| The Chapel at Beechwood Cemetery The inside of a mosque is a minimalist’s dream and so is the "sacred space" of the National Memorial Centre.
Beechwood Cemetery, founded in 1873, is one of the most historic and beautiful cemeteries in Canada. There was talk, at one point in time, of making it into the equivalent of Arlington National Cemetery. The sacred space, what most of us would call a chapel, was designed “to accommodate 300 to 400 persons [and] … house special memorials and other services for all major faiths.” Nothing in a mosque must distract the believers from worshipping Allah. The most prominent feature of a mosque is the mihrab, usually a niche in the wall which indicates the direction of Mecca, the direction that believers must face when worshipping Allah. At the opposite extreme you have the Catholic and Christian Orthodox Churches whose house of worship is sometimes an eclectic blend of statues and reproductions in stained glass, oil on canvass, even water-colours of the lives of Jesus, His Mother, the Apostles and the Saints, not forgetting the Father and the Holy Ghost. For a Muslim all these reproductions are considered graven images, blasphemous images that could lead to idol worship. No Muslim can be expected to attend a memorial service for a believer with any such reproductions within the vicinity, and definitely not a cross*. Islam forbids all statues, paintings and drawings of people and animals out of fear that believers will be tempted to worship a work of art or its creator instead of Allah. If you are going to try to cater to all faiths it is probably a good idea to start with a blank slate. The rock in the middle of the space is undoubtedly acceptable to both Muslims and Christians. For believers the rock is not unlike the rock from which the Prophet took off for Paradise; for Christians, will a little imagination, Golgotha; for other faiths, it can be just a rock. --------------- * Jesus is not only highly regarded by Allah and the believers as a illustrious prophet but also as a great military leader. He has been tasked with leading the believers in the final battle at the end-of-times with those who will continue to refuse to submit, or waited too long to submit to the Will of Allah. The need for an End-of Days generalissimo is why Jesus did not die on the cross, and is with Allah at this very moment waiting to lead His forces in one final glorious battle to establish His Kingdom on earth before He wraps the whole thing up and brings on the end-of-times. 3:55 When Allah said: “O Jesus, I will cause you to die, will lift you up to Me, purify you from those who have disbelieved and place those who followed you above those who have disbelieved, till the Day of Resurrection. Then unto Me is your return, so that I may judge between you regarding what you were disputing.” ---- 4:157 And their saying: “We have killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary and the Messenger of Allah.” They neither killed nor crucified him; but it was made to appear so unto them. Indeed, those who differ about him are in doubt about it. Their knowledge does not go beyond conjecture, and they did not kill him for certain; 4:158 Rather Allah raised him unto Him. Allah is Mighty and Wise.
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