Canada: Meet a Muslim Family | Miriam King

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The family is in many ways typically Canadian. Muhammad is a certified Civil Engineer; Mona (who has kept her maiden name) has a University degree.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Bradford Times
By Miriam King |  March 18, 2015

Every year, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at of Canada – the Ahmadiyya Muslim community – reaches out to their non-Muslim neighbours, to share a greater understanding of their faith and culture.

The Ahmadiyya are Sunni Muslims, who follow the teachings of Mirzra Ghulam Ahmad, and whose guiding principle is “Love for All, Hatred for None.”

But this year’s outreach has a special impetus. A rising tide of Islamaphobia is putting pressure on all Muslims in Canada, creating fears that basic Canadian values of tolerance and multicultural acceptance may be put at risk.

The AMJ Community, in response to the debate over interpretations of the Qu’ran and the wearing of a head scarf or “hijab” launched a campaign inviting their neighbours to “Meet a Muslim Family.” All across Canada, Ahmadiyya Muslims opened their doors, and welcomed guests for an afternoon or evening of dinner and dialogue.

Muhammad Shabooti and Mona Shah live in Bradford with their 4 children, in one of the newer subdivisions. It’s a multi-generational household. Living with them are Mona’s parents, Nasir Shah and his wife Syeda.

They moved to Bradford West Gwillimbury almost 2 years ago, and enjoy the quiet, small-town aspects of Bradford, and the rural character of the countryside.

At first, Mona says, “It was too quiet!” It took a while for her to feel part of the greater community – but as Outreach Co-ordinator for the local AMJ Community, and a member of the School Board’s Parent Involvement Committee, she has been making new ties. She is also involved in the new BWG Diversity Action Group.

The family is in many ways typically Canadian. Muhammad is a certified Civil Engineer; Mona (who has kept her maiden name) has a University degree.

There is a large-screen TV in a place of honour in the living room, and dinner is likely to include lasagne or pizza at least once a week.

The oldest son, in Grade 12, is looking at a career in the military. The oldest daughter, Soha, is in Grade 10 at Bradford District High School, and loves her school. She is interested in pursuing a career in medicine.

But there are differences. Although Mona doesn’t wear a head scarf at home among members of her own family, she dons the traditional scarf when she is out, among men who are not in the family. “I’m practicing modesty,” she explains.

She began wearing the headscarf in her second year at University, after she studied “the rationale behind it... There’s a bit of a barrier there, and that’s the message I’m trying to send.”

Soha also wears the head scarf, something she adopted in Grade 9.

“I’ve always wanted to start,” she says, and the first year of high school “was a perfect time.”

She was a little worried about the reaction of her classmates. “I was very scared at the start, because there’s a lot of prejudice,” she says; instead, “I’ve actually got a lot of positive feedback... Everyone’s really supportive. I was surprised.”

Mona also talks about the central role of her faith. The requirement for Muslims to pray 5 times a day is not a limitation, but something that helps her cope. “Your life is so fast-paced around here,” she says; prayer time is quiet time, a time to work on problems. “Verbalizing helps you deal with it.... It’s the relief. You get that peace.”

There is also flexibility; with the exigencies of jobs and raising children, Islam allows the 2 afternoon or 2 evening prayers to be combined.

She doesn’t shy away from discussing the more violent passages of the Qu’ran, quoted by both terrorists and Islamaphobes. “Those verses are taken out of context,” she says firmly. “Those are historical verses – context-dependent verses,” that refer to the struggles and events happening at the time of The Prophet. They are included “to ponder, to think, to question... Unfortunately, a lot of people use it for their own agenda.”

It is the “context-independent verses” that provide the template for living, she says: “Unity of God, Worship of God, Giving to charity and helping the poor.”

Muhammad sums it up: “When you think about Islam, it’s peace.” The terrorists “change everything to violence. This is not Islam.”

Muhammad comes from Yemen, and speaks Arabic, as well as English. Mona’s background is from India, and Pakistan. She speaks Urdu, English, and a little Arabic.

Misunderstanding is at the root of so much, she says. She had reservations herself, when she went to the Middle East for the first time. She was surprised to discover, “These are ordinary people. They have the same aspirations for their children,” the same hopes and fears.

Discovering common ground can be a strong basis for understanding and acceptance – which is what Meet a Muslim Family was all about.


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