A turning point in Canadian history took place in 1971 when the federal government officially declared Canada a multicultural country. Immigrants to Canada in the past were predominantly from Europe while the majority of today’s immigrants including many Muslims come from Asia and Africa.
Canada has a strong Muslim presence
There is a strong Muslim presence in most of Canada’s major cities and metropolitan Toronto, Canada’s largest city, is home to 250,000 Muslims. The Muslim university in Toronto is very active in challenging Christianity. Mosques are scattered throughout the area along with two major Muslim bookstores. Three Muslim television programs are aired weekly along with numerous radio programs. Some small towns also have large Muslim populations. Lac La Biche, Alberta and its surrounding area has 10,000 people of which about 700 are Muslims, almost all Lebanese.
Muslims coming to Canada face many hardships. The harsh Canadian winter is disheartening to those who come from warmer climates. Often the adult immigrants are well educated, however, many times their degrees are not recognised. Muslim women often find themselves isolated in a society that does not know how to understand and accept them.
God is calling Canadians to minister to Muslim newcomers. A young University student befriended a young Muslim newcomer on a bus. She was a 16 year old bride of an arranged marriage, who was extremely lonely and desperate for friendship. The two women became friends and after two years the student introduced her to Jesus. The young bride is now a mature Christian who ministers to forty Muslim ladies on a regular basis.
Flag of Canada
Map of Canada
God is moving in Canada
Christians from Muslim backgrounds are being used by God to reach their own people on Canadian soil. A Lebanese Arabic Church has been established among the large Lebanese community in Montreal. There are also more than 25 Arabic Christian ministries in Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary and Edmonton, but most are small struggling groups. The most responsive Muslim people to the Gospel in Canada are Iranians. A young Iranian, imprisoned on six different occasions in his home country, faithfully ministers to the Iranian people of his city. More than forty Iranians were baptized in Vancouver and Toronto.
Pray about the Muslims in Canada:
* The vast majority of Canadian Muslims still have had little opportunity to hear the Gospel in a manner that is sensitive to their cultures. Pray that believers will rise to the challenge, building friendships with people from different cultural and ethnic groups.
* Pray for God’s anointing on Christians to befriend Muslims in Canada. Since 9/11 Muslims are often ostracized by all communities making contact with them very difficult. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead Muslims to Christian businesses, schools and homes so they can hear the Gospel.
* People are attracted by the life of God manifested in and through His people. May the life of Jesus be evident to Muslims through the lives of Canadian Christians from all origins.
Background on Canada (World Factbook)
A land of vast distances and rich natural resources, Canada became a self-governing dominion in 1867 while retaining ties to the British crown. Economically and technologically the nation has developed in parallel with the US, its neighbor to the south across an unfortified border. Canada’s paramount political problem is meeting public demands for quality improvements in health care and education services after a decade of budget cuts. Canada also faces questions about integrity in government following revelations regarding a corruption scandal in the federal government that has helped revive the fortunes of separatists in predominantly francophone Quebec.
Economy of Canada
As an affluent, high-tech industrial society in the trillion-dollar class, Canada resembles the US in its market-oriented economic system, pattern of production, and affluent living standards. Since World War II, the impressive growth of the manufacturing, mining, and service sectors has transformed the nation from a largely rural economy into one primarily industrial and urban. Canada is the US’ largest foreign supplier of energy, including oil, gas, uranium, and electric power.
Statistics on Canada
Population: 34,300,083 (July 2012 est.) World Rank #35
Life Expectancy at Birth: 81.48 years. World Rank #12
Ethnic groups: British Isles origin 28%, French origin 23%, other European 15%, Amerindian 2%, other, mostly Asian, African, Arab 6%, mixed background 26%
Religions: Roman Catholic 42.6%, Protestant 23.3% (including United Church 9.5%, Anglican 6.8%, Baptist 2.4%, Lutheran 2%), other Christian 4.4%, Muslim 1.9%, other and unspecified 11.8%, none 16%
Languages: English (official) 58.8%, French (official) 21.6%, other 19.6%
Literacy: 99%
School Life Expectancy: 17 years
Persecution in Canada – GodTube Video
This documentary details persecution that is directed toward Christians in Canada.
slavvvvvvvvvvvv to çawani hija
Dear Ummabdurrahman,
That’s a great observation! If Jesus died for all sinners, why is there a hell? First of all, hell was originally to be for the devil and his demons. Secondly, Jesus did die for all people everywhere in the world, but we must accept what He did for us personally in order to be forgiven of our sins.
If we have a gift for you, but you do not accept it and use it, it does you no good. Salvation is a free gift, but you must believe what the Holy Bible says and accept it by faith. Because God is Holy, Righteous and Just, He can’t let sin go unpunished. Romans 6:23 says “For the wages (penalty) of sin is death (eternal separation from God) but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.” Jesus willingly paid the penalty for our sin, but we must individually accept it.
It’s hard to imagine that our Creator loves us so much that He would allow Jesus (The Word) take on a human form and die a brutal death on the cross for our sins. But God knew we couldn’t save ourselves. Even our righteous deeds are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6) and won’t get us to heaven.
