A Short History of Islam in Canada

Canadians, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, think that the arrival of Muslims to Canada has been a recent phenomenon. In fact, Muslims have been in Canada since confederation. This is a little known part of our history. As Muslims begin to find their Canadian identity in a vibrant and engaged way, the more we are discovering that they have always been a part of Canada’s rich and diverse past.

Early Muslim migrants

The first Muslims to have touched Canadian soil are the runaway African slaves from America who made their way to Southern Ontario through what is known as the Underground Railroad. This was a secret network of abolitionists (people who wanted to abolish slavery). They helped African slaves escape from enslavement in the American South to free Northern states of America and to Canada. It brought between 30,000 and 40,000 fugitives to British North America (now Canada).

Amongst these freed slaves we know there were some Muslims. We are told of the story of Mahommah Baquaqua, a Muslim man from West Africa, enslaved as a young man in Brazil and shipped to the United States. As a free man, Baquaqua eventually made his way to Chatham, Ontario where in 1854 a local man helped him document his life in a biography. Baquaqua's journeys also saw him move to Haiti and eventually the United Kingdom.

The first British Muslims to arrive in Canada came in 1851 were James and Agnes Love who converted to Islam in Scotland before emigrating. In 1854 James Love Jr. became the first known Muslim born in Canada. Four years after Canada's founding in 1867, the 1871 Canadian Census revealed 13 European Muslims, referred to as ‘Mohomadens’, among the population.

In 1901 there were 47 Muslims in Canada. The first Muslim families from Lebanon to settle in Canada arrived in London in 1901 and in Ottawa in 1903 respectively.

During the first two decades of the last century, many of the migrants came from Ottoman Syria, especially Lebanon, Empire looking for work with many headed west where land was cheaper and labour needed. Lac La Biche, Alta., became a community where Muslims would settle. In Ontario the oldest community was in London. In the photo with three men below we see Ahmed Ali Awad in the centre who arrived in 1901.

In 1911, British Columbia had the largest population of Muslims in Canada – about 500 Muslims mostly from Turkey and Bulgaria. But at the time, life for many non-Europeans was becoming increasingly difficult in the province.

An economic recession coupled with racist attitudes spurred race riots and the creation of more discriminatory laws against Chinese and Japanese immigrants. The start of WWI prompted more antagonism against Turkish immigrants, who were also pressured to leave. By 1921, there were only 82 Muslims left in the province. There are a recorded 22 Muslims who fought for Canada and the British Empire in World War I. Despite this Turkish Muslims who worked in the iron foundries in Brantford were sent to an internment camp in Kapuskasing. During this period many Albanian Muslims migrated to Canada following internal revolutionary upheavals in their home country. Most of them settled in either Montreal or Toronto. Some found jobs in Calgary (Alberta) and a few in small communities like Peterborough. In 1921 there were 478 and in 1931 there were 645 Muslims in all of Canada.

In the intervening years and after World War II, there was a small increase in the Muslim population due to Canada’s discriminatory immigration policy. The Muslims who immigrated then were skilled labourers and professionals. French speaking Muslims from North Africa settled in Quebec. A handful of Muslim students and professors were attracted to the newly formed Institute of Islamic Studies at McGill University in Montreal, and University of Toronto’s Department of Middle Eastern Studies. In the 1950’s Canada admitted Palestinian Arabs, driven from their homeland by the Israeli-Arab war of 1948.

In the 1960s, Canada adopted a new immigration policy based on a point system, where individuals applying for Canadian immigration were graded according to their educational level. The resulting increase in Muslim immigrants from other parts of the world, countries in Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and the Caribbean, was accelerated after the establishment of the Multiculturalism Policy in Canada 1971 by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. It was only after the removal of European immigration preferences in the late 1960s and early 1970s that Muslims began to arrive in significant numbers. Canada also admitted thousands of Bengali Muslims at the outbreak of the Bangladesh Liberation War. By 1971 the Muslim population grew to 33,000.

