This column was originally published in the October 6th, 2012 edition of The Kingston Whig-Standard
This year, we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women.
Another historic event was the leadership of the Edmonton CCMW chapter, which saved the first Canadian mosque, built in 1938, and relocated the building to the Fort Edmonton Park as part of our shared heritage.
Imagine a population of 645 Muslims in Edmonton, who had the courage to build a mosque in 1938.
In the last 30 years, we believe CCMW has played an essential role because we hold steadfast to both our religion and our Canadian values. We advocate for Islam and Muslims in a reasoned and clear way, we have developed positive partnerships with governments and sister organizations. Our projects have been useful ones involving Muslims and non–Muslims.
I would like to speak of why CCMW is important to me.
I think that if I am uncomfortable with what is being done in the name of Islam, then either I quit or I become involved in providing an alternative vision. CCMW allows me to engage with issues that are giving Muslims and Islam a negative image, and to demonstrate a vision of Islam that is more consistent with human rights, tolerance and compassion.
About 35 years ago, Canada and Canadian Muslims were very different and the changes within our communities have been rapid. As the population grew in the United States and in Canada, there was a surge of funds, mostly from Saudi Arabia, some from Libya and Iran. Small organizations suddenly became larger and more powerful. There was a dramatic increase of publications with very specific messaging, and money was poured into the building of mosques and Islamic Centres.
For people like me, the changes were so rapid, you felt overwhelmed without having time to understand what was happening.
What happened and continues is the pressure to believe in only one interpretation of Islam, seen as the “pure” Islam, and all other understandings are loudly declared “bida” or “haram” — innovation or sinful.
The increase in Islamic Centres and mosques, again with monies from abroad, came ready made with the same message of “Wahabism” — a strain of puritanical, rigid interpretation.
What has resulted for too many of us is the acceptance of a single version of Islam, intolerant and rigid and dismissive of diversity.
To me all this rigidity, all this literalism has been an attack on the very foundation of the Islam I grew up in. When you are raised by religious parents who teach you a tolerant and loving Islam, how can you be disloyal to the religion itself by giving up and not standing up for it?
Fortunately, there are wonderful scholars who are trying their best to contradict what is being accepted as the norm, but sadly these are not the scholars who are encouraged by the literalists and Wahabis.
For me, the CCMW values of equity, empowerment and equality are solidly based on Islam. We may focus on women but we see ourselves as part of families so that we have done projects with youth.
As a believer in equality, not sameness, I find it difficult to accept the concept of “complementariness” of men and women. The insistence that gender is the defining factor therefore men and women complement each other but they cannot be equal. They cannot be equal as there are prescribed roles and responsibilities that cannot be flexible or interchangeable.
If you believe in the equality of all, and then it follows that you cannot discriminate against others. This is why universal human rights and Islamic values do not conflict.
I think I have gained adequate knowledge to understand the message of Islam after being raised by religious believing Muslim parents; having studied both the Quran and Hadeeth and talking with scholars.
I often have long conversations with God, mostly one-sided, but I still find them reassuring.
In my distress and confusion I call to God:
“If I have misunderstood your teachings, please direct me to a true understanding.
If your message is not about compassion and mercy and the repetition of your names — Merciful and Compassionate — is not correct; and if you want punishment, and harsh treatment of others; if the message is about intolerance rather than tolerance; and if You really are asking us to judge others, and use physical harm as a deterrent, then please tell me to stop extolling your mercy and compassion and forgiveness.”
I struggle along, and when I stand before God I can humbly say, ”With the help of my family and friends, with the shared courage and companionship within CCMW, I have really tried, whether I succeeded or not is for You to judge.”
