Re: Religion has no place in public school – and neither does sexism, editorial, Jul. 11

I can understand Tasha Kheiriddin’s anger about a newspaper photograph showing young Muslim teens in Friday prayer, boys in the front, girls in the back, and even further back are the girls who have their periods. However, I encourage Ms. Kheiriddin to attempt to understand the traditions she is quick to judge and condemn.

Missing from her narrative is that menstruating women are exempt from prayer, a physical and arduous exercise that involves bowing, kneeling, prostrating, etc. Missing from her narrative is that women are not required to attend Friday congregational prayer to begin with, while it’s an obligation for men. Also missing from her narrative is that despite all this, these “impressionable girls” who cannot “make up their own minds” chose, of their own free will, to attend the congregational prayer to hear words of wisdom in the sermon, and to pray to their Lord for comfort and strength.

I applaud these girls for their strength and join them in prayer, asking God to protect our right to worship him, free of the ridicule and harm of those who disagree with us.

Ahmed Khalil, Ottawa.

SOURCE: http://www.nationalpost.com/related/topics/Friday+Muslim+prayers+anti+woman/5105630/story.html

On May 2nd, 1999, parliamentarians screamed, “Get out! Get out!” They kept at it for 30 to 40 minutes, the volume of the cries rising higher and higher, as it fell on the ears of Merve Kavakçi. At the age of 31, Kavakçi was the first woman wearing the hijab elected to the Turkish parliament. She had arrived to her first day at parliament, along with 549 members, for her oath taking ceremony. This far exceeded anything she could have prepared herself for. She sat still, quiet, appalled, yet defiant. The cries were briefly interrupted by then Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit, as he rose from his seat, pointing his forefinger at her to say, “Put this woman in her place!”

The next day, the BBC reported, “He [Ecevit] called on members of his party to protest if Merve Kavakçi entered parliament on Sunday wearing a headscarf.” This they did, as they accused Kavakçi of violating the basic principles of the secular state.

And thus, from the first day of Parliament, the hijab was used as a political ploy to undermine Kavakçi’s pro-Islam Virtue Party. But how did this come of a Muslim majority country such as Turkey? To attempt to understand the role of hijab in Turkey, we must flashback to the 1920s.

In 1924, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, an army officer and new head of state, introduced the secularization of Turkey, abolished the Islamic Caliphate, then later closed Islamic courts and Islamic schools, banned the Arabic adhan, replacing it with a Turkish one, and replaced the Arabic alphabet with a modified Latin alphabet. It is since then, the Turkish military has been the prime proponent of what came to be known as the Kemalist ideology. In the words of Roger Hardy, BBC Islamic Affairs Analyst, “the Kemalist model of modernity is dominant – not because everyone accepts it – but because the elite which does, has managed to impose it on those who do not.”

In 1950, the first democratically elected political leader in Turkish history, Adnan Menderes, became Prime Minister. He reopened thousands of mosques that were left unattended, restored the Arabic adhan, only then to be accused by the secular establishment to have used Islam to gain power. Menderes was hanged in 1960, after the first in many military coups.

In the 1970s and 80s, pro-Islam parties started to appear on the political scene, starting with the National Order Party, the National Salvation Party, and then the Welfare Party. Whenever these parties would garner support and come close to power, a military coup was staged; in 1971, 1980 and then in 1998, with secular marshal law enforced, banning the Islamic party, with the timeless mantra of “violating secularist articles in the constitution.”

It was the military coup of 1980 that brought forth a regulation that specifies that the clothing and appearances of personnel working at public institutions; the rule that female civil servants’ head must be uncovered.

“Prior to that,” explains now political science professor Merve Kavakçi, in an interview with Todays Zaman, a Turkish opposition newspaper, “individual cases were raised. Of course, afterwards, depending on the political environment and administrators at universities, the ban was loosened up here and there but it has been part and parcel of Turkish women’s history for the past 30 years.”

