- CBC Saskatchewan spoke to a variety of people throughout the week on religion
- Religion continues to be an important part of people’s lives in Saskatchewan, even though their religious practices may be changing
SASKATCHEWAN – In cooperation with the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, a recent CBC survey has found that Saskatchewan’s religious population is decreasing.
However, more than seven out of ten people agreed that faith still plays an important role in their lives, CBC reported on January 27.
“Overall in North American society, we’re seeing more of what some sociologists have called religion a la carte. People might not want to go to church but they still follow various spiritual practices,” explained Clinton Westman, who works in the university’s archeology and anthropology department.
“I think in some ways we’re seeing religion diminish in importance in the public sphere but we can see from a question like this that in people’s private lives, it continues to be very important. We shouldn’t think that religion as such is going to disappear from the social scene anytime soon,” he continued.
Some of the most religiously devoted communities in Saskatchewan are Muslims who form a religious minority in the vast central state.
Munir Haque, president of the Islamic Association of Saskatchewan, says “religion gives people identity”.
He continues, “With Islam, you get fully immersed in it. You don’t have to be from any particular cultural background to appreciate it.”
“The core of Islam is be good. Don’t be bad. So, you know the core of a lot of religions is the same. Yet, Islam has that other level to it, that structure to it. That, I think, helps provide structure and direction in life,” Haque believes.
Saskatchewan is a prairie and boreal province with an area of 651,900 km2. It’s the only Canadian province without natural borders. As of 2017, Saskatchewan’s population was estimated at 1,163,925.
According to the 2001 Canadian census, Islam was followed by no more than 2,230 people. On the other hand, atheists and non-religious spiritual people numbered about 151,455.