Soon after this in 1972 following Idi Amin’s expulsion of Ugandan Asians, 7,000 Ismaili Muslims fled and were brought to Canada.

Role of the Mosque

The mosque in most societies whether in the early days of Islam during the time of The Prophet Muhammad Salalaahu alahi wa Sallam or in more recent time like in the migration of Muslims to Western countries, has played a key role in the development of Muslim communities. Not only does it serve the need to have a sacred space for people to be in involved in worship and purification but it has also played a critical role in cultural, educational, humanitarian and political expressions. Indeed, it has in the past played the role of empowering society. In Canada, many mosques are playing this role and as a result we see signs of the Muslim communities becoming more engaged in the social and political fabric of Canada.

Early Development The first Muslim organization in Canada was registered by immigrants from Lebanon living in Regina, Saskatchewan in 1934.

The first mosque in Canada, the al-Rashid mosque, was constructed in Edmonton during the depth of the Depression in 1938 by a handful of Lebanese families. Hilwie Hamdon was the first woman to talk to Edmonton Mayor John Fry about purchasing land to construct the mosque. She, along with friends, collected fund from Jews, Christians and Muslims to construct the mosque. Since its construction, the mosque has served as a magnet for more Lebanese Muslim immigrants to Edmonton and has woven itself into the folklore of the local community.

The famous translator of the Quran, Indian born Abdullah Yusuf Ali inaugurated the masjid during his tour of Canada while he was working on his translation.

Later, the famous Muslim scholar, missionary and philosopher, Maulana Abdul ‘Aleem Siddiqui visited the mosque during his tours of North America. He is known as the ‘Roving Ambassador of Islam”. The photo below shows him in the first row with leaders of the Edmonton Muslim community at the al-Rashid mosque.

Over the years, the community continued to flourish; their numbers grew to over 16,000 Muslims by the early 1980s. To accommodate the rise in numbers, a new mosque facility was needed. In August of 1982, the new al-Rashid mosque (below) opened its doors to serve over 20,000 Muslims in Edmonton. The original al-Rashid mosque building is now part of the museum at Fort Edmonton Park in Alberta.

In 1955, Ontario’s first mosque, London Muslim Mosque, was opened in London by a few Lebanese Muslim families, some of whom had lived in London since 1901.

Islam in Toronto

In the 1930’s the picture in Toronto, however, was different. There were no mosques. The Muslim community, mainly Albanian and Bosnian, practiced Islam at home. They held

occasional prayers in congregation (jama’ah) and celebrations at Club Kingsway in Swansea under the auspices of The Muslim Society of Toronto (MST). The society also became connected and hosted Maulana Abdul ‘Aleem Siddiqui whenever he visited Canada on missionary tours. Imam Vehbi Ismail, (left) an Albanian scholar who first settled in Toronto then later moved to Michigan said, “Maulana Abdul ‘Aleem made a lasting impression on us. His spiritual presence and illuminating talks on the Principles of Islam was well received by both Muslims and non-Muslims. One of his talks was recorded by CBC Radio in 1939.”

The search for a permanent mosque space, during which several churches were considered, resulted in the purchase of the first mosque in Toronto in 1961, “The Islamic Centre of Toronto” located at 3047 Dundas West.

Perhaps the most prominent visitor to this mosque was the African Muslim American civil rights leader, Malcolm X. He paid a visit to the mosque during his visit to Toronto for an appearance on CBC TV’s Front Page Challenge in

January 1965. After dining with members of the MST, he spoke at the mosque and was presented with a gold-frame with Quranic inscription. Just after a month of this visit el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz better known as Malcom X was assassinated in the US.

Bosnians and Albanians Muslims played a leading role in the affairs of the mosque. The MST mosque congregation was known for its community spirit and where cultural diversity was tolerated, moderation was promoted, and women played a key role in fundraising and operations. Besides a prayer area, the mosque included a small library and a Sunday school, designed to help children to retain their cultural and religious identity.