It was in 1986, in the Ankara University School of Medicine, that Kavakçi was faced with the hijab ban. It was then that she moved with her family out of Turkey, only to return in the early 1990s, with a degree in software engineering from the University of Texas, and an urge to change the status quo of her home land. It was then that she joined the pro-Islam Welfare Party, and oversaw the utilization of women in the political sphere as the party prepared to partake in the municipal elections. The military intervened again in 1998, putting an end to the Welfare Party.

In December 1998, the Virtue Party was formed and Kavakçi joined it immediately. With its pro-Islam stance, and stronger utilization of women, Kavakçi ran for parliament. Her name was on the campaign list, her pictured wearing the hjiab in campaign posters, and was unanimously supported by the voters of her electoral district in Istanbul. Her name was announced April 27th, 1999, on the elected candidates list. That fateful day, she was the first hijab-wearing woman to walk into parliament.

On May 2nd, 1999, parliament adjourned to resolve the dispute, with parliamentarians insisting that she uncover! She refused. Eleven days later she was stripped of her Turkish citizenship, on the grounds that she had a nondisclosed US citizenship, thereby losing her parliamentary seat and forced to exile. In June 2001, the Virtue Party was banned, like its predecessors. It was succeeded by the Justice Development Party, in power since its popular victory in 2007, lead by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

That same year, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Turkey had violated international human rights standards by ejecting an elected representative from Parliament because she wore the hijab. Worthy to note is that in 2003, the same European Court of Human Rights upheld the 1998 ban of the Welfare Party, a decision criticized by Human Rights Watch.

Ever since its formation, the Justice Development Party suffered discrimination due to the wearing of the hijab of some of the wives of its members in parliament. But in 2008, a bold amendment was passed in parliament. The amendment allowed women to wear the hijab in universities, on the ground that it was an issue of human rights and freedoms. It was passed with a 79% majority in parliament. Unfortunately, it was annulled by the body in charge of reviewing any constitutional amendments, the Constitutional Court; a by-product of the 1960-Military Government that executed former Prime Minister Adnan Menderes. Human Rights Watch called the decision “a blow to freedom of religion and other fundamental rights.”

That same year, 2008, the Justice Development Party, by one vote in the same Constitutional Court, narrowly escaped a call by the country’s chief prosecutor to shut down the party and ban its leaders from politics! Emma Sinclair-Webb, Turkey researcher at Human Rights Watch, said, “The government should now see the value of ensuring freedom of speech and association in Turkey.”

In September 2010, the ruling Justice Development Party won a referendum to support any student who was disciplined for wearing the headscarf on a university campus. Yusuf Ziya Özcan, the head of the Turkish Higher Educational Council, then announced that universities may no longer take action against students wearing the hijab. While going against the Constitutional Court ruling of 2008, most universities have started permitting students to wear the hijab.

Turkey has come a long way, and still has a long way to go. In Merve Kavakçi’s testimony before the European Court of Human Rights, she said, “Today, I stand before you to seek justice for myself and for my people. Six years ago, I appeared at the oath ceremony of the Parliament in the same way I am dressed before you today. Unfortunately, some could not go beyond my appearance and acted in accordance with their parochial perception of ‘rights, but not for all.’”

Religious expression is a natural right to every human being and must be allowed to remain that way. The hijab is an example of Islamic religious clothing and ought to be respected together with other forms of religious attire, including Sikh turbans, Jewish yarmulkes, and priest’s robes.

SOURCE: http://muslimlink.ca/downloads/11jan.pdf

This past September marked the ninth anniversary of the tragic events of 9/11. Like everyone else, emotions flooded back as I reflected on the years since the disaster.

After 9/11, the world was told not to let the terrorists “win” by living in fear. Nine years later a Time magazine poll found 46% of Americans believe Islam is more likely than other faiths to encourage violence against non-believers. Perhaps this shouldn’t come as a surprise since 62% of respondents said they didn’t know a Muslim.

In the years following 9/11, Islam was accused of being an insular religion, with critics saying Muslim leaders should fight extremism by supporting transparent, moderate gathering places for the youth. Yet Park 51, the proposed Muslim community centre in central New York – a project aimed at fighting radicalism and promoting moderation – is being opposed by 61% of Americans.

