Peter Baker (April 1887 – November 13, 1973), born Bedouin Ferran, also known as Ahmad Ali Ferran and Faron Ahmed upon death, was a Lebanese-born Canadian trader, politician, and author. As the first Muslim elected to public office in Canada, he played a fundamental role in the

history of Islam in the Arctic and Subarctic regions The history of Islam in the Arctic starts relatively late in the chronology of Islamic history, the Arctic Circle being at a great distance from traditional Muslim bastions of power and settlement. The "climatic conditions, remoteness and heavy ...

Early life

Baker was born in 1887 as Bedouin Ferran or as Ahmad Ali Ferran on the territory of Levant, which is now Lebanon. At the turn of the century, he emigrated to Canada from the Turkish (Ottoman) conscription for young Arabs whom Turkey made to fight against the Yemenis. Ferran worked at a Holy Cross College as a labourer, and in 1909, was given his anglicised name by the college's Catholic priest. Thereonafter, he moved to the province of Alberta.

Canada

In the 1910s, Baker began work as a trapper and trader of northern fur and essentials with First Nations, establishing with his Indigenous trading partners novel and adaptive ways of both trade and credit. After his trade ended, Baker entered politics, and was elected a member of the NWT Council at the time, now called the

Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly, or Legislative Council of the Northwest Territories (with Northwest hyphenated as North-West until 1906), is the legislature and the seat of government of Northwest Territories in Canada. It is a uni ...

for the period of 1964–1967. He was one of the earliest Muslim politicians in Canada. Baker's funeral took place on 13 November 1973 in

Al-Rashid Mosque The Al-Rashid Mosque was the first mosque built in Canada. It was constructed in Edmonton, Alberta. History Al-Rashid Mosque was expected to be the first mosque in North America but was built in 1938 just after the Mother Mosque of America in ...

in Edmonton, Alberta. Notably, Baker was identified in the 17 November 1973 press of

Edmonton Journal The ''Edmonton Journal'' is a daily newspaper in Edmonton, Alberta. It is part of the Postmedia Network. History The ''Journal'' was founded in 1903 by three local businessmen — John Macpherson, Arthur Moore and J.W. Cunningham — as ...

's Deaths and Notices section as "Faron Ahmed, 62". Baker authored a book, ''Memoirs of an Arctic Arab'', published posthumously in 1976.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Peter 1887 births 1973 deaths Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories Canadian Muslims Emigrants from the Ottoman Empire Immigrants to Canada Canadian people of Lebanese descent