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There are many
reasons why Canada has been seen as a great nation and
why its image gained international respect. The most
important of them is the acceptance of diverse faiths
and ethnicities into its cultural mosaic.
Muslims are among the many peoples of the world who
settled in Canada and made it their home.
Unfortunately, Canadian Muslims are not among the most
engaged citizens when it comes to civic activities;
moreover, many who are involved tend to confine their
participation to their own faith group or community of
origin.
If they become more engaged, however, Canadian Muslims
will experience a greater sense of themselves as genuine
stakeholders in the life of their society and also be
able to motivate others to become more politically
active, whether as members of political parties or even
as contenders running locally for public office. Both
avenues of involvement can be excellent stepping-stones
to provincial and federal politics. Additionally, as any
minority community’s civic participation increases,
mainstream Canadian society will tend to view that
particular group in a more positive light.
Over the past decade, dedicated pioneers have done more
than their share to put in place much of the needed
groundwork to achieve full civic and political
participation of Canadian Muslims. Now it is up to us.
Whether by choice, or by birth, most Canadian Muslims
regard this great country as their national home. They
believe in being simultaneously good Muslims and good
citizens, for these two roles are not only complementary,
but mutually beneficial. As well, the vast majority
believe democracy is the form of government that adheres
most closely to the moral teachings of their faith; that
is, placing strong emphasis on the virtues of
accountability and justice.
While Canadian Muslims may still struggle in some areas
to find a balance between their religious, cultural, or
national identities, the history and experience of other
Canadian communities can teach us that such struggles
have actually helped in the process of defining and
enriching who they are in the Canadian context.
Consequently, it is crucial that Canadian Muslim
organizations, associations, mosques, community centres,
schools and other cultural institutions continually
encourage their members to become more active
participants in the civic life of this country.
Civic engagement can take many forms, from volunteering
for non-profit organizations, to serving on school
boards, taking part in parent-teacher and/or
neighbourhood associations, interfaith groups, and so
on...
Even those who do not want to engage more fully in
society (and there are
some) can make an important positive contribution to
future Muslim generations in Canada by not discouraging
others from becoming more active.
The bottom line is -- we are here to stay! This was our
choice, and since we have promised to honour our
contract with Canada by accepting its citizenship, this
contract also binds us to do our fair share in promoting
and safeguarding the well-being of our country and all
its citizens.
Over our relatively short history, many individual
Canadian Muslims have attained prominence in a variety
of vocations and positions, but our community as a whole
has not yet pooled its collective resources, expertise
and ideas in an effort to enhance the participation of
Canadian Muslims in the national discourse.
Only a few national Canadian Muslim organizations focus
on issues beyond those related specifically to Muslims.
Now there is a need to invest significant energy in
joining with other organizations to address larger
questions of social justice and policy. Advocacy
coalitions and intercommunity cooperation are
increasingly important vehicles for mobilizing diverse
constituencies and generating broad-based support for
positive change.
Canadian Muslim organizations could make a valuable
contribution to the body politic by expanding their
participation in coalitions concerned with issues such
as comprehensive immigration reform, reduction of
poverty, ensuring better health care, maintaining
religious freedom, or scrutinizing national security and
foreign policy -- to mention only a few.
Greater Canadian Muslim engagement in policy-related
coalition building will produce the additional benefit
of showing all Canadians by example that the Muslim
community is proactively concerned about wide-ranging
issues affecting the well-being of our whole nation.
That in turn will increase the moral authority of
Canadian Muslim leaders when they seek support on issues
of particular interest to their community.
Last but not least, since Canada is one of the most
poly-religious societies in the world, issues arising
over interfaith relations need to be openly addressed.
In fact, Canada as a whole would benefit greatly if our
diverse faith groups could cooperate on common projects
and concerns.
Interfaith dialogue has a long history in Canada, but
most of it ends there
- in dialogue, with little concrete or meaningful action
resulting. And these dialogues often cease entirely in
times of crisis, when they are needed the most. It also
seems to me that most religious groups tend to keep
quiet about problems that do not concern them directly.
Instead, they take refuge behind the screen of political
correctness (precisely what they should not be doing!)
rather than opting for right moral and ethical choices.
Current faith-based participation opportunities can and
should be expanded to include all religious groups, with
the goal of establishing a national forum. In such an
inclusive context, all groups could reinforce the
importance of fostering solidarity around shared values
and causes, thus becoming far more effective when
addressing poverty, human rights, democracy, and other
issues of social justice.
In conclusion, I believe it is critical that Canadian
Muslims move swiftly into the arena of civil and
political participation and make this a collective
priority among all Muslim organizations and
institutions. It is time for Canadian Muslims who are
proud to call this country home to step forward and take
a greater and more fulfilling role in contributing to
its society; in doing so, we could even help to shape
the ability of all Canadians to act for the greater
good.
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