Written by: Ferrukh Faruqui
The sudden and unexpected loss of Mrs. Shano Bejkosalaj, a towering member of the Muslim community of the National Capital Region, has left her family and friends reeling. She passed away on Saturday, February 6th, 2016, a mere month after the death of her beloved husband of 58 years.
For many, Shano was the embodiment of the best qualities that she herself espoused in her thoughts and in her actions. She described herself as a “citizen of the world” and indeed she unfailingly reached out to the world with her characteristic warmth and the world responded in kind.
The Ottawa Muslim Association Mosque, which she along with her husband Nusret helped to establish, was overflowing with those who loved her on the day her funeral prayers were held.
At the graveyard on that clear, frigid day, the wave of mourners crowded round and murmured prayers for her soul as she was laid to rest.
Shano was universally admired and respected not only by the members of the Albanian diaspora in Canada, and her fellow Muslims, but also by wider society.
She was an unforgettable visual presence: physically stunning with her glorious blonde hair, her luminous blue eyes, and her captivating smile. The picture of elegance, she was a throwback to a more formal era of ladies and gentlemen who dressed and comported themselves with grace and old fashioned courtesy.
Shano Bejkosalaj was born in Albania in 1942 during the tumultuous years of the Second World War. After spending 9 years in refugee camps first in Greece then in Italy, she came to Canada with her family at age 10, arriving by ship at the famous Pier 21 at the port of Halifax in 1952. The family settled in Toronto for a time.
In 1957, Shano moved to Ottawa and married Nusret, himself an Albanian refugee. Over the next 58 years, this devoted couple raised 4 children: Taimur, Ilyas, Besnick and their long awaited daughter, Lumturi.
They were proudly Albanian but also proudly Muslim and their determination to see a strong Muslim community in Ottawa yielded fruit as along with other pioneering immigrants they worked tirelessly to raise funds and do the practical work that went into establishing both the Ottawa Muslim community and its first mosque in Ottawa.
In those early years, most of the community at some time or another found themselves at Miss Westgate’s – a restaurant and gathering place owned by Nusret. He could be relied on to provide jobs for newly arrived immigrants, mostly from Lebanon who’d come to seek their fortunes in the new land.
Before the mosque was built, the community worshipped in a neighboring church, and as Shano would later express, “we worked together and equally with non – Muslims – all citizens of this beautiful country. The process gave us a greater appreciation for the diversity that we are blessed with in Canada. The support and help in our fundraising allowed us to feel that we belonged to the human family, regardless of our origins.”
In 1963, Shano along with Miss Eva Wahab, the first Muslim born in Ottawa, co-founded the Ottawa Muslim Women’s Auxiliary.
In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, Shano was one of the founding members of the Ottawa Muslim Women’s Organization. She was the president of the OMWO since 2008 and took the organization from strength to strength with her diplomatic aplomb. Her genuine interest in and love for her fellow human beings of all backgrounds shone through and was the basis of her mighty charm.
She was a tireless and humble volunteer but also found time to earn a BA in psychology and sociology from Carleton University.
Family was always first for Shano and she was a devoted and loving daughter, wife, mother, sister, aunt and grandmother.
In 1999 with the arrival of the Kosovar refugees, Shano found herself in great demand as an interpreter, even attending 14 women in childbirth. She had been a professional interpreter with the Refugee Board since 1995, and continued doing so until the time of her death.
Over the years, Shano’s efforts earned recognition from a number of groups.
In 2006, she was chosen Mother of the Year by the Albanian American Women’s Organization. In the same year, she was also honoured with the Ontario Volunteer Service Award.
In 2007, she was one of several Muslims who graced the cover of Ottawa Life Magazine in its “Celebrating Diversity in Our Capital” feature.
The Canadian Council of Muslim Women chose her as one of the “Canadian Muslim Women Who Inspire” in 2012.
In 2014, she was awarded the Albanian Medal of Honour by the Albanian ambassador to Canada for her community activism and was cited as an inspiration to the women and girls of Albania for her service.
I met Shano after I chose her as one of 11 Muslims of Ottawa to be profiled in Ottawa Life Magazine in 2007. She was recommended to me as a beloved icon of the city’s Muslim community.
She had a profound effect on me because she was a living example of so many of the cardinal virtues.
She was a lady in the best sense of the word. She was generous with her love and her time and her attention. She could discern the unique talents of others and encouraged us to excel.
Most striking though, for me was her ever present smile and her exuberant laugh which echoed through the room, dispelling gloom and negativity in an instant.
In a world which thrives on conflict and animosity, she was a bright outlier who not only believed in bringing people together, but made it happen, regularly. The world has lost a wise and gentle soul.
May Allah SWT accord her the highest place in Jannat, and give solace to her grieving family and friends. Ameen.