The MST soon experienced growing pains as Canada began to adopt more liberal immigration policies. More Muslim immigrants started to arrive especially from Asia and the Muslim community in Toronto grew to 5,000 by 1969.

With a financial aid from King Faisal of Saudi Arabia stemming from a personal appeal by MST’s president Dr. Mirza Qadeer Baig, an Indian professor at the University of Toronto, the High Park Presbyterian Church on Boustead Avenue was purchased for $125,000. This move was supported by the local Christian community and it was named the Jami Mosque (left). In addition to the mosque, MST also purchased a 1,000 grave lots in Glendale Memorial Gardens as a Muslim burial ground.

With the continuous growth of the Muslim population due to immigration, Metro Toronto became home of 50,000 Muslims by 1976. This gave rise to the construction of many mosques, especially in the suburbs. We mention here a couple with regards to being the first.. Bosnian Mosque – lifted the first minar in Ontario in 1973 and "the mosque at Rhodes Ave sounded the call to prayer (adhan) on loud speakers" according to Al-Haj Malik Rashid Ahmed.

Top left – Bosnian Mosque, Etobicoke. Top right – Islamic Foundation, Scarborough. Bottom left – TARIC, North York. Bottom right – Ansar Mosque, Brampton

Islam in Montreal

One of the first known Muslims in Montreal was Ali Ahmed Abouchadi who arrived there on December 10, 1985. Like him, there were those who heard about the famous Klondike Gold Rush between 1877 and 1899, and may have even taken part in it. We know that Ali Ahmed Abouchadi made his way from Lebanon to pursue this ambition. However, he arrived in Canada too late for that intention and later became a successful entrepreneur in Lac La Biche, Alberta.

In Montreal the first influx of Muslims was from the Middle East after the World War I (1919-20). Most of these Arab Muslims spoke French as a second language and thus found it easy to settle in Quebec. Most of them assimilated into the predominantly French-Catholic culture of Quebec and practiced Islam in the privacy of their homes. A well-known personality to settle in Montreal is Mr. Masoud, who owned the Masoud Realty Company. He was from Lebanon and arrived in Montreal in the mid 1920’s.

In 1952 the renowned Islamic Studies program at McGill University in Montreal was inaugurated. This was the first Institute of Islamic Studies in North America and it attracted a number of Muslim students from various countries. Kamali, an Indian Muslim was one of the pioneering students. Some of the early Eid gatherings for prayer and social gatherings took place at the Redpath Crescent (Institute of Islamic Studies) where the newly arrived Muslims congregated.

The beginning of Muslim immigration from the sub-continent could be traced to the mid-1950’s. Habibullah Khan with his wife and five children arrived in Montreal in 1955. They took up residence in Verdun. Habibullah Khan, originally hailed from Patna, India, and had migrated to Karachi, Pakistan in 1947. Khan was a chartered accountant from Britain. He was instrumental in organizing the Muslim community into a recognizable body. When they were together on weekends, they offered prayers in a group (jama’ah). They were the nucleus which formed the Islamic Centre of Montreal, incorporated in 1958 with constitution and bylaws in the province of Québec. Its main objective was to preserve Islamic heritage and create an Islamic environment for Muslim immigrants and their growing children. Seven years later, the Islamic Centre of Québec (ICQ) was established through a private bill (Bill 194), assented to by the National Assembly of Québec, on August 6, 1965. The Islamic Centre of Québec (ICQ) (below) is the first mosque built in Montreal and in the Province of Québec.

Institutions

In 1982, the first madrassah (traditional Islamic school/seminary) in Canada was established in Cornwall, Ontario, by Mazhar Alam at the instructions of his teacher, the famous Deobandi and Tablighi scholar Muhammad Zakariyya Khandhelvi. The madrassah attracted students from both Canada and the United States, and its most prominent graduate was Sheikh Muhammad Alshareef, who graduated in 1990 and later founded Al-Maghrib Institute.

