ISLAM IN CANADA
Building an Identity for Canadian Muslims The story of the Muslim Association of Canada BY MEMONA HOSSAIN
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he first part of the 20th century saw waves of immigrants coming from Europe, Lebanon, Syria, Bosnia, Croatia and Turkey in response to wars, countries splitting apart, economic pursuits and similar causes. However, the century’s latter part would see larger numbers of Muslims seeking new opportunities after Canada adopted a more open-door immigration policy. Many of these new arrivals, primarily students with a strong sense of Islamic identity who wanted to pursue higher education, eventually settled down and developed a vision for a permanent Islamic presence here. During the 1960s and 1970s, the revival of Islam and the Muslim identity in Muslimmajority countries was either being supported or suppressed for political reasons. Many international university students shared a common desire to revive Islamic principles and started on-campus Muslim Students’ Associations (MSAs). Desiring to remain involved in MSA’s work after graduation, their aspirations to start families drove them to engage in community work through ISNA, ICNA (the Islamic Circle of North America) and other newly
established charitable Islamic service-based organizations. The post-MSA group connected with immigrant families arriving during the 1980s and 1990s. These immigrants, who also wanted to preserve their cultural and religious identity, were seeking to develop and uphold an Islamic identity for themselves and their successors. This would give rise to a common Islamic bond that would supersede other nationalistic ties. During the late 1990s, Muslim individuals and families in Canada grasped that they needed their own vision — one that enabled those who came after them to build a strong sense of Islamic identity and civic engagement. One group of families realized that such a vision, to be successful, must include grassroots mobilization and developing an actual nationwide presence through mosques, schools and community centers. This undertaking required people who possessed specific characteristics as translated from the Quran: “By the passage of time. Surely humanity is in [grave] loss, except for those who have faith, do good, and urge each other to the truth and urge each other to perseverance” (103:1-3). Among them are
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remaining focused on Islamic work; dedicating themselves to developing a vibrant Islamic presence; formulating a regimen of constant personal development to maintain that internal spark; building mutual trust, connection, support and celebrating successes; sharing a common understanding of Islam and how to live and build it; nurturing a sense of collective commitment and cooperation to foster resilience and perseverance; and believing that collective action can bring about sustained, meaningful outcomes that individual efforts cannot. These foundational characteristics would define the type of builders who would seek to implement the Prophet’s (salla Allahu ‘aalyhi wa sallam) life in realizing this vision for Islam in Canada. The Muslim Association of Canada (MAC; https://www.macnet.ca) was founded in the late 1990s by a group of families. They were focussed on establishing a spiritual and physical presence across the country through strenuous, yet humble, efforts. MAC realized the importance of grassroots mobilization at the local level, which would simultaneously be connected to a national structure, capable of national mobilization. Physical spaces were critical to this framework. A physical space of gathering, of feeling community and of communal ownership is necessary to providing the spaces integral to a healthy identity. MAC’s members strove to connect deeply with one another to grow spiritually and to build a sense of trust; form strong, cohesive bonds among their respective communities; and create a physical presence by developing mosques, schools, centers and institutions. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, MAC established several chapters in major cities and worked to build institutions in these chapters. The institutions would aim to become spaces of gathering, worshipping and providing services. It should be noted that, at this time and despite their own efforts to build financial stability, families would often ration from their monthly budget to help pay for the purchase of schools and centers. Building an Islamic presence in Canada was not a matter of choice, but a matter of survival. When MAC articulated its mission and values statements, it was important that it was relevant, resonated with Canadian Muslims and, most importantly, embodied MAC’s core values. “Our mission is to establish an Islamic presence in Canada that is