With recent topics such as Islamic Family Arbitration, the niqab and now Park 51, it’s clear the media finds it entirely too easy to take anything attached to Islam or Muslims and shroud it in controversy.

Hence Park 51 is being termed Ground Zero Mosque when it’s not being built on Ground Zero and it isn’t a mosque. It’s a community centre and it is four blocks from Ground Zero.

You can’t see Ground Zero from the community centre, but people still think four blocks is too close. What’s far enough when designating a Muslim-free zone?

Many claim this is simply one case where Muslims are being asked to exercise sensitivity; however, anyone with even a superficial understanding of the discourse knows better.

Case in point, the increasingly mainstream opinion that the Christian president of the United States is a secret Muslim. We are living in a scary time when labelling someone as Muslim is slander.

It’s difficult to wade through the discourse on Park 51 as it is riddled with double standards. One striking example of this double standard is how Muslims are being told, even by the most resistant to the idea of Park 51, that they have every right to build a community centre, yet they are simultaneously being demonized for exercising that right.

Muslims are being told they aren’t welcome and to exercise sensitivity towards those who have an issue with the location. Where is the sensitivity for a community that is being told they aren’t wanted?

We’re all sold the American dream in which freedom includes the promise of prosperity and success for all, yet in our climate it is a dream an undervalued Muslim population finds hard to believe.

The debate on Park 51 has been termed by people on both sides as a “teachable moment.” The debate has been dressed up as a lot of things, but what it really comes down to is freedom, and freedom cannot survive without respect and justice for all. History has shown us that no matter how you dress it up, bigotry is still bigotry. We need to hold a mirror up to ourselves and ask the hard questions: Are we going to be ruled by our passions or our principles? Will we be a people who simply believe in rights or who also practise rights? And will we uphold them for one another despite our personal leanings?

I hope we won’t have to wait another nine years to find out.

Lena Hassan, a former Londoner, is a writer in Ottawa.

SOURCE: http://www.lfpress.com/comment/2010/10/22/15795306.html

Re: Thanks For The Fatwa, editorial, Jan. 20

Major Canadian news outlets, including the National Post, have brought the recent fatwa by 20 imams condemning terrorism to the nation’s attention. The imams have been deservedly congratulated. However, the follow-up questions and patronizing advice that accompanied these media accounts have suggested that this type of condemnation from the Muslim community is unheard of.

In 2005, the Canadian Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIRCAN) co-ordinated a historic national statement by 120 imams across Canada that unequivocally condemned terrorism and denounced religious extremism as a perversion of our faith. Such declarations abound, as Muslims leaders and scholars from a diversity of backgrounds have all roundly condemned terrorism as contrary to the principles of Islam and antithetical to our common values as human beings.

Given the fact that there is no central clergy in Islam, this is something of a triumph. But if Muslim scholars and community leaders stand up and condemn terrorism and violent religious extremism and no one remembers it or reports it, does it count? The answer: Apparently not.

The problem is not whether or not Muslims condemn terrorism. The problem is the collective memory, or lack thereof, on the part of the media.

Julia Williams, human rights and civil liberties officer, CAIR-CAN, Ottawa.

SOURCE: http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/story.html?id=2470276#ixzz0dMULrG6i

Ahmed Khalil reflects on his relationship with the late Sheikh Mohamed Rashad, imam of Masjid Assalam.

He passed away while on the mountain of Arafah, in Saudi Arabia, dressed in the white ihram worn by pilgrims. I was stunned when I first read the email announcing the death of Sheikh Mohamed Rashad. For the next few days, I struggled with my feelings, not knowing how to express them. Finally, I thought I’d write about the fleeting moments I shared with the sheikh.

I first met him at Al-Huda mosque, in Ottawa. I was young and stupid; thinking I could conquer the world. With a group of brothers, we formed Al-Huda Productions. It was an Islamic design and production company run by volunteers out of an empty office at Masjid Al-Huda. It was there that I came to know Sheikh Rashad.