In 2014 the Aga Khan Museum of Islamic art, Iranian (Persian) art and Muslim culture was established in Toronto. It is the the first museum in the western world dedicated to Islamic art and objects, it houses more than 1,000 rare objects including artifacts from the private collections of His Highness the Aga Khan, the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London, and Prince and Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan. This institution is dedicated to presenting an overview of the artistic, intellectual, and scientific contributions that Muslim civilizations have made to world heritage.

Liberalism and Refugees

Most Canadian Muslims are people who were raised as Muslims. As with immigrants in general, Muslim immigrants came to Canada for a variety of reasons. These include higher employment, education, security and family reunification. Others came for religious and political freedom, and safety and security, leaving behind civil wars, persecution, and other forms of civil and ethnic strife.

Canada is a liberal democracy built on immigration. Liberal theorists endorse the idea of human rights. Canada has had a long reputation of being an ideal liberal democracy. Thus it is well known for its liberal immigration policies which encourages inclusiveness of people fearing for their lives in their countries of residence. In the 1980s, Canada became an important place of refuge for those fleeing the Lebanese Civil War. The 1990's saw Somali Muslims arrive in the wake of the Somali Civil War as well as Bosnians fleeing the breakup of the former Yugoslavia. Almost every Muslim country in the world has sent immigrants to Canada – from Pakistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania to Yemen and Bangladesh:-

• 1950s: Canada admitted Palestinian Arabs, driven from their homeland by the Israeli-Arab war of 1948.
  

• 1971: After decades of being denied adequate political representation in the central Pakistani government, thousands of Bengali Muslims came to Canada at the outbreak of the Bangladesh Liberation War.
  

• 1972-1973: Following Idi Amin’s expulsion of Ugandan Asians, 7,000 Ismaili Muslims fled and were brought to Canada.
  

• 1979: Iranian refugees fled Iran following the overthrow of the Shah and the imposition of an Islamic Fundamentalist regime.
  

• 1992: 5,000 Bosnian Muslims were admitted to Canada to escape the ethnic cleansing in the Yugoslav Civil War.
  

• 1999: Canada airlifted more than 5,000 Kosovars, most of whom were Muslim, to safety.
  

• 2016: Canada resettled a historical number of refugees, welcoming over 46,000 newcomers and completing its commitment to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of February.

Ahmed Hussen became the Immigration Minister of Canada in 2017. His journey started from the most humble place possible when he arrived, by himself, as a 16-year-old refugee. Most of Canada's 55,000 Somalis arrived in Canada between the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Proud Canadians

Regardless of where they came from, Muslims truly stand out as being among the most enthusiastic group of Canadian patriots. More than eight in ten are very proud to be Canadian (more so than the non-Muslim population) and this sentiment has strengthened over the past decade, especially in Quebec. Strong religious identity notwithstanding, Muslims are as likely as others in this country to say their Canadian identity is very important. And they agree with other Canadians on what makes Canada a great country: its freedom and democracy, and its multicultural diversity. Their greatest dislike, not surprisingly, is the cold climate.

Muslims are one of the most religiously observant groups in Canada, and their religious identity and practices appear to be strengthening rather than weakening as their lives evolve in Canada. Being Muslim is a very important part of the identity for most followers of Islam, and comparatively stronger than for members of other major religious groups in Canada. And moving to Canada does not appear to be having a secularizing effect: Immigrants are more likely to say their attachment to Islam has grown than waned since arriving in the country.

Make-up and Belief

In general, Canadian Muslims identify themselves as follow: 65% identified themselves as Sunni, 8% as Shia, 1.5% as Ismaili, 19% did not identify, and 6.3% as other.

Most Muslims who migrated received their basic Islamic education at an early age which is enough to allow them to practice their faith. In general they all had a good understanding of religious belief (‘aqida) and enough knowledge of their religious obligations (fiqh) and what is allowed (halal) and forbidden (haram) in Islam.

