a legacy."

The mosque’s name honors the Palestinian village where his parents were raised and his family roots go back seven generations.

Beit Nibala was destroyed during the 1948 war, and as a result, his parents were displaced and came to Canada as refugees.

Zaid said it is one way for us to ensure that the Palestinian name, the name Beit Nibala, will live forever, and whatever happens in Palestine, in Canada, in Winnipeg, Palestine and Beit Nibala village will remain."

He pointed to the symbolism of opening a mosque on the other side of the world after hundreds of mosques were destroyed in Gaza in recent months.

Zaid added that community members will gather to continue praying for their relatives abroad at the new site, the first of its kind in St. James.

About 150 people attended the mosque’s opening day; the building will be open throughout the week for all five daily prayers.

It is expected to host Quran lessons and community events.

The Manitoba Islamic Association indicated that more than 10,000 Muslims have settled in the province over the past decade.

Rohin Aziz, vice president of the association’s board, said: “There is a very tight-knit Muslim community in Manitoba, and they are very welcoming and allow community members to feel as if they are at home.”

While Rohin noted that immigrants often struggle with isolation upon arrival, she said the newest mosque is worth celebrating as a place for worship and gathering in general.

Zaid echoed those remarks: “Any Muslim who wants to come and pray and worship and use this as a safe place to worship God the Creator is welcome.

The latest 2021 Canadian census data shows that about 53% of Manitoba’s population identify as Christian and 12% practice another religion.