Inuvik: Muslims in Inuvik, a remote Canadian Arctic town, gathered this week at the Midnight Sun Mosque to break their Ramadan fast, enjoying Sudanese home-cooked meals amid stunning yet challenging surroundings.
For some, the town’s isolation is a struggle. “Every year I say, ‘This is my last year in Inuvik,’” said 75-year-old Abadallah El-Bekai, a Lebanese-born Palestinian who has lived there for 25 years.
“But God didn’t agree—I must have done something wrong!”
Dubbed the Little Mosque on the Tundra, the Midnight Sun Mosque opened in 2010 to serve a growing Muslim community.
Built in Winnipeg, Manitoba, it was transported 4,000 kilometers (2,485 miles) north by truck and is now the northernmost mosque in the Western Hemisphere.
Its congregation, around 100 to 120 people, has remained stable, says Imam Saleh Hasabelnabi, who has lived in Inuvik for 16 years.
Practicing Islam in the Arctic presents unique challenges—Inuvik experiences over 50 days of continuous sunlight each year and nearly a month without direct sunlight.
To maintain a prayer schedule, the community follows Mecca’s local time. Adjusting isn’t easy.
“The first time I prayed five times and the sun was still up, I was shocked,” Hasabelnabi recalled.
Mohamed Asad Behrawar, a 36-year-old accountant who recently moved from Edmonton, said long summer days weren’t new to him, “but the environment is still harsh.”
On Sunday, congregants braved the cold to share a Ramadan meal at the mosque, where chicken dishes, rice, and other foods were passed around. Inuvik, home to about 3,400 people, has attracted Muslims seeking better incomes, with many working as taxi drivers.
Despite being a small community, they stand out. – AFP