Whether they were aware of it or not, the overwhelming majority of these Muslims practiced Islam according to one of the four schools of Fiqh or Islamic Jurisprudence or madhab. If they are from Albania, India, Pakistan, Turkey or the Caribbean they followe the Hanafi madhab. If they were from North and West Africa they follow the Maliki madhab. And if they are from the Middle-East or East Africa they follow the Shafi madhab. They were taught the best way to follow and actualize the Holy Quran and Sunnah (Prophetic Traditions) in their daily lives is to follow a madhab. These Muslims refer to themselves as Sunni Muslims.

Conflicted

For the most part, the migration by Muslims to Canada has taken place without much notice of host community. Muslims who chose to engage with the larger community did not experience any problems living as Muslims.

By the mid 1980s those with a politicized perspective of Islam began migrating to Canada.

At this time many qualified and professional Muslims were being attracted to the concept of an Islamic state as the solution to problems of the Muslim world. The writings of scholars such as Abu ‘Ala Mawdudi and Sayyid Qutb were beginning to resonate amongst this group of Muslims. Also taking into consideration the event of the Iranian Revolution in the the Shia world many felt the same should be done in the Sunni Muslim countries having corrupted authoritarian leaders with sometimes even un-Islamic regimes. Then add to this mix the Palestinian - Israeli problem and the support of Zionism by the West.

Generally, the understanding and practice of Islam by this subset of Muslims who started to arrive in Canada was the same as most Muslims. However, their main difference was that they held the view that the West, and implicitly Canada, was at odds with Islam both in terms of politics and morality. Despite this dichotomy they nevertheless choose to live in Canada. Those that find themselves in this category can be in a conflicted state for some time. Generally, they remain close to their religious community and have little or no interaction with the wider community. This minority of Muslims have the opinion that there is nothing they can learn from the Canadian experience that will benefit them.

From a psychological perspective these Muslims who are not prepared for life in the West can end up carrying the burden of self inflicted guilt. In such a state they are easily influenced by Muslim preachers who espouse a form of Islam which feeds off this guilt and further exacerbates it. It is therefore not difficult to understand how such Muslims become radicalized and can easily adopt an understanding of Islam which relieves them of the complex emotions they carry, while at the same time provide them with the excuse for not wanting to engage with their community.

Adding another layer of guilt on top of the already complex set of issues they have to deal with is the popular notion being preached to Muslims that their understanding of Islam is not correct and that they need to look at a more pure version of Islam. Often we find that many of these preachers themselves do not really believe their own sermons which often originate from unsound theological positions that is merely based on mythology and irrational premises.

Counter Measures

To counter these prevailing ideas at that time, traditional Sunni organizations came together in the mid 1990’s to sponsor a series of International Mawlid-un-Nabi, Khatamun Nubuwwah and Seerah events in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. The purpose of these gatherings were to (1) re-assert the love for and the centrality of Prophet Muhammad Salalaahu alahi wa Sallam in Islam and (2) warn Canadian Muslims of the growing extremist ideas in Islam. As a result of these events, Muslims who may have once felt left out of the Canadian Muslim community were not only able to re-connect with their traditional Sunni belief and identity, but felt that they had now found a place in the Canadian Muslim landscape. They felt that their traditional belief and practice of Islam as defined by the principles and teachings of the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah had arrived in Canada. Some of the scholars who attended these events were:

• Imam Muhammad bin 'Alawi al-Maliki (Makkah)

• Imam Shah Ahmad Noorani Siddiqui (Pakistan)

• Prof. Shah Faridaul Haque (Pakistan)

• Maulana Nasrullah Khan (Afghanistan / Pakistan)

• Shaykh ul Hadith Muhammad Madani Ashrafi (India)

• Shaykh Salisu Shaban al-Tijani (Ghana)

• Shaykh Muhammad Abubakar BaShuaib (UK)

• Maulana 'Abdul Wahhab Siddiqi (UK)

• Shaykh Samir Kadi (Lebanon)

• Shaykh Mustafa Yucel (Germany)

• ShaykhTosun Bayrak (Turkey)

• Shaykh Hisham Kabbani (USA)

• Shaykh Muhammad al-Akili (USA)