Sheikh Rashad, the imam of Al-Huda Mosque was previously involved with Dar Assunnah, Ottawa South. He had been working tirelessly with the organizers at Dar Assunnah to raise funds to build a mosque that would serve Ottawa’s Muslims in the south. But it was slow going, and knowing how short life is, Sheikh Rashad decided to take matters into his own hands. And so, Al-Huda mosque came into being.

Al-Huda mosque was a much larger space, rented and set up in a warehouse near the Via Rail station. I remember it used be packed to the rafters every Friday prayer. I recall the struggle to find parking and the delicious Somali food that was sold at $5 a plate after the prayer. Most of the congregation were Somali, naturally attracted to the Somali sheikh — though Sheikh Rashad would often ask non-Somali imams to lead the prayers.

I remember taking the number 8 bus from Billings Bridge to Al-Huda mosque. After the Friday prayer, the Al-Huda Productions team would convene in our small office space. The office was tiny and yet, as if blessed by its presence in the mosque, it comfortably held the five of us and our desks, not to mention the servers and many computers we had connected. After the prayer, people we didn’t know would just come into our office and sit with us. We were a source of pride – the tech-geeks of the mosque.

At the time, I thought it was very annoying to have people come in all the time unannounced, and longed to move out of the mosque. Now I think it was truly a blessing to have sat in the company of the mosque’s regulars.

For as long as our office was in the mosque, we caught prayer on time, and often sat for a few minutes with Sheikh Rashad afterwards in reflection. He would share his thoughts in Somali and English, using Arabic as well. He had an accent of course, but it wasn’t heavy. He shared brief moments of wisdom with us, as we sometimes — with the impatience of youth — secretly longed for the sessions to end so we could get back to work! On Sundays, we would find him at the mosque early in the morning teaching Quran to several children, their voices humming as they read from the holy book.

“Izzayyak ya Masry (How are you, oh Egyptian)?” he would say to me sometimes, teasingly; referring to my country of origin. He would call the Omani brother in our Al-Huda Productions team, “Ya Kharijy (Oh Kharijite)!” teasing him. The brother was actually an Ibadi, and he disliked being called a Kharijite, but never said anything to the sheikh out of respect for him.

Our respect for the sheikh increased manifold because of his tremendous efforts to bring renowned Islamic scholars to Ottawa during Ramadan. At night, these sheikhs would lead the taraweeh (special prayers) and during the day they would teach Quran and hold classes. Many times, the Al-Huda Productions team and I would spend the night at the mosque while we worked overtime on our projects. We naturally benefited from the presence of the scholars particularly during the last ten days and nights of Ramadan.

Once, I was asked to design a logo for Al-Huda mosque. I worked on it in the sheikh’s office while he went about his own affairs. I spent a good chunk of time on it, in his presence, and when it was finally ready he was pleased with it.

On another occasion, the whole team was invited on a trip with Dr. Mohammad Al Sultan, a benefactor of the mosque and of Al-Huda Productions. We visited the site of the new mosque location: the Topaz Entertainment Centre. It was at this centre, thanks to Allah, glory be to Him in the Highest, and to the efforts of many that Sheikh Rashad’s dream became a reality and Masjid Assalam was established.

There, at Masjid Assalam, Sheikh Rashad continued his practice of bringing a scholar every Ramadan.

A main theme in his talks was Islam’s teachings on unity. He constantly battled against tribalism and sectarianism. He would tell his Somali congregants that they were all Somalis like each other, and when a non-Somali would come close, he would speak in English and reiterate we are all Muslim like each other. In his wisdom, he had seen the power of Islam in ridding communities of sectarianism and giving equality to all, regardless of ethnicity, creed or color.

One of Sheikh Rashad’s daughters passed away recently in a tragic accident. A huge funeral was held at Jami Omar, where she was washed and prepared for burial. Unfortunately, I couldn’t attend as planned. I intended instead to visit the Sheikh later as I was sleep deprived having just been blessed with the birth of my first child.