Adam, as the representative of mankind, brought sin and death in the world through his disobedience. Romans 5:19 “For as through the one man’s disobedience (Adam), the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One (Jesus) the many will be made righteous.” Our sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2). We are born dead spiritually to God. When we pray to God and admit we are a sinner and need a Savior and accept Christ’s death on the cross as payment for our sin, and believe He was buried, and resurrected on the third day, our dead spirit comes alive to God and we have forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
There is such a peace and joy that fills your life once you have made that decision.
Gary and Jo Ann
Dear Metin,
You are absolutely right. God is eternal, self existent, Creator, and separate from His creation. God is one with His Spirit and His Word. However, if you read John 1:1-5, it says God’s Word became flesh and dwelt among us. If God wants His Word to take on a human form, He has the right and power to do that. But why would He do that?
After Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, their relationship with God changed. They became afraid of God and hid (Genesis 3:8-11). Then in Romans 3:23, it says we are all sinners and Romans 6:23 says the penalty for sin is death. It also says in Romans 5:19, who made us sinners (Adam) and who will make us righteous (Jesus).
Adam and Eve covered themselves with fig leaves and God replaced them with animal skins (Genesis 3:7 and 3:20) That showed an animal had to shed its blood in order for them to be forgiven (Hebrews 9:22). That pointed to Christ’s 1st coming where He would die for the sins of the world. (John 1:29) (1 Peter 3:18 and 1 Peter 2:24)
Why would that be necessary? We can’t save ourselves–neither can our good works (Isaiah 64:6.) get us to heaven. Ephesians 2:8 & 9 show God’s grace saves us through faith and it is a free gift. That gift of salvation is for everyone of every nation, creed and ethnic group. If you pray and admit you are a sinner and accept Jesus as your Savior and believe He died on the cross for you, was buried and then resurrected on the third day, you have eternal life and forgiveness of sin.
Metin, we wish you the best.
Gary and JoAnn
Bismila Arahman Arahim (In the name of Allah (God) the most gracious, most merciful)
Asalamu Aleikum to the muslims, Hello to the non-muslims,
To Gary and Jo Ann,
We will see who is right and who is wrong on the day of Judgement. I’m not willing to risk my eternal soul on the christan beliefe that Allah (God) became flesh and dwelt among us, nor am I willing to believe that Allah (God) is cut into thrre parts. And how does it make sense that animals have to die in order for humans to be forgiven?! If it is the Will of Allah to forgive there does not need to be a sacrifice. What about now? Should I go and kill a goat or cow if I need to ask for repentance?
Muslims believe in all revoulations of Allah, but how cam you sit there and say, the Gospel is truely STILL the word of God and only the word of God when you know it had to have been changed and altered! You can not translate a Holy Skript into another language and not accpect to change. And you are seriously mistaken if you think that you can.
As for my muslim brothers and sisters who have given up the religion I am honestly alittle disheartened… but who am I to question the will of Allah. However I pray that they do understand the consequences.
Asalamu Aleikum to the muslims, Good-bye to the non-muslims,
Bravo, Gary and Jo Ann. I can’t add to what you have said, except to say that any person in the world, Muslim or otherwise, can say, “God, please show me.” And He will. “He is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:18. I pray for the Muslim people, that their eyes would be opened, and that everyone of them would be led to the Light. We can never exhaust the Word of God. It is new every morning.
Let us not beat around the bush. Allah is not the same person as the God of christians, rather the opposite of it. He is the devil himself, the adversery of human kind. Yes God is only one, but some people fooled by the devil. Sooner it is recognized better is for that person.
To J Dol,
While I was enjoying the debate between Gary and Jo Ann and the muslims, you just interrupted my joyment with your bad comment.
Allah, our God is your God and Jews God before you. If you believe that Allah is the devil himself, then prove it with logic.
my dear friends i was just searching how life is for muslims in canada, and i was pleased with the respect they r getting. i myself is a muslim shia and i am very interested in moving to canada with my family. plz don’t come to a conclusion of muslims without studying first- sacrifice is for the judgement day that sheep will b the witness to our repentence. and plz open ur bibel and read the stories from quran they give the same message. we believe in everything regarding jesus as in quran his name is eesa and we shia muslims believe he will return to this world again. we r condemned by the other muslims because we believe in the reapperence of him. plz take ur time and see how shias r getting killed in iraq, pakistan,syria,etc by muslims itself. and coz of these muslims esp wahabes its impossibles for muslims all over the world to live in peace.
We are all born seeking God. It’s like we have a God shaped hole in our spirit that we can fill with anything we choose. You can fill that hole with hatred, greed, and lies, or love, peace, and truth. When Muslims say prove with logic that is the opposite of faith. Our minds can be easily deceived with worldy knowledge. The reason Christians have faith in the bible, even though it has been translated into other languages is because the truth is preserved and revealed when you seek God with an open heart. God allows us to choose out of his love for us.