I am a Canadian Muslim woman and have had the privilege of calling Canada my home since 1984. The opportunities I've been given from this beautiful country far outnumber the minor challenges I faced during my early years here.
I have benefited from Canada's prosperity, professional opportunities, the tolerance of fellow Canadians and the wonderful opportunities to grow intellectually in an environment that fosters tolerance for differences and divergent opinions. In this regard, I consider myself most fortunate as I am a Muslim woman with unconventional ideas about my faith.
Often members of my own faith community have looked upon my opinions with suspicion. They would very well deny me the right to question, challenge and remould the accepted narrative within Islam. The orthodoxy views the opinions of laity with distrust, thinking only "experts" have the right and proper knowledge to interpret faith; I for one firmly believe that anyone who is affected by religious precept and practice ought to have the right to question and reinterpret it.
That has been my position ever since I started debating Muslim issues publically. I strongly believe that as a Muslim I have every right to question my faith, to arrive at my own unique understanding of it, and to practice it according to my very own sensibilities as a unique human being. For that I am grateful to my adoptive country, Canada.
Canada has taught me the value of free thought and expression. Undoubtedly many from among my own family and friends have attempted to place restrictions on my right as a free thinking individual, but I continue to reserve that right and choose to exercise it even as I speak now from the depth of my heart.
Thank you Canada for letting me question and think critically and above all, for letting me be myself!
Follow Farzana Hassan on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@FarzanaHassan1
in each based on tradition, education money etc.... I have many Muslim friends and Jewish who drink and eat pork like there is no tomorrow.
90% were hard core party guys. incl
Saudis , specially .
with science winning over everything else daily our reliance on religions
has waned whether we like it or not .
100 yrs ago 90% of Americans went to church every Sunday . today divide by three. Muslims same deal.
That's nice. It is unfortunate that you are not willing to grant the same right to those you disagree with. Remember the niqab issue? Those Muslim women who wear that garb that so offends you have as much right to practice and express their religion and beliefs as you. Please remember that, next time you try to rob them of their right to excercise their free religious expression, based on their own sensibilities as a unique human being.
I'll also defend societies right to remove itself from you.
No public services, for starters.
That means no public transit, no admittance to any public building, no driving on public roads, no taking your kids to the mall or even a public park, and routine inspection under your face rag to confirm your identity by law enforcement.
Welcome to the West. You want to wear a burka/niqab in public?
You'll either routinely show your face, or be shown the door.
This is what makes Canada great, that people have the right to publicly question religions or create ideas, but at the same time others have the right to again question those ideas, without fear of repercussion (generally speaking). I feel Hassan gets the first part but often misses the second part.
My main issue is when people try to get the government involved to outlaw certain lifestyles, beliefs and viewpoints. Thus far the Muslim Canadian Congress, the organization Hassan belongs to has advocated that certain groups/individuals of otherwise law abiding Muslims be outlawed in Canada, often because they do not fit into the view points of the Muslim Canadian Congress. No other Muslim group has attempted to outlaw another law abiding co-religionist in Canada, regardless of broad theological differences.