Op-Ed: The Muslim convert’s path

2014/02/03 Leave a comment

An interesting account of the conversion process by Stephane Pressault a student at St. Paul’s University. Fairly high level and philosophical; not sure how real world it is but worth reading.

When I meet a new convert, I always make sure to ask them where their ancestors are from. This questions often throws people back as if being Canadian contradicts being Muslim. I seek to change that. Becoming Muslim, for a Canadian convert, means understanding how Islam will shape one’s Canadian identity. Only institutionalized tarbiyah, through traditional scholarship that trains culturally relevant leaders and through artisanship and craftsmanship, that revives excellency in work can a convert embody excellence in their Islam.

Op-Ed: The convert’s path.

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Study dispels stereotypes about Ontario women who wear niqabs

2014/02/01 2 Comments

Interesting. I would also be interested in knowing how many were converts versus born Muslim:

A majority of the women who participated said they began wearing the veil after turning 18, and most foreign-born respondents said they only began wearing the niqab after arriving in Canada.

The study suggests concerns expressed by pundits that niqab wearers will use the concealing nature of the garb to avoid being photographed for identification or security purposes, such as boarding a flight at an airport, are unfounded.

“All those interviewed said they understood there were instances where they would be required to show their faces,” the authors wrote. Many interviewees indicated strongly that they would never refuse to reveal their face in an instance requiring they be identified.

The study indicates most women who wear the niqab made the decision based on a personal belief, rather than pressure from spouses or relatives.

“We thought it would be political, but it was more for them an expression of their spirituality or their journey, which we did not think we would hear,” Hogben said.

In fact, several respondents indicated they had been pressured by spouses to stop wearing the veil.

There is an ongoing debate among Muslim scholars as to whether the niqab is obligatory in Islam. The study chose to avoid the “religious or theological basis for the practice itself.”

Study dispels stereotypes about Ontario women who wear niqabs.

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Chris Selley: Canada’s secret ‘values’ debate | National Post

2014/01/31 Leave a comment

Chris Selley of the National Post on treatment of evangelicals versus other religions. While some of his points are valid, he may be going to far in stressing expression of religious freedom compared to other rights. My general test is to substitute other religions, race, or orientation and see how it lands, remembering that the effect on others is where the balance of rights question arises.

But I agree with him that open discussion is better than hiding things. Far better that Professor Grayson of York U went public over the accommodation issue to help society discuss the “reasonable” in reasonable accommodation:

Yet in the Rest of Canada, politicians aren’t advocating legal changes. They seem to have started simply proclaiming certain opinions unpresentable, or even un-Canadian — ”This is Canada, pure and simple,” a scandalized Liberal MP Judy Sgro said of York’s position — while ignoring the obvious ramifications of their positions were they consistently applied. Worse, they’re not consistently applying them and they show no signs of starting. As ever, many on the Canadian centre-left seem to be indulging a paranoid obsession with evangelicals, and it’s just as discreditable as Quebec politicians’ paranoid obsession with Muslims. Ugly as it is, at least Quebec’s “values” debate is playing out in the light of day.

Chris Selley: Canada’s secret ‘values’ debate | National Post.

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New Saudi writers offer form of Islamic liberation theology – Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

2014/01/30 Leave a comment

An interesting piece about Saudi Arabia and how some of the new generation of thinkers are questioning Saudi Salafism, a mini-reformation so to speak:

These writers and many others long for a new liberation theology that frees people from political oppression that is deeply rooted in religion. They represent a new generation of Saudi intellectuals who are prepared to challenge Salafist dogma, especially those aspects that have allowed absolute government to pacify society, criminalize civil and political activism and isolate people from the decision-making process. They challenge the meaning of concepts used by official Saudi religious scholars to “domesticate” the population and ensure its acquiescence in showing obedience to rulers and avoiding dissent and chaos.

These Saudis have not abandoned Islam but are searching in its history and interpretations for ways to challenge Saudi Arabia’s political stagnation and religious dogma. They all cherish the freedom to discuss and debate openly and reach out to audiences beyond the limited circles of the educated and intellectuals. Yet, they are denied this opportunity as a result of traditional Salafist resistance and the government’s fear of the new discourse they are attempting to propagate. The Saudi government is frightened by these revisionist approaches to religion and their potential consequences, especially if they empower a young generation tired of rehearsing old religious ideas.

If real political change needs an intellectual framework, then this new generation of writers is definitely contributing to the debate that may in the future lead Saudis to endorse a revisionist liberation theology. All they need at this juncture is a group of dedicated activists who can put their ideas into action.

New Saudi writers offer form of Islamic liberation theology – Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East.

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Excerpt: Divine Interventions, on religion and government | Rick Salutin

2014/01/27 Leave a comment

Some interesting commentary by Rick Salutin on secularism and post-secularism:

That’s the real argument for post-secular tolerance: not just that it’s right but that everyone feels better; you’re no longer stifled by the monolithic, exclusive nature of an identity that, back home, defined and determined who you were, totally outside your will; here, in the Canadian blender with no dominant force, other possibilities jostle with it. Slowly, everyone gains access to new resources and the freedom to try them.

If not a definition, what about rules — or, as Captain Jack Sparrow says, guidelines. Here’s one for religion’s post-secular role, with thanks to Alia Hogben: in political discussions, no one may quote God. Why? Because it cuts off debate and tries to restore the pre-post-secular status quo. It’s like Godwin’s law about Internet debates: whoever mentions Hitler first loses.

