Egypt names young scholar as imam for Ottawa Muslims; Community had sought new leader for more than a year before asking for ministry's help

The Egyptian government has named 33-year-old Islamic scholar Khalid Abdul-Hamid Syed as the new imam of the Ottawa Mosque -- and spiritual leader of the city's Muslims, the Citizen has learned.

An e-mail announcing his appointment to community leaders says Imam Syed "is qualified and trained to serve in an English-speaking community." And he is described as being "anxious to come to Ottawa as soon as possible" to begin his ministry.

The appointment, made in response to a request from the Ottawa Muslim Association, is for an initial term of one year, which could be extended to three years if the two sides agree. Imam Syed, who is married and has a young child, is expected to arrive in Ottawa within a month, in time for Ramadan, which starts at the beginning of September.

Imam Syed will serve in Ottawa under the auspices of the Egyptian Ministry of Religious Affairs (Awqaaf), which runs an international program that sends scholars from the renowned Al-Azhar University to Muslim communities abroad that need qualified imams.