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The minaret, which would have once been used to call people for prayer, will be symbolic. Rashid said no prayer calls will be made, as the surrounding area isn’t solely Muslim.

“Doing a call for prayer at 3:30 in the morning, you might annoy some neighbours,” he said with a laugh.

However, messages from the mosque will be broadcast via satellite and the Internet. The mosque will house its own TV studio as part of the 24-hour Muslim Television Ahmadiyya network. It already has Canadian locations in Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto, said Noman Hassan, the group’s spokesman.

The facility will also contain a gymnasium and classrooms. Future projects include a children’s playground and a community garden.

The facility will be able to hold up to 2,000 people. Rashid noted it’s not only for Muslims.

“Anyone who worships one God is welcome to come pray. This is nothing new. It’s been that way since the time of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.”

Members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at community from across Canada have contributed savings to help build the mosque.

Qaiser Mahmood, a Pakistani butcher who moved to Saskatoon six years ago, said he donated more than $40,000 of his savings towards the construction. The money had previously been earmarked for building his family a house, but Mahmood said it was important to him that the mosque be built before his own home.

“Everywhere, all the world is a crisis, war, everything, but our community’s motto is love for all, hatred for none,” Mahmood said, noting that the head of his Islamic community told him building a mosque would help bring about world peace.

“People are thinking it’s negative, that Muslim is not good,” Mahmood said. “I want to tell (them) that Muslim is a peaceful community.”

Mahmood said he’s excited to bring his wife and two daughters to the mosque once it’s opened.

The mosque has been in the works since 1987, when the land was obtained. The estimated total cost is $10 million, and the project is set for completion in December.

bharder@postmedia.com

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