I’ve noticed something whenever I question something or am unhappy with the way certain things are. I meet people who criticize me for criticizing. I get labels thrown on me like being a whiner, a pessimist, I'm unhappy with anything, yada yada… Seriously? I have to stay content with the way things are? Why?

Well some say I should be grateful because "back home" (I was born here, this is my home) is far worse. Or there’s someone worse off than I. Granted. But does that mean things can’t be better here?

Let’s face it. We can’t be perfect. No one and nothing can be. But, there are certain things that can always be changed. Issues need to be identified and resolved. How do you think things got to where they are right now? Definitely not by saying, "well, we are better off than so-and-so, therefore let things be."

Every innovation, invention and revolution came from identifying an issue. Don’t put people down for it. Be active and brave enough to voice a concern!

As the New Year comes along, we are well aware of the significant issues that we have surpassed together as a nation. With natural disasters, deaths of canonical figures and terrifying man-made disasters, I’m sure we all agree that we have come very far in protecting ourselves and ensuring the protection of our fellow citizens. This can be seen through heightened security systems, particularly by the US.  However, have we gone too far in the name of safety?

When we take a look at Canada and compare it to the US post 9/11, have we done a better job at maintaining national security and democratic values?

Sure, we’ve had no Guantanamo Bay or torture in Canadian prisons and partially because of that, we seem to look down on the Americans for their excessive and seemingly exaggerated security methods. It’s been argued that 9/11 made Canada more Canadian because we put more emphasis on our values... particularly human rights. And unlike the U.S., we had been spared a terrorist attack.

However, Canada hasn’t been without its post 9/11 issues:

• Maher Arar
• Similar Canadian complicity in the torture in Syria of three other Canadian Arabs (who are negotiating a settlement with Ottawa and, unlike Arar, getting nowhere).
• The 2003 arrest of 23 men in Toronto on false accusations of being an Al Qaeda sleeper cell bent on blowing up the CN Tower.
• Benamar Benatta, an Algerian refugee claimant "rendered" the day after 9/11 to the U.S., where he was held five years before being cleared of any wrongdoing (and who's now suing Ottawa).
• Stephen Harper's stalling tactics in the probe of possible Canadian complicity in torture in Afghanistan, and his obstinacy – for reasons of ideology or partisan politics – in refusing to take Omar Khadr back from Guantanamo.
• The five Arabs held under security certificates, without charge and without being told why, cases that are collapsing in the courts, with two already tossed out.

 The main argument for holding them has been this: What else can be done with those who may pose a security threat but against whom there isn't the evidence to present in court and whom we cannot deport to their native nations for fear of torture?

But apparently, we are asking the wrong question.

The problem is not that, but rather the ineffectiveness of the “security services that hold the wrong people for the wrong reasons (or have them tortured abroad or held in the U.S.) and then invoke secrecy in the name of security to hide their mistakes.” (Siddiqui)

That has been the issue all along, as noted by Justice Dennis O'Connor (during the Arar inquiry) and as of the new year, should something not be done about it? Hopefully, realizing that these are false accusations will help Canada from making these mistakes again in the years to come.

 

Aesthetics & looks are given high priority in everything we do. Everything has to LOOK perfect. This reminded me of a story I heard by Shaykh in a masjid.

There were two people and one was laughing hysterically at the other. The reason being is that he found the other person extremely ugly and therefore hilarious. He made rude remarks based on his looks while laughing. The person being laughed at then replied, “Who do you laugh at? The creation or the creator?”.

SubhanAllah.

It’s such a simple statement but, such a big reminder. Allah has created each and every one of us. And truly, he is the only one who knows what beauty is.

Christmas Day was celebrated a little differently for Muslims all over the world this year, who gathered in Toronto for the annual "Reviving the Islamic Spirit" Conference. The theme of the conference was SOS: Saving the Ship of Humanity. It was a perfect theme for the end of the year, as many of us were coming up with our own New Year’s Resolutions for the upcoming months.

