Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Day of Love and Peace, the Himalaya Seniors of Quebec’s annual ceremony appealing for harmony and peace in Parc Extension and the world, while also marking the birthday of Mohammad, took place on May 25 minus the presence of dignitaries.

Day of Love and Peace has been celebrated at the William Hingston Centre in Parc Ex by the HSQ for decades. In more recent years, organizers decided also to place emphasis on Eid-Milad-Un-Nabi, which is the birthday of the Islamic prophet Mohammad.

Notable absences

Although elected officials from several levels of government were invited, as were representatives of local community groups including the Corporation de Gestion des Loisirs du parc (CGLP), the Park Extension Youth Organization (PEYO), the Pakistan Organization of Quebec (POQ), local city councillor Mary Deros and HSQ president Vathany Srikandarajah were not present.

According to HSQ General Secretary Nizam Uddin, both had to deal with last-minute issues involving family members that forced them to alter their plans.

As such, many of the presenters and entertainers were themselves followers of the prophet who was born in the Arabian city of Mecca in 570 and who died in Medina in 632. A group of male singers from the Salahuddin Mosque on Parc Ave. expressed their faith musically as well as in verse.

Praise for Mohammad

While some English and French were spoken, many of the speakers talked in Arabic and Urdu. Sheikh Karim Chahal, spiritual leader at the mosque, animated a session of praise for the founder of Islam, while also speaking about Muhammad’s many virtues.

“Let’s talk about and analyze what peace is all about,” said Chahal, speaking in English as well as Arabic.

“And let’s talk about a man who firmly, deeply understood what peace means. A man whose legacy reshaped the world, who was moral, and yet still so many people don’t know who he really was this great man, the most influential man in history.”