The Muslim Narratives and Lives in Newfoundland and Labrador Project

When Canadians envision Muslim community life, their thoughts often turn to the bustling metropolitan hubs of Toronto, Montreal, or Calgary.

Yet, tucked along the rugged Atlantic coastline, Muslim families and scholars have quietly woven their stories into the fabric of Newfoundland and Labrador for well over half a century.

Too often, racialized and religious minorities in Canada are viewed through a single lens: that of perpetual newcomers.

Even after living in a region for decades, raising children, and contributing to the local community, they are frequently imagined as having just arrived.

A ground-breaking initiative, The Muslim Narratives and Lives in Newfoundland and Labrador (MNL in NL) Community Project, is actively challenging that assumption.

By gathering oral histories, collecting personal artifacts, and building permanent archives, the initiative is reshaping how we understand the Atlantic province's social tapestry.

Archives Are How Histories Are Written

Launched through a partnership between Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) and the Muslim Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (MANAL), the MNL in NL project operates on a simple truth: archives are how histories are written.

Without tangible records, communities risk being erased from the broader provincial narrative.

The project is led by Dr. Jennifer Selby, a professor of religious studies at Memorial University, and Dr. Ayse Sule Akinturk, a researcher, author, and active community liaison with MANAL.

Supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and MUN’s Public Engagement Accelerator Fund, the initiative bridges academic rigor with grassroots community trust.

Crucially, MNL in NL does not exist in isolation.

The organizers partnered with the Muslims in Canada Archives (MiCA), hosted at the University of Toronto’s Institute of Islamic Studies.

By connecting local Atlantic narratives with national preservation efforts, the project ensures that Newfoundland’s distinct Muslim experiences are preserved for generations across Canada.

Uncovering Roots Beyond the Horizon

The story of Muslims in Newfoundland and Labrador stretches back further than many realize.

Early records reveal that Muslim professors, doctors, and engineers began arriving in the province in the 1960s to teach at Memorial University and support critical local sectors like healthcare and engineering.

In those early days, the community was small.

Without a dedicated mosque, families gathered in private living rooms, rented campus spaces, and church basements to hold Friday prayers and celebrate Eid.

By 1981, they organized and established MANAL. Through persistence and community fundraising, they purchased land on Logy Bay Road in the east end of St. John's.

In 1990, the doors of Masjid Al Noor officially opened—becoming the province's first mosque and a community center for residents from dozens of ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

The MNL in NL project brought these memories to life by conducting extensive oral history interviews with 22 community members who witnessed this journey.

Their firsthand accounts cover everything from navigating severe North Atlantic winters to finding halal food before mainstream grocers stocked it, and fostering interfaith warmth with local neighbours.

Belonging in the Public Square

For decades, Newfoundland has had a well-deserved reputation for warmth and hospitality.

Yet, national shifts and global headlines have occasionally cast shadows of Islamophobia even in close-knit Atlantic towns.

Projects like MNL in NL provide a powerful counterweight to misunderstanding.

By depositing interview recordings, transcripts, and scanned family records into Memorial University's Digital Archives Initiative—and preparing a forthcoming book documenting this legacy—the team ensures that young Canadian Muslims see themselves represented in provincial history.

Storytelling has always been the heartbeat of Newfoundland culture.

By documenting the Muslim experience in St. John's and beyond, the MNL in NL project reminds us that Canadian Muslim history is not an imported footnote.

It is rooted right here, woven permanently into the rocky shores and shared heritage of the province.