Source: http://www.yorkregion.com/community-story/7179996-ureport-people-from-king-for-refugees-attend-maple-mosque-open-house/

King Connection | By Nancy Hopkinson

Several people from King for Refugees accepted the kind invitation of the Muslim Ahmadiyya Mosque in Maple to attend an open house on Sunday, March 5.

Muslim Ahmadiyya Mosque open house: Kathy Patterson (from left), Susan Mitchell, Maureen Meehan, Peter Meehan, Terry Turner, Bill Patterson, Nancy Hopkinson, Mary Bromley, Susan Beharriell, Ed Bartram, Rakan Almasri, Houda Almasri, Celia Bland, Ian Hilley, Penny McCahill and Rana Mohammad Zakarria attended the open house.

The visitors arrived at 2 p.m. and were directed to the mezzanine upstairs to view the prayers. In the room below, hundreds of men formed along the lines on the carpet (shoes off) and they followed the direction of their imam who called out, although he did not face them. Sometimes they were down on the floor, knees bent, with their heads bowed; other times, they were standing; then in a bowing position.

For those who were unable to do all these movements, there were chairs on the side. Everyone was facing Mecca (North-East). The women were also praying, but in the lower level of the mosque.

After prayers (Muslims pray five times a day, but they do not have to be in a mosque to do this), the imam talked to the visitors about the Muslim faith and answered questions. The men wear hats as a sign of respect to God. Some of the men showed us their hats and pointed out that it was a matter of personal preference and that some men wore lighter hats in the summer. There were some display posters at the mosque which the imam talked about.

These are viewable at www.amec.islamevents.ca.