Birds of a feather flock to Delta
Brother act on the B.C. Lions
page 17
page 13
Tuesday May 14, 2013
Serving Surrey and North Delta www.surreyleader.com
Key battles brewing in Surrey and North Delta
A PLACE OF PEACE IN DELTA Largest mosque in B.C. opens on River Road this week
Nearly half of local ridings are without an incumbent MLA by Kevin Diakiw B.C. VOTERS are heading to the
polls today in a much-anticipated contest where the outcome is far from certain. Ridings in Surrey and North Delta are considered to be key battlegrounds, partly because many saw tight races in the last election. What’s more, there are four ridings (out of nine) without incumbent MLAs, meaning anything could happen. Those ridings are Delta-North, which was left vacant by the B.C.
EVAN SEAL / THE LEADER
The new 35,000-sq.-ft. Baitur Rahman Mosque on River Road in North Delta is the largest of its kind in the province. by Evan Seal
F NDP’s Guy Gentner; SurreyTynehead, where B.C. Liberal Dave Hayer has chosen not to run; Surrey-Cloverdale, vacated by Liberal Kevin Falcon; and
or the local Muslim community, Saturday May 18 will be a day of celebration, with thousands expected to attend the opening of the Baitur Rahman Mosque on River Road in Delta – the fifth mosque in the province and largest of its kind in B.C. And for members of the Ahmaddiyya Muslim Jama’at, an international revival movement within Islam with tens of millions of followers in more than 200 countries, the mosque will be a place of peace.
“Having a mosque in Delta is a unique project,” said president and communications director Rizwan Peerzada, “if you believe in God then this is a place for you.” Located on a four-acre property just west of the Alex Fraser Bridge, the 35,000-sq.-ft. concrete facility that cost nearly $8 million to build features three central themes: worship, exercise and education. At the northeast corner of the building is a large tower, or minaret, that provides a strong focal point, a symbol of life and guidance of the mosque, Peerzada said. Walking into the main temple area,
visitors are met with bright natural light cascading from a large circular opening in the ceiling, along with a series of smaller windows lining the high exterior walls. The area is designed to hold up to 900 people, with men and women having their own separate entrances. Men will enter the mosque from the west; women from the east. The mosque is built in the shape of a cube, designed for all worshippers to face east to the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia – birthplace of Muhammad and the place of pilgrimage for millions of Muslims. See MOSQUE / Page 5
See MAY 14 / Page 3
Editorial 6 Letters 7 Sports 13 Life 17 Classifieds 20 Get back to
country
May Long Weekend
H May 17-20, 2013
BBQ Competition and Rib Fest BC ’s Largest Traveling Midway 67th Annual Cloverdale Rodeo Purchase tickets online and SAVE!
www.CloverdaleRodeo.com
Save time, save money.