• Prof. Hasanuddin Hashmi (USA)

• Shaykh Ahmad Ben Omer Tijani (USA)

• Shaykh Syed Mumtaz Ali (Canada)

• Shaykh Omar Owais (Somalia / Canada)

• Dr. Imam Yousef Chebli (Canada)

These events laid the foundation for the formation of a number of traditional Sunni mosques and study groups (halaqa) across Canada in which the classical texts by Sunni scholars such as Imam Ghazali, Imam Suyuti, Imam Hajar al-Asqalani, Imam al-Qurtubi, etc are discussed and taught by local scholars trained in the classical understanding of Islam. This has further led to a deeper understanding of Muslims and Islam in that they are now being seen not as a homogenous people with a single understanding of Islam but as having different perspectives on religious idea and principles while holding on to The Holy Quran and Sunnah.

Extremism

Then in September 2001 came the event dubbed '911' in which fifteen of the nineteen attackers were citizens of Saudi Arabia. Up until that point very few non-Muslims

were aware of the so-called Saudia based Salafi-Wahabi puritanical interpretation of Islam. We were told that "Saudi Arabia has spread its Wahhabi religion around the world for years. Its funding of madrassas

and support of extremist clerics have paid and paved the way for the spread of deadly terrorism." Like so many countries around the world Canada was not spared from this ideology. From the late 1980’s Saudi organizations infused Wahhabism in ostensible charity work — for example, funding schools and mosques, but requiring that these extremist beliefs be taught there in return.

The sociological impact of ‘911’ on Canadian Muslims is well studied. Although Muslims have been living for decades in Canada, they became highly visible in the public eye since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The fear evoked by the attacks re-ignited existing perceptions of Muslims as “different” and reinforced their perceived connection to violence and terrorism (Razack, 2008). Instead of dying down over the past decade, the questioning of their belonging and position as members of society and as citizens has continued.

This perception of Muslims have been further reinforced by concerns about “homegrown terrorism” stemming from the Toronto 18 case in which a group of 14 adults and 4 youths were arrested in the June 2006 on terror related charges. According to Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), “For various reasons, they appear to have become adherents of a violent ideology inspired by Al Qaeda.”

In 2019 Canadians were again appalled when they learned that 60 individuals who are suspected of having engaged in international militant activities with ISIS have returned to Canada. Another 190 remain abroad. The collapse of ISIS’s territory has raised the spectre of additional foreign fighters making their way back to their homelands including Canada. There has also been 30 female jihadist brides from Canada who joined this fanciful caliphate. Given that none of these so called 'jihadist' feels any remorse for killing almost 200,000 innocent Muslims and non-Muslims they still feel that they have a right to return to Canada. It must be told that these so called Muslims have betrayed both Allah and His Messenger for their crimes against humanity. It is also interesting that we have not seen too many Imams speaking up against their jihadis wanting to return to Canada.

Conspiracy theories abound, nevertheless the unfortunate tolerance of extremism in some quarters which harbor the salafi-wahabi interpretation of Islam has created unnecessary heightened scrutiny, negative stereotyping and experiences of discrimination reported by many Canadian Muslims especially those of Arab descent. While some will disagree that Islamic extremism in Canada is a misnomer and wish to dismiss this reality, the ‘elephant in the room’ has not disappeared. Muslims are still dealing with the perception amongst a sizable contingent of Canadians who think that there is a possibility of domestic terrorism emanating from extremist Islamic ideology. This is as much, if not more, of a concern to the majority of Canadian Muslims, who take the threat of radicalization to violence very seriously given the impact extremist Islamic movements can have on their community.

Islamophobia in Canada

Given this backdrop of suspicion of Muslims and growing hate crimes against Muslims, Canada experienced one of its darkest days in terms of mass killings.

On Jan. 29, 2017, a Sunday evening, six Muslim men were killed at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City while praying. The massacre resulted in six widows and left 17 children without fathers.

