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Prime Minister Harper delivers remarks at the opening ceremony of the Baitun Nur Mosque
5 July 2008
Calgary, Alberta
Thank you very much. Thank you for that warm reception. Thank you, Naseem, for your introduction. Good morning. First of all, my warmest greetings to his Holiness the Kalipha. Welcome back to Canada. I have fond memories of our first meeting in Toronto in 2005. It's wonderful that you're here during the worldwide celebrations of the centenary of the Kaliphate Ahmadiyya.
Greetings as well to my colleagues from the Parliament of Canada, Art Hanger, the Member of Parliament for this riding. I know Rahim Jaffer is here, Deepak Obhrai, Senator Bert Brown. I see Alexa McDonough, Stéphane Dion is also here, the leader of the opposition. Greetings to members of the various provincial legislatures. I know Minister Stevens is here representing the government of Alberta.
Greetings to Mayor Bronconnier, to Alderman Colley-Urquhart and to other members of municipal council and of course to all distinguished guests.
Fellow Canadians, I want to begin by thanking his Holiness for inviting me to be part of the opening of this magnificent house of faith. It is Canada's largest mosque complex, and a spectacular addition to Calgary's growing collection of architectural treasures.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim community deserves to be applauded, not only for this splendid mosque here in Calgary, but for its contribution to peace, tolerance and harmony, in this country and throughout the world.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim community here in Calgary and across Canada is to be congratulated, for though the community is small and includes many newcomers to our country, the success of this project demonstrates the deep faith and solidarity of Ahmadis in Canada. Indeed, I understand other mosque projects are already underway in Saskatoon, Brampton and Vancouver. Clearly the community is flourishing here in Canada.
But this should, ladies and gentlemen, come as a surprise to no one who knows this community. Ahmadis are renowned throughout the world for their devotion to peace, universal brotherhood and the will of God, the core principles of true Islam.
Ahmadis are also renowned for working to serve the greater good, through social, health and educational initiatives, as well as mosque projects like this one. Wherever Ahmadis live in the world, you are renowned for enthusiastically participating in the larger community and peacefully living alongside people of all faiths, languages and cultures. These characteristics place Ahmadiyya Muslims squarely in the mainstream of Canadian society, an excellent illustration of what our Government means when we talk about pluralism. It's not just about acknowledging our differences, but about interacting and learning from each other, about building together a strong and united Canada.
We are proud to live in a country that embraces the many cultures and religions of the world. Our Government considers diversity one of this country's greatest assets, and we are committed to strengthening both our pluralism and our national unity. This community knows firsthand what it is to experience persecution and discrimination based on your religious beliefs, so you understand at a profound level that promoting religious freedom is an essential building block for peace and stability here and throughout the world.
Our Government is a resolute defender of that freedom, and we condemn any attempt to violate the right of people to worship and to live freely according to their faith. In this we are allied with his Holiness, a courageous champion of religious freedom and of peace. We especially applaud the Kalipha for denouncing those who pervert faith by claiming it as a justification for violence. However we define God, it is wrong to kill in his name. All Calgarians, Albertans and Canadians can see in this mosque the true and benevolent face of Islam and those who worship in its name. They will also see your love for Canada and your patriotism. Ahmadis have embraced Canada and Canada has embraced you.
This glorious Baitun Nur Mosque announces that you have built a thriving community in this dynamic city and that you have taken your rightful place in our great country. Congratulations, God bless.
