Muslim cyclists ride for peace through southern Ontario including Mississauga

A group of Muslim cyclists are on a ride for peace that includes a stop in Mississauga.

The 200-kilometre ride, called Ride for Peace, starts in Niagara Falls today (July 4) with riders planning to stop overnight in Mississauga before heading to the final stop in Bradford on July 5.

Bradford is the new home of the Jalsa Salana, Canada’s largest and longest-running Muslim convention set to take place July 5 to 7. Tens of thousands of Muslims from around the world are expected at the convention.

The 17 cyclists on the Ride for Peace are from the U.S., Canada and Germany, said group spokesperson, Usman Khan, chairperson of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Elders Association Cycling Club Canada. The seven Canadian riders are from Milton, Vaughan, Branford and Markham.

The Canadian cycling club heard a group of 10 U.S. cyclists who wanted to ride to the convention and the local group asked to join them, Khan said.

The main message of the ride is to raise awareness for global peace in response to the devastating crisis in the Middle East and the catastrophic loss of tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza, the group said in a press release.

“The idea was that the guys from the U.S. wanted to ride in order to highlight and bring attention to the purpose of the convention, which is the establishment of peace,” Khan told insauga.com.

Khan said he started cycling during the pandemic and has gotten more serious recently.

Although the weather is expected to be hot and humid today, the cyclists feel prepared for the ride, said Khan.

“It’s going to be a hot day and there’s a little trepidation around the heat but we should be OK,” he said.

On the first day, the 130-kilometre route will take them along Lake Ontario to St. Catharines then to the Baitul Hamd Mosque in Mississauga.

On Friday, the plan is to cycle to Branford for the convention.

The cyclists are wearing shirts with the slogan “Love for all, Hatred for none.”

For more information on Jalsa Salana, see the website here.

Photos: Ahmadiyya Muslim Elders Association Cycling Club Canada