This poses a challenge to religious people: they must find ways to make their point without quoting God. It forces them to express themselves in ways accessible to unbelievers. Not everyone will agree, but it’s easier than banning believers from the political arena totally — which will just alienate and frustrate them while depriving others of the benefit of their insights.

Besides, religion isn’t going to go anywhere. It’s more likely that other components of the post-secular public square, like Marxism, Ayn Randism, atheism, humanism or even, God willing, neo-liberal economics, will depart first. The point isn’t that religion in its many versions has answers that others don’t, but it’s one resource among others.

Excerpt: Divine Interventions, an ebook about religion and government | Toronto Star.

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Khadir cautionne la ségrégation des sexes, accuse le SPQ-Libre | Charte de la laïcité

2014/01/24 Leave a comment

Interesting story about Amir Khadir attending a meeting of Muslim Canadians where the women were seated on one side, the men on the other, and the resulting criticism. I liked the way he handled it:

« J’aimerais que ceux qui prétendent lutter contre l’intégrisme descendent de leur zone de confort et viennent fréquenter ces jeunes qui sont en questionnement, attirés par des gens qui leur offrent un refuge, alors que nous, avec une certaine démonisation des communautés immigrantes, on les repousse dans les bras des intégristes », a répliqué le député de Québec solidaire.

Better to debate and discuss, than pontificate.

Khadir cautionne la ségrégation des sexes, accuse le SPQ-Libre | Paul Journet et Hugo Pilon-Larose | Charte de la laïcité.

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Les conflits religieux sont en hausse dans le monde | Le Devoir

2014/01/23 Leave a comment

A reminder that religious conflicts are increasing, with Christians being under greater danger:

Parmi les 25 pays les plus peuplés, l’Égypte, l’Indonésie, la Russie, le Pakistan et la Birmanie sont ceux qui ont connu le plus de conflits religieux. C’est au Pakistan que les minorités religieuses souffrent le plus au monde. Ces derniers mois, les chrétiens pakistanais ont été la cible de nombreuses attaques, dont une survenue dans une église qui a fait 80 morts. En Égypte, il y a aussi eu une série d’attaques commises contre des églises coptes et des entreprises chrétiennes….

Dans de nombreux pays, les gouvernements continuent d’ailleurs d’imposer de nombreuses restrictions religieuses, dont l’interdiction même de pratiquer une religion, de se convertir ou de donner accès à des services essentiels et d’accorder des emplois à certains groupes religieux. Dans cette étude, la Corée du Nord n’a pas été prise en compte, alors que le pays est considéré comme étant le « plus répressif du monde, y compris en ce qui concerne les libertés religieuses ».

Les conflits religieux sont en hausse dans le monde | Le Devoir.

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When two rights collide, who’s wrong? – The Globe and Mail

2014/01/22 Leave a comment

Good commentary by Leah Eichler on the issues raised by the York U controversy from the perspective of the some private sector diversity advisers. Much more common sense than from York U admin or  lawyer Albertos Polizogopoulos’ It’s not about sex — it’s about the law – New Canadian Media – NCM:

Natalie MacDonald, a founding partner at Rudner MacDonald, a boutique law firm in Toronto specializing in employment law, said the York student’s request for accommodation under the guise of religion marginalizes and perpetuates discrimination against women, setting gender equality back several years.

“I know of no religion that could possibly legitimize such a request that would preclude a male student from working with female students in a group setting. And, if there were such a religion, the fact that it would marginalize women, and perpetuate discriminatory conduct against them, should be sufficient to deny the request,” she said.

Ms. MacDonald added that she finds it “disturbing that this kind of discriminatory request could have been made in Canada in 2014, let alone granted by the head of an institution of higher learning.”

The incident at York should become a cautionary tale, not a professional precedent. I’m an ardent advocate for religious freedoms. But if religious or cultural beliefs in any way reverse the gains earned by the women’s rights movement, count me out.

When two rights collide, who’s wrong? – The Globe and Mail.

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Muslim Women Challenge American Mosques: ‘Now Is The Time’ : NPR

2014/01/22 Leave a comment

Not only happening in the US but also in Canada. While likely still a minority of mosques having a more inclusive approach to gender, increased willingness of some mosques reflects greater integration.

Muslim Women Challenge American Mosques: ‘Now Is The Time’ : NPR.

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Canada has “moral obligation” to support Israel, stop anti-Semitism: Jason Kenney

2014/01/18 Leave a comment

While most observers would disagree with Minister Kenney’s characterization of the Canadian approach to the Mid-East as “balanced,” his interview well worth reading as an overview of the Canadian government’s position on Israel and antisemitism, on the eve of the PM-led delegation to Israel.

Kenney was instrumental in increasing the focus on antisemitism, through participation in a number of international fora, hosting the Ottawa Conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Coalition Combatting Antisemitism, joining the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance,withdrawing Canada from the follow-up to the Durban Anti-racism conference,  and shifting general racism and discrimination programming to address specific forms such as antisemitism, among others.

While political parties always take into account the political advantage of positions (“shopping for votes”), this is more driven by beliefs, rather than electoral calculations (Stephen Harper’s deceased father a key influence in PM’s support for Israel).

Canada has “moral obligation” to support Israel, stop anti-Semitism: Jason Kenney.

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