Sheema Khan suggests in this opinion piece that there is a growing separation between leadership and those who attend mosques in the West. She claims that this disconnect is being played out in Ottawa, Ontario where the city’s largest mosque has been embroiled in controversy as it searches for a permanent imam. The mosque’s directors initially sought an imam familiar with Western culture. Instead, they chose one from Cairo’s al-Azhar University, paid for by the Egyptian government. As a result, many mosque members revolted. Khan praises the community members who want their voices heard and more accountability from directors as a healthy development.
