Hawkesbury’s Islamic Cultural Centre is a place where faith, family, and community fellowship join hands.

“We are here to serve the community,” said Zakaria Benhar, the centre’s administrator, during an interview at the community group’s information kiosk set up during Fun Day/Journée des loisirs at Parc Cadieux.

The centre was founded in October 2024 to help welcome newcomers, both Muslim and non-Muslim, to the Hawkesbury community and help them with information on local services and programs.

Located on Main Street, the centre provides a place of worship for the Hawkesbury area’s Muslim community, which numbers about 100 families, and also offers lessons in the Quran, the Muslim holy book, for children and adults, both Muslim and non-Muslim.

But, Benhar noted, the centre is not just focused on worship and the teachings of Islam. Like many of Hawkesbury’s community service groups, the centre also occupies itself with providing a variety of community service programs, ranging from indoor soccer sessions year-round for both children and adults, to hosting social events like potluck suppers and also iftar, a community meal when Muslims break their fast during Ramadan.

The centre also works hard at organizing fundraiser drives to collect food and cash donation to help support Hawkesbury’s food bank. Centre staff also help advise people about available rental accommodations and also who to contact at the town office for help through various municipal service programs. There are also lessons provided in learning and speaking Arabic, and also for those who need help improving their English and French.

“We serve the whole community,” said Benhar. “The centre is open for everybody.”

More information, including contact details, for the centre is available at https://hicc-ccih.org/