This massacre was seen as part of the rise of Islamophobia in Canada, as evident in poll after poll that shows a significant swath of Canadians holding unfavourable views of Muslims – including an Angus Reid survey released last fall that showed close to half of Canadians perceive the presence of Muslims as "damaging" to Canada. This is troubling, not least because a similar survey taken a few weeks after the Quebec mosque attack showed attitudes towards Muslims had softened (particularly, and most remarkably, in Quebec). People quickly forget, especially as news of attacks perpetrated in the name of Islam continue to occur in North America and around the world.

While the vast majority of Canadian Muslims condemn this violence, unfortunately these acts are inevitably linked to their communities.

Moreover, we need to understand that a large number of Muslims who migrated to Canada came from countries without a history of democracy. Many from the Middle east came from countries governed by authoritarian regimes in which liberal values such as free speech, the right of individuals and minorities are virtually unknown. Despite coming to Canada with this socio-political deficit, the overwhelming majority of Muslim who chose Canada as their new homes appreciate and willingly comply with the social contract they find themselves bound to when they arrived here. To most there is no conflict between Canada liberal democratic values and Islam. This is self-evident as the majority of Muslims prosper by becoming successful entrepreneurs, scientists, professionals and valued members of our society. If not the immigrants themselves; their more educated off-springs are able to appreciate these values and take advantage of the opportunities Canada has to offer. Non-Muslim Canadians, in general, living in major urban centres, are fully aware of this reality by being in contact with their Muslim friends and neighbours at work and at home. By and large they see most Muslims as regular people who they seamlessly interact with on a daily basis.

But while this is true, there is still an uneasy feeling about Muslims in general. This issue is not only symptomatic of Canada’s paranoia, especially amongst older conservative Canadians, with people of different races but more to do with mistrust of the ‘other’.

Canada – Our home

Ever since the mass migration of Muslims to Canada in the 1970s there has been a progressive attitude amongst the professional and entrepreneurial member of the community. This trend is present amongst 2nd and will continue in future generations. This is something unique since it represents a phenomenon which has not existed in Islam before in the East. Muslims in Canada and other parts of the world are gaining an understanding of their religion not only according not only to its textual teachings, but also their social environment. In the past this environment has been feudal, imperial, or bureaucratic in most contexts. But now, Islam is being thought of a religious synthesis of traditional knowledge, values and a rationalism based on the reality of the time we live in.

As Canadian Muslims begin to play a more important role in Canada, the more they are realizing that they are being given the opportunity to share their Muslim way of life and dispelling any misconceptions about Islam.

In that respect, instead of isolating themselves, Muslims are actively engaging with their host society by being a constructive members of society. An active participation in Canada's progress and development is the strongest argument against the negative image of Islam. This can be achieved in part by living in accordance with the principles of democracy and the laws of Canada. This will assist Muslims in building a foundation for peaceful coexistence with others in a multi-cultural setting.

As the famous historian Walter Mead Russell puts it:- “In the end, when and if Islam makes its peace with the dynamic society, it will do so in the only way possible. It will not “secularize” itself into a mild form of atheism. It will not blend into a post-confessional unity religion that sees all religions as being fundamentally the same. Rather, pious Muslims of unimpeachable orthodoxy, conspicuous virtue, conservative principles and great passion of faith will show the world what dynamic Islam can be. (tajdid). Inspired by their example, vision, and teachings, Muslims all over the world will move more deeply into the world of their religion even as they find themselves increasingly at home in a dynamic, liberal, and capitalist world that is full of many faiths and many cultures.”

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I wish to thank one of my teachers and friend Al-Haj Malik Rashid Ahmed for encouraging me to write this blog on the history of Islam in Canada. When I mentioned to him six months earlier that I would like to embark on this project he insisted that I start it without any delay. I am thankful that I was able to sit with him for so many hours as he recalled his contribution of Islam in Pakistan and Canada. It was my hope to present it to him before publishing it, but alas Allah took his soul on Sun Jul 5, 2020.

Munaf Solaiman Aug 11, 2020