I heard a lot about Sheikh Rashad’s strength during this trying time. Having a child of my own, I could imagine the pain the sheikh must have felt. After all, even the Prophet, may peace and blessings be upon him, is reported to have wept when he lost his son.

Sheikh Mohamed Rashad’s demise is a loss for Canadian Muslims. What struck me hardest is that I never had the chance to visit him and offer my condolences for the loss of his daughter. That he passed away before I could see him moved me deeply.

On the 8th of Dhul Hijja, November 25th 2009, Sheikh Rashad began feeling unwell. He told Samir, a friend of mine, who was with him on the trip, that he wasn’t feeling well. Samir smiled at him and told him not to worry; that he’d feel better after he’d had some sleep that night.

The next day, at 3 p.m. in Mecca, garbed in ihram, on Mount Arafah, Sheikh Rashad passed away. What a beautiful way to leave this world! May Allah accept him in His fold, shower him with His mercy, reward him for the countless lives that he has touched in his short life here on earth, and grant him eternity in paradise. Amen.

Ahmed Khalil is the head of Ottawa’s Muslim Association of Canada (MAC) Youth Committee. He can be reached at solotunes @ gmail.com.

SOURCE: http://muslimlink.ca/downloads/10jan.pdf

Whether you call it Islamophobia or just plain reporting, Muslims are in the news and except for 20-second sound-bites from a local Eid celebration, it’s not good.

There’s the persistent and popular debate on the hijab and Muslim women in general. There are wars waged or threatened in Muslim countries such as Iraq and Iran and, most importantly, there are stories reporting atrocities committed by nominal Muslims.

When this last happens, Muslims, like everyone else, cry for the victims, feel anger toward the ones who committed the act and pray for justice to be served.

The voice of opposition to extremism is a roar within the Muslim community yet it’s oddly translated to a whisper by the media.

Because of this lack of reporting, many ask, “Where are the moderate Muslims and why aren’t they denouncing these crimes?” The answer to this frequently asked question is, we’re right here.

We’re standing beside you at the bus stop, we’re administering your flu shot, we’re assisting you at the mall, we’re giving you medical advice, we’re eating at the table across from you in the restaurant; we’re everywhere and we’re living moderately.

So why must Muslims take on the task of town crier when a crime is committed in the name of Islam? To do so would be to give legitimacy to the act and the person committing it when the fact is, when someone kills in the name of Islam or Allah, Muslims, in line with the general public, think, “I don’t know that person and I don’t know that religion,” because we don’t.

We don’t follow a religion that says it’s OK to kill or commit suicide. We don’t follow a religion that tells us to hate Christians and Jews. We don’t follow a religion that is evil. We are not evil and should not be told to apologize for something we didn’t do.

There are those who are looking for religious leaders to speak out, not individual Muslims. They have spoken out and continue to do so, though you have to search high and low to find this information.

Case in point

If you’re not reading the Taipei Times regularly you may have missed an article reporting on imams denouncing bombing attacks.

If you’re not watching New York’s 24-hour newscast, you may not know that a coalition of more than 200 imams has formed to confront the dangers of extremism.

And if you’re not visiting CAIR-CAN (Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations) online, you may have missed the statement by 120 Canadian imams on extremism, in which they state, “. . . Any one who claims to be a Muslim and participates in any way in the taking of an innocent life is betraying the very spirit and letter of Islam. We categorically and unequivocally reject such acts. We will confront and challenge the extremist mindset that produces this perversion of our faith . . .” These imams also agreed to help CSIS and the RCMP in a collective fight against terrorism.

So where are the moderate Muslims, you ask? I’m here to challenge that question and to have us all come together and collectively ask, “Where is the moderate coverage?”

Lena Hassan is a London writer.

