Is the Masjid you go to Ethnically Diverse?

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LusoHijabi

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Is the Masjid that you go to ethnically diverse? If so what ethnicities are in there?

My community in the town I live in is relatively small (a few hundred) and we all pray at the same masjid (the only one). We are a VERY diverse.

If I was to break down the demographics of my masjid. I must emphasise this is only a rough estimation I would say that 30% are people from MENA region (Arabs, Turks + Kurds), 25% are South Asian (Pakistan + Bangladesh), 20% African (Mali, Senegal, Ethiopia and Somalia), 20% White European (French converts + Bosnians), 10% other (Malaysia and Uzbekistan). We even have a white French imam.

It has a unique balance where no one ethnicity or group dominates. When this community was established around the 1950s it was founded funnily enough by white French converts now it demographically changed dramatically for all sorts of reasons. One of the elders from one French family that who is now in his 70s who has been in this community since the beginning when it was all white said that now when he goes to Jummah prayers, it is like he's on Hajj. Tells how diverse the community is now.

What I also like is how close knit the community is despite the diversity, it is like we all sorta know each other in a way, we bond together as muslims through Islam and the community is very friendly and inclusive. I really do get the sense that we are a community.

heck we're even seeing a few inter-ethnic marriages now.

Of course, we have our problems and our struggles but they're not too serious or ones that will tear the community apart. Maybe one day I should tell more about my community and my experiences with it.

How about you? and I dont mean to brag if it came off in that way.
 
In my community most people are from Africa (Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia), maybe about 80%, rest are from the Middle East (Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, etc.), from the North Africa or students from other countries like from Bangladesh. And minority are reverts from my country. Actually very tiny minority as it means only I.

I worked before as a teacher of my language for the immigrants and refugees here - so everybody here knows me, I get plenty of salams where every I go here in my city.

:D

Mostly this kind of mixing community works well but sometimes here are some tensions between people. Some carry with them their old cultural manners and think they belongs to Islam, then they are confused when people from other parts of the world haven´t similar manners at all. During the eids all pray together but the different cultural groups have they own parties after that. As I´m something what doesn´t belong to any of those cultural groups, they all then invite me to their parties and after that... well, I am quite full. :giggling:
 
sister herb said:
In my community most people are from Africa (Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia), maybe about 80%, rest are from the Middle East (Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, etc.), from the North Africa or students from other countries like from Bangladesh. And minority are reverts from my country. Actually very tiny minority as it means only I.

I worked before as a teacher of my language for the immigrants and refugees here - so everybody here knows me, I get plenty of salams where every I go here in my city.

:D

Mostly this kind of mixing community works well but sometimes here are some tensions between people. Some carry with them their old cultural manners and think they belongs to Islam, then they are confused when people from other parts of the world haven´t similar manners at all. During the eids all pray together but the different cultural groups have they own parties after that. As I´m something what doesn´t belong to any of those cultural groups, they all then invite me to their parties and after that... well, I am quite full. :giggling:
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HAHAHAHA!!! Lucky you, you get to eat the food of all the various ethnicities, I'm sure the food is delicious. That is one good thing of having a diverse community, food on Ramadan and Eid. Do you have any favs?

I'm sure for now there maybe some cultural clashes but maybe after a while when the families are more settled into Finland things will be beter.
 
Well, one sister from Iraq makes so wondeful dolma that I would go anywhere after her to get some. :p

Yes, I have met people whose have lived longer time in here are sooner or later they will settle into the country and start to understand each other´s background habits much better than at the first years in here.
 
sister herb said:
Well, one sister from Iraq makes so wondeful dolma that I would go anywhere after her to get some. :p

Yes, I have met people whose have lived longer time in here are sooner or later they will settle into the country and start to understand each other´s background habits much better than at the first years in here.
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I like Dolma too, we have Iraqis here who make that. During Ramadan in our community we sometimes country themed iftars so one night its Bosnia night, then the Somalis turn, then Bangladesh, then Morocco. Amazing.