For most who attended, it was a perfect conference that went off without a hitch. The speakers were eloquent, intelligent, analytical and relevant. Fan favourites were Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Dr. Tareq Suwaidan and Professor Tariq Ramadan.  

Shaykh Hamza Yusuf delivered a powerful speech about what the West can learn from Islam. He suggested that the West could learn from Islam two things: one, how to adeptly integrate science and religion, and two, how to remedy the race problem in the world. He pointed to historical evidence, hadiths and verses from the Qur’an. Though it was an empowering speech which reminded listeners about the growth and influence of Islam, it seemed to ignore Islam’s downsides. While the Qur’an has proven remedies for dealing with race relations, Muslims in the 21st century have not necessarily been the harbingers of peace. How to make this transition from theory to practice - this was something he neglected to consider.

Dr. Tariq Ramadan, on the other hand, addressed this very limitation by suggesting that Canadian Muslims need to change themselves. We are getting ourselves into a great deal of trouble because we are ghettoizing ourselves – turning ourselves into minorities and rejecting our Canadian identities. In his speech he declares that young Muslims must go beyond the “minority complex” trap – to look at themselves as being Canadian citizens and forget about being a minority. Muslims in today’s world are enforcing and encouraging a sense of “us” versus “them”. We need look only at the comments section of our latest article on the Canadian Olympics to see how right he is.

Dr. Ramadan did not just focus on politics and society. He provided some stirring religious advice, reminding listeners that Allah (SWT) is very forgiving. There are many people who have done wrong and assume that they are too far gone – they cannot redeem themselves. But Allah (SWT) is very merciful and always able to forgive, no matter how much you have to be sorry about. For him, tearing is an important part of the forgiveness process. If you’ve done something wrong, knowingly and willingly, and the very thought of it brings tears to your eyes; you know you are on the path to redemption. But if your actions can not move you to tears, you should be concerned about your niyaat and your imaan.

Dr. Tareq Suwaidan also spoke of the link between science and religion, in a speech entitled “Do not disrupt the balance between religion and science.” He asserted that there is no science without religion, and that in fact, Muslims were the first to combine the two. There is indeed a great deal of science verified by the Quran and vice versa.  Fun fact: his daughter is president of the Ryerson MSA!

In terms of entertainment, Junaid Jamshed and Dr. Yusuf Islam (formerly known as Cat Stevens) were huge crowd pleasers. Not just because of their voices, but because of their stories. Both talked about their transformations and their growing acceptance of Islam. Junaid Jamshed moved the masses by saying that “I used to once draw crowds and fans with my devilish lyrics, and now I draw them to myself with my nasheeds.”

Maher Zain also drew a great number of young listeners, but his nasheeds are certainly controversial for their use of beats and modern instruments.

“David Letterman, the American comedian, could say on television, “I went to my doctor today and he said, ‘Turn to Mecca and cough’, because millions of Americans would easily get the joke.” – Shaykh Hamza Yusuf

There were a few things that were a little disconcerting. The presence of P4E (Paradise Forever) irked a lot of people, as they are alleged to be funded by CSIS, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.  Administratively speaking, guests were bothered by the immaturity and rudeness of most RIS volunteers, who were unfairly breaking rules for their friends and family (such as reserving seats). Considering the ticket price was so expensive, and the food was so overpriced, it did not help to be disadvantaged by a few childish volunteers.  

All in all, the event was everything that we had hoped for. I end with this anecdote shared by one of the speakers, reminding the listeners that even the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) had a sense of humour:  

When the prophet got married to Hazrat Aisha RA (after marrying Hazrat Khadija RA), the former used to bug his daughter Hazrat Fatima RA by saying that “I am the first virgin you’re father ever married.” When Fatima RA went to her father to complain, he told his daughter. “Don’t worry. Next time she tells you that, tell her I wasn’t a virgin when I married her.”