SOURCE: http://www.lfpress.com/comment/2009/12/19/12210561-sun.html

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on him said, “In every creature there is a reward.” [Sahih Muslim & Sahih Al Bukhari]

Islam is truly a religion of mercy and compassion. One of the benefits of fasting is for Muslims to prove their humility. Our hearts sincerely warm up to the poor when we feel what they feel on a consistent basis. We are reminded of the poor through Zakah, Sadaqa (general charity) and fasting. We are reminded of human equality through Hajj and group prayers. The Prophet peace be upon him had mentioned a story where an act of kindness alone was enough to grant an individual eternal bliss in Paradise. Muslims are truly blessed to have a religion that instills the values of mercy, compassion and empathy into their lives through many different practices.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) also said “None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself” [Sahih Al Bukhari]. We are all sons and daughters of Adam peace be upon him and we all have duties towards each other regardless of our differences. It is, therefore, inexcusable to have a neighbour in need neglected. Indeed, the highest form of gratitude for our blessings is sharing those blessings with others.

On June 21, 2009, a group of 22 Muslims came together to serve and feed the homeless. By the will of Allah, the Muslim Association of Canada was able to collaborate with the Shepherds of Good Hope and run the annual soup kitchen event. The volunteers and the soup kitchen’s staff were expected to prepare food for approximately 400 people. Heba Rushdan, the head of MAC Give at the time, had reflected nicely on the event, saying, “It was like a family day, all of us as brothers and sisters are washing dishes, preparing salads, sandwiches and big meals for other people. I felt that all of us are one hand just working for Allah’s sake, just waiting for His reward and just wishing to serve more and more”.

The supervisor, Raymond Tremblay – lovingly referred to as Santa -, was very appreciative of the enthusiasm that the volunteers brought to the kitchen. At the volunteer lunch break, we all sat down and listened to a story Santa wanted to share. The story was about two brothers who lived on adjoining farms. One day a misunderstanding between the two brothers eventually grew into a major conflict and the exchange of bitter words. The younger brother decided to take a bulldozer to the river resulting in the creation of a creek separating both farms. Then one random day a carpenter came to the older brother’s door looking for work. The older brother asked the carpenter to build a wall around his land so he wouldn’t have to see his brother’s farm or face anymore. The carpenter said he understood the problem and had promised the farmer a job that would please him. By the end of the day, the farmer went to the creek and was shocked to find a bridge instead of a wall. Both brothers walked towards each other and met in the middle of the bridge feeling that their conflict should come to an end.

Yusuf Islam once said, “There are three types of people: Those building Bridges, those bent on destroying them and those waiting to cross“.[1]

By the will of Allah, the soup kitchen volunteers have built a bridge with their kindness, commitment and sincerity. They have showed that the most powerful method to promote Islam is to simply set a good example -no fancy packaging is necessary. The reality is honest implementation of Islamic teachings can lead to major positive changes in Muslims’ relations with each other as well as with non-Muslims. Islam is a social religion that is heavily based on good character and strong relationships with society. I urge everyone who reads this to take the initiative and save our society by promoting unity and kindness. I would also like to thank the volunteers for giving the most precious Sadaqa a person could give: your time and a smiling face. May Allah reward you all for your efforts.

Written by Haytham Al Azzouni. He is a recent graduate from an Electrical Engineering program at Carleton University. Haytham is also a member of the MAC Give Ottawa committee that had organized the soup kitchen event.
________________________________________
[1] http://www.mountainoflight.co.uk/thoughts.html

SOURCE: http://muslimyouthvoice.ca/node/266

Re: “Omar Khadr should face justice in the U.S.,” Susan Martinuk, Opinion, Nov. 20.

On Nov. 20, the UN celebrated the 20th anniversary of the signing of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. That day, the Herald published Susan Martinuk’s column belittling those rights. Martinuk has “no problem” with isolation and sleep deprivation as torture techniques. I am relieved that Martinuk’s own litmus test of what constitutes “significant forms of torture” is not the standard by which we judge such acts. The struggle against terrorism is not a game of tit-for-tat or repayment in kind. Presumably, we are holding ourselves to a higher standard of morality and justice, without prejudice. Otherwise, what exactly is it we’re fighting for? Hopefully, that we might see the Convention on the Rights of the Child celebrated again in 20 years, and respect for human rights and civil liberties strengthened, rather than eroded.

Julia Williams, Ottawa
Julia Williams Is A Human Rights And Civil Liberties Officer With The Canadian Council On American-Islamic Relations.