yes, when people are settled then we understand each other better. Despite our amazing diversity my community is now bonding and uniting really well because people are settled here and we understand each other. It really is amazing when this happens

I'm sure you like the diversity of your community. lol
 
Yes, diversity is nice thing - it helps me to understand other people and their habits better. Plus I am happy I can give some help to others when I can advice them with language. We have here a multicultural center too where I have too being as volunteer advisor.
 
sister herb said:
Yes, diversity is nice thing - it helps me to understand other people and their habits better. Plus I am happy I can give some help to others when I can advice them with language. We have here a multicultural center too where I have too being as volunteer advisor.
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Thats great! being active in the community is always good , I presume you are a revert. Do you mind if you tell me the story of how you embraced Islam.

Also do you mind commenting on this thread I made 2 days ago called "Potluck dinner in my mosque"
 
sister herb said:
Salam alaykum

Here is the story you asked:

/QUOTE]

Thank you for that, a very nice story. I think it is fair to say that since the 1970s we can say for certain that Islam is firmly established in Europe and isn't going anywhere. It will continue to grow Inshallah.
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sister herb said:
Salam alaykum

Here is the story you asked:
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Thank you for that, a very nice story. I think it is fair to say that since the 1970s we can say for certain that Islam is firmly established in Europe and isn't going anywhere. It will continue to grow Inshallah.
 
:sl:

Our Masjid is very diverse too alhamdulillah! I would say 20% MENA, 50% South Asia, 20% Africa, may be 5% white Europeans and a few East Asians and others. We all get along fine, and yes, mashaAllah we are seeing more and more mixed marriages.
 
Ummshareef said:
:sl:

Our Masjid is very diverse too alhamdulillah! I would say 20% MENA, 50% South Asia, 20% Africa, may be 5% white Europeans and a few East Asians and others. We all get along fine, and yes, mashaAllah we are seeing more and more mixed marriages.
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alhamdulillah! thats great, what Islam should be about. Is your masjid a big one or is it a relatively small one.
 
LusoHijabi said:
alhamdulillah! thats great, what Islam should be about. Is your masjid a big one or is it a relatively small one.
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It's fairly large and we have a madrassa attached to it too alhamdulillah! In the madrassa they make all the kids mix up and they are not allowed to just sit within their own cultural groups, but have to get to know the others, which is lovely mashaAllah.
 
Ummshareef said:
It's fairly large and we have a madrassa attached to it too alhamdulillah! In the madrassa they make all the kids mix up and they are not allowed to just sit within their own cultural groups, but have to get to know the others, which is lovely mashaAllah.
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thats great. We are a small community here so we dont have a madrassa but we do have sunday school groups where we teach the children about Islam. I volunteer for it sometimes as a helper. We have the same policy of making the kids mix with kids of different ethnicities and it is working. Such a beautiful sight to see when kids from different ethnic backgrounds mix and are happy with one another.

Does your masjid do ramadan iftars? so people can bring food that reflects the different culinary traditions?
 
About the ethnic diversity in my community, it´s same like in my previous job in the immigration office as advisor and teacher; every morning when I went to work it felt like I would travel to the abroad. :D I remember one class there when my students talked over 10 different languages during the lesson (I used only 4 and had to change language after every sentence I spoke). :exhausted
 
Mashaa allaah, the issue in my area is that while there are many Muslims from many different places around the world but they do not mix or rarely mix. So you find one masjid, thats mostly attended by Yemeni's, the other Afgani, and one mostly Pakistani and Bangladeshi. We do have one big masjid in that's very diverse but its kinda far qadarallah.
 
sister herb said:
About the ethnic diversity in my community, it´s same like in my previous job in the immigration office as advisor and teacher; every morning when I went to work it felt like I would travel to the abroad. :D I remember one class there when my students talked over 10 different languages during the lesson (I used only 4 and had to change language after every sentence I spoke). :exhausted
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I speak 5 languages myself and I dont think I could do that.
 
hmmm my local mosques are pretty asianfied (its a word lol) um pakistanis, indias, bengalis etc :)
 

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