Shia Islam in Canada

Shia Islam in Canada is a part of the global Shia. Shia Muslims have been a featuring segment of the Canadian Muslim society whose population has grown from the 1970s and onwards due to factors such as immigration and conversion.[1]

Community

The Shia Muslim jamaat (community) manifests itself in two main forms in Canada. One is through the Twelver rite and the other is through the Ismaili rite. However, due to the lack of census questions that go into specific details in Canada, it remains unknown which community is larger between the two.[2] However, both have established community centres encompassing spiritual congregational halls and attached leisure centres. The Twelver Shia have Masjids (Mosques) and the Shia Ismailis have Jama'at Khanas in the country. The two most prominent Ismaili centre is the Ismaili Centre, Toronto (ICT) at the Charbagh Gardens and Ismaili Centre, Burnaby (ICV), while the most prominent Ithna Ashari centre is the Jaffari Community Centre (JCC) in Vaughan, Ontario.[3]

Population

The Shiite population in Canada is estimated to be approximately 300,000 people. Migration occurs from countries such as Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Lebanon, and other countries. Most Canadian Shiites live in cities such as Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.[4]

Adherents

Reza Hosseini Nassab is a Canadian Grand Ayatollah of the Twelver rite. Anisa Mehdi is a film director and journalist, who although a Shia, reports on her faith from a Pan-Islamic viewpoint.[5] Muhammad Rizvi is a Canadian Twelver scholar and orator who serves as both the Representative of Ali al-Sistani to Canada and the imam of the Jaffari Community Centre.[6][7]

Notable Canadian Shia Muslims

See also

References

  1. ^ Religion and Ethnicity in Canada - Page 136, David Seljak - 2009
  2. ^ Encyclopedia of Canada's Peoples - Page 785, Paul R. Magocsi - 1999
  3. ^ Historical Dictionary of the Ismailis - Page 22, Farhad Daftary - 2012
  4. ^ Atlas Institute of Shiite Society, Introduction to Canada; Retrieved 13 September 2022
  5. ^ The Oxford Handbook of American Islam - Page 469, Jane I. Smith - 2014
  6. ^ "Iraq's sectarian violence troubles community - The Arab American News". www.proquest.com. Retrieved 2025-04-12.
  7. ^ Page D3. (1992, Jul 10). Toronto Star (1971-2009) Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/page-d3/docview/1355527191/se-2
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