SOURCE: http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=8ee20751-21fd-4666-b02c-8cec766958cc

Do we as Muslims volunteer? Or are we voluntold? Urban Dictionary defines voluntold as, “When someone ‘volunteers’ someone else for something so that the other person really doesn’t have a choice.” If you’re interested in the question, or perhaps have other questions such as, “Who would voluntell me?” then read on! I promise you an answer.

In the words of Dr. Sano Moustapha, professor of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) in Malaysia, “Volunteering refers
to doing an activity of one’s own will and without being paid for it or without expecting any material reward for it.”

Dr. Ahmad H. Sakr, president of the Foundation for Islamic Knowledge, writes, “Volunteering is the lifeblood of any community.” Dr. Sakr adds, “Paid employees only make up a small part of the social services network; without volunteers such endeavors would come to a standstill.”

This standstill is only undone through civic engagement. “Civic engagement can take many forms,” writes Dr. Zijad Delic, National Executive Director of the Canadian Islamic Congress, “From volunteering for non-profit organizations, to serving on school boards, taking part in parent-teacher and/or neighborhood associations, interfaith groups, and
so on…”

Volunteerism is an ethic strongly emphasized in Islam. “As Muslims, we see our role as world citizens,” writes Dr. Sakr.
He elaborates by saying that we must work for a better society or community, without limiting it to the Muslim community, but by also extending it to the broader non-Muslim community. “Because we live in that community too,
whatever weaknesses are present affect us also.”

Understanding our communal rights and duties is not foreign to Islam. There are numerous instances in our Islamic sources where we are encouraged to volunteer our time, effort and money. One example, is the saying of the Prophet, peace be upon him, reported in Al-Tabarani: “The dearest to Allah is the one who is most beneficial to people.”

This is a hadith often used by the Muslim Association of Canada’s (MAC) Give team. MAC Give’s main focus is to “instill a sense of responsibility” in Muslim youth for their larger Canadian society by becoming involved in volunteer and community work.

Instilling this sense of responsibility is direly needed, for it is severely lacking. Dr. Delic states, “Unfortunately, Canadian Muslims are not among the most engaged citizens when it comes to civic activities.”

Why is there a lack of engagement among Muslims? One reason, pointed out by Dr. Delic, is that owing to the infacy of the Muslim community in Canada, many Muslims are yet to regard Canada as their home. He says that we, “still struggle in some areas to find a balance between their religious, cultural, or national identities.” Moreover, we must understand that we “are here to stay”, that we must do our “fair share in promoting and safeguarding the well-being of our country and all its citizens.”

As the Muslim community grows older, more roots grow, and in Dr. Delic’s words, “Canadian Muslims will experience a greater sense of themselves as genuine stakeholders in the life of their society.” We see examples of this everyday, if we look hard enough.

On page 3 of the Muslim Link’s July issue, some pictures are featured from MAC Give’s soup kitchen event. Haytham
Al-Azzouni, leader of the event, writes about it in MY Voice magazine, “By the will of Allah, the soup kitchen volunteers have built a bridge with their kindness, commitment and sincerity. They have showed that the most powerful method to promote Islam is to simply set a good example - no fancy packaging is necessary.”

Dr. Sakr adds, “Allah (swt) selects the best to assume the responsibility of delivering the message of Islam.” There is no
better way to do this than by proving through action that our core Islamic beliefs call upon us to act in kindness, charity and for communal good. By being given the opportunity to do this, we become selected by Allah (swt); i.e. voluntold. What better reward can one wish for on the Day of Judgment?

“If the Day of Judgment erupts,” the Prophet, may peace and blessings be upon him, is reported to have said, in Musnad Ahmad, “while you are planting a new tree, carry on and plant it.”

So even if the world is ending around us, we should still dig a hole in the earth, lift the tree, putting it in place, and plant it. In the end, it isn’t the fruit of the tree that counts in our scale of good deeds, but how much sacrifice, how many drops of sweat, and how sincere our hearts were for the sake of pleasing Allah, glory to Him in the Highest, is what counts.

