Field Research

Hey guys,

I live near Madina Masjid located on 1050 Danforth Ave Road and so tonight I decided to do some field research. Here is some back ground information regarding the Masjid according to their website

- Masjid was established 1974

- formed by Sunni Muslims from Gujarat India (linked to migration of Gujarati Muslims who migrated to Canada in the early 1970s + needed to accommodate with the rise of Muslim population in the 1980s/1990s

- provided services ex) Islamic School and Prayer Space

- Goal was not only to bring a community together but also serve as a "source of guidance and knowledge" and "help the Muslims fulfill their Islamic obligations and spiritual needs"

My Findings (From Donlands to Caithness Ave)

*Important to note (all these stores are 2-4 minute walking distance from the Masjid)

1. Halal/Islamic Stores

- I counted a total of 14

- All provide various services and are run by a diverse Muslim ethnic group

- Small Businesses Ex) Bakery, Restaurant, groceries stores *4 main types

2. Non- Halal/Islamic Stores

- I counted a total of 6

- Small/Big Businesses

- Business related, Mechanic Shops, nothing associated to food

Significance

- Clearly Islamic/Halal businesses dominate non- Islamic/ Halal Businesses from Donlands to Caithness Ave in terms of numbers

- Islamic/Halal Businesses provide food services vs. the non-Islamic/Halal Business do not (car rental, mechanic shops, horse gambling, taxes)

Whats Left

- We need to find out when these stores open (prior to 1971 or after)

- What types of food do these restaurants/grocery’s sell?

- Where do they get their products from?

- What is their ethnic background?

- Types of communities that live near the Masjid? Since I live near the Masjid (10 minutes away), there are small communities such as (Blake Street, Gerrard Street, Donlands) that have large residents of people of the Islamic Faith.

Comments

Muhammad Shaikh - Sunday, March 1, 2015

That's great research you have done! Ahrar and I were discussing certain Mosque to do the research on and Madina Masjid was one of the choices. Two other Mosques that we believe would be good candidates are Dar-us-Salam (Islamic Society of Toronto) on 4 Thorncliffe Park Dr and Jame Abu Bakr Siddique Masjid (Scarborough Muslim Association)on 2665 Lawrence Ave E. We needed one more and I think Masjid Toronto (Muslim Association of Canada-Masjid Toronto) on 168 Dundas St. West should be our fourth Mosque. This Mosque is located a 5 minutes walk from Dundas Square and it surrounds amazing Middle Eastern cuisine.

All we need is a Mosque which can be used as a 'control' in this research project.