TORONTO,
January 5 (Islamonline.net) – 2004 went down in a history as the
year that saw Canadian Muslims gaining prominence in the public
sphere, as a result of greater activism, coinciding with a host of
contentious issues that attracted global attention.
There
were signs of a political awakening as Canadian Muslims became
actively engaged in the federal electoral process, sending the first
Members of Parliament to the House of Commons.
The
new confidence of the community was showcased in 2004 in a three part
documentary, "A New Life in a New Land: The Muslim Experience
in Canada," that was televised nationally in the country.
For
three weeks starting Thursday, July 15, 2004, Vision TV showed the
series -- designed to clear away misconceptions about Canada’s
Muslim community and provide an alternative resource of current and
accurate information on Islam and Muslims in Canada.
And
the diversity of the community, whose members hail from over 50
ethnicities, is now quite evident in major Canadian centers.
Cities
such as Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Vancouver and Ottawa have sizeable
Muslim populations and mosques, schools. In addition, Muslim
businesses now constitute part of these cities’ landscapes.
Major
retailers and department stores, for the first time this past year,
recognized this rapidly growing group and began to target Muslims with
specific advertising during the Islamic holidays.
The
number of Canadian Muslims has increased dramatically over the last
decade, according to a national census.
The
workshop was organized to deal with the backlash and hate crimes
against Muslims and other minorities that followed the September 11,
2001 attacks in the US and the war on Iraq.
The
workshop has become so popular that the group has difficulty keeping
up with requests from schools.
MENTORS
won the J.S. Woodsworth Award for the workshop. The award is given
annually by the Ontario provincial New Democratic Party to commemorate
the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination.
Youths
and women in the community has also taken center stage this past year,
spearheading a number of significant ventures.
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Arar’s
wife
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Canadian
Muslim youth organized MuslimFest, the first summer festival in
Mississauga, showcasing Islamic art, music, film and culture during a
daylong gala in August. The event brought together thousands of
visitors of all backgrounds and religions
Canadian
Muslim students were also behind the Reviving the Islamic Spirit
Convention in Toronto, which drew over 10,000 people to the Toronto
Skydome for the three-day convention that sought to promote greater
understanding of Islam and a more active citizenry.
The
students instilled into the event youthful dynamism, exceptional
organizational skill, and a genuine sincerity for their religion that
won acclaim and established the group as a major player in the Muslim
community.
The
growing confidence among second and third generations of Canadian
Muslims also led to the establishment of a number of professional and
academic programs, social service and philanthropic institutions, as
well as an increase in radio and TV programs and newspapers.
As
a result of these initiatives, Muslims were engaged in a major way in
2004 in assisting food banks and the homeless, taking part in peace
and social justice issues, launching academic conferences and engaging
in interfaith dialogues.
The
Muslim community also showed signs of maturing with the establishment
of a Waqf, the Olive Tree Foundation, which hopes to promote community
development through the collection of endowed funds and charitable
contributions.
The
foundation is one of the first granting institutions to be established
by the Canadian Muslim community.
Contentious
Issues
In
addition, Canadian Muslims had to deal with a number of contentious
issues in 2004.
But
it was the security issues and the Shari`ah debate, which would
be remembered as the two most significant happenings in 2004 for
Canadian Muslims.
Security
laws and its impact on human rights and civil liberties of Muslims
were hotly debated in the country.
At
least five Muslim men, who are not Canadian citizens, are being held
under security certificates as suspected terrorists.
These
certificates allow the government to hold non-citizens and permanent
residents indefinitely without charge and have provoked condemnation
from many Canadian groups as well as human rights organizations, such
as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, who argue that such
detentions without charges or trials have no place in the Canadian
justice system.
Recently,
a Federal Court of Appeal upheld the use of secret evidence and the
differential treatment of non-citizens.
Security,
Human Rights
Another
case that focused the spotlight on the Canadian Muslim community in
2004 involved a Syrian-born Canadian Muslim, Maher
Arar, who made international headlines over his ordeal in a Syrian
jail after being deported there by the US government who alleged he
had terrorist links.
Though
denying any terrorist connections, the Syrians held Arar for over ten
months where he said he was beaten, tortured and forced to make a
false confession.
Arar’s
wife, Monia Mazigh, championed his cause during his incarceration,
eventually leading to his release and return to Canada.
In
February 2004, after many representations from Canadian Human Rights
organizations and a growing number of citizens, the Canadian
government created a Commission of Inquiry into the actions of
Canadian Officials in Arar’s case.
Last
month, Arar was named Canadian Newsmaker of the Year by Time Magazine,
“For taking on the national-security agencies in two countries; for
standing up to anonymous allegations with courage, forcefulness and
common sense; for stepping into the public realm despite the cost to
himself and his family.”
Riad
Saloojee, the Executive Director of the Canadian Council on
American-Islamic Relations, reinforced the importance of this issue to
Muslims and all Canadians in a recent op-ed piece in the Toronto Star.
“It
has never been so important for all citizens of conscience to insist
that there is no dichotomy between security and human rights. We can,
and must, have both,” he wrote.
However,
it was the proposal made by a Muslim group to set up tribunals to
offer religious-based arbitrations for family disputes based on Shari`ah
in Canada’s largest province, Ontario, which generated the most
intense debates in the Muslim community and controversy in Canadian
society over the past year.
Ontario's
Arbitration Act allows religious groups to use the guiding principles
of their religion in settling private disputes such as divorce,
custody issues and inheritances outside the court system.
Supporters
of the proposal say that Canada's commitment to cultural diversity
requires that Shari`ah law be given the same respect as other
religious based legal systems.
Opponents
say Muslim law inherently conflicts with the basic freedoms guaranteed
to Canadians.
As
a result of the controversy, the province asked a former attorney
general, Marion Boyd, to conduct a review of the province's
arbitration processes.
Boyd
has since recommended the province should continue to allow
religious-based arbitrations and mediations, including Shari`ah, but
recommended strengthening protections by requiring both parties in the
arbitration to first seek independent legal advice.
A
Banner Year
Overall,
it is safe to say that 2004 would go down as a banner year that
propelled Canadian Muslims into prominence on the national stage and
highlighted the strengths and inherent weaknesses of a diverse and
rapidly growing community trying to develop its identity.
The
rich diversity and youthful energy of Canada’s Muslims were amply on
display this past year, sending a strong message to leaders that the
second and third generations, both men and women, have arrived on the
scene and are willing to play a more active role in the future of
their community.
Debates
have taken place around the contentious issues, both within the Muslim
community and in the society. Although at intense times, these debates
have allowed Muslims to engage in an intra-community dialogue that
rarely takes place outside Canada.
A
major weakness that, once again, became quite evident in 2004 was the
need for a representative body that coordinates and speaks on behalf
of the Muslims throughout the country.