Ahmed Khalil is the head of the Ottawa Muslim Association of Canada (MAC) Youth Committee. He can be reached at solotunes @ gmail.com.

SOURCE: http://muslimlink.ca/downloads/09nov.pdf

I’ve never been one for sound bites. These little excerpts, intended to widen our worldview in a matter of seconds, actually narrow our outlooks and frames of reference.

As a Muslim, I feel inundated by sound bites from both sides of the fence. Islam is “the fastest growing religion” and a “religion of peace.” Alternatively, I hear the terms “Islamofascist,” “East vs. West” — the list goes on and on.

In recent years, the media’s fixation on Muslims and Islam has made me feel a greater sense of responsibility. Thus, in my mind, our 1.1 billion-strong community has been whittled down to just one: me.

As what some may call a “visible minority,” I believe my interactions with individuals are more than mere exchanges. Like it or not, when I turn away after a communication with somebody, they may subconsciously judge all Muslims by what I have said or done, or how I acted.

Was I quiet? Well, all Muslim women are passive. Was I rude? She must be an ungrateful immigrant. Did you see me walking behind a man? It must be her overbearing husband.

Representing ‘the other’

It’s not about doing Islamic damage control or putting on a face to the world. Instead, it’s about understanding that my appearance represents “the other” to some.

This isn’t a guess or paranoia on my part — it comes from years of being asked the same recurring question: “Where are you from?”

Many are surprised to find out that I am indeed Canadian and have no accent. Even though I find the question a strange one, given our enthusiasm for multiculturalism, I’m always happy to answer and happy we live in a society where we feel comfortable to ask.

This is the responsibility the physical and tangible Islam (wearing the hijab) brings to my life.

Beyond a ‘way of life’

However, the more important responsibility is one that no one can see: the spiritual. This brings me to another sound bite — “Islam is a way of life.”

I sometimes wonder if people really understand what this means. Yes, Muslims pray five times a day, but the way of life is everything you do in between those five prayers.

For example, did I pray and then earn a living doing a dishonourable service? Did I pray and then lie to my mom? Did I pray and then lose my patience with a sales associate? Did I pray and then show up late to an event?

The average person has no idea how detailed the religion of Islam is. This may be why it’s so difficult to discuss Islam as it relates to different parts of your life.

The fact is Islam doesn’t just influence your life — it is your life.

A personalized faith

I think a lot of people view Islam as something rigid. However, my experience has been that it is quite fluid. When I see someone volunteering at the food bank, that’s an Islamic act. When I see someone helping another on the bus, that’s an Islamic act. When I see friends who love and protect one other, that’s an Islamic act.

The Five Pillars of Islam — believing in one God, praying, paying alms, fasting and pilgrimage — are the foundation of the religion. But as with the foundation of a house, it’s how you accessorize it that makes it yours.

So how have I personalized my religion? I guess I can sum it up in one sentence: I try to love things that God loves and stay away from things He dislikes.

In my personal life, I look for friends who live Islamically. This does not necessitate that they be Muslim, just that they add decency to my life and the world around them.

In my professional life, I look for jobs that allow me to interact with a variety of individuals and feed me with conscience, not a fat paycheque because it’s much more important for me to be a contributor than a consumer.

For me, these are all important steps I take to avoid waking up one morning and asking myself: where did my faith go?

Small, consistent acts

I can tell you first-hand that being yelled at — “Go back home!” — while walking on the street, or being told the same by an anonymous caller who has found your home number, can really shake you up.

But instead of falling to my knees and looking to the sky, I’m able to look to my left and to my right and see my faith smiling back at me in all directions and in all forms.

Because, as I’m sure we’ve all experienced in life, very rarely is it the loudest who has the most valuable thing to say. I’ve found the same to be true for myself as a Muslim — it’s the small consistent acts that keep my faith strong.

Lena Hassan is a third-generation Canadian who was born in London, Ont., and currently lives in Ottawa. She completed three years at the University of Western Ontario in political science.

SOURCE: http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/religion/life-muslim.html