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111 Olivia Monem Iam a Muslim Canadian-born woman of Egyptian heritage. I studied education to become a public school teacher, but eventually found myself too busy to teach. Besides being a wife and mother, I became the author of a teacher’s manual about Islam, a Muslim Ladies Committee chairperson, the principal of the local weekend Islamic school, and even sometimes an interior decorator at the local masjid. I have been invited to over a dozen public schools (and a few churches) to talk about Islam, and have been a speaker at our local college’s “Islam Awareness Week” more than once. I thank Allah and my parents for all that I’ve been able to do so far, and I’d like to share with you my personal story. Growing up in a non-Muslim society was a challenge, but my parents and my local Muslim community (the Islamic Society of Kingston) were always there to provide support. For example, during public school, when peer pressure was at its worst for me, my parents made me feel like I could discuss anything with them without guilt. Whenever they couldn’t answer my questions, they referred me to a trusted member of our community or to a written resource. My parents understood that if I were to explain my beliefs to my friends and/or classmates, I had to be solidly convinced myself about the reasons behind our practices and rituals. My mother never answered a question with “Just because,” but tried her best to provide me with as many Olivia Monem 10 Building a Community for the Next Generation details as possible. For example during Ramadan we, as Muslim students, had the responsibility of explaining to our teachers and peers why we didn’t eat during lunch, and why water and even chewing gum were not allowed. Everyone around us seemed to focus on the food, when we wanted to focus on the spiritual and social aspect. We were excited about attending the taraweeh prayers in the evenings (special prayers during Ramadan), the iftars (dinners) at each other’s house or at the masjid, and of course the ‘Eid-AlFitr at the end of the month! While we were excited at home and at the masjid, we couldn’t share our excitement at school. Only our close friends empathized with us and supported us while it seemed the rest of the world didn’t care. At times we found ourselves repeating the same thing to people: we don’t actually stop eating and drinking for the whole month, but just between dawn and sunset daily during that month! The other activities we did, like works of charity, the extra praying, and the ‘Eid celebration, didn’t seem to matter to them. Again, Mom was the one who made Ramadan special by decorating the house, making special food, taking me to the masjid for iftar, and shopping for new clothes. Sometimes it felt like we Muslims were living in two separate worlds. On weekends I attended the weekend Islamic school, and all of the teachers were parents of Muslim friends I had grown up with. Our community was like an extended family to me, and it was there that I learned some of the skills I use today. For example, before and during high school I had to learn how to talk about Islam to non-Muslim audiences because of the constant stereotypes in the media about Muslims regarding women and the concept of jihad. Fortunately some of those parents believed in us and took the time to train us how to present Islam to non-Muslims. We were given many opportunities to practice public speaking, and they helped us to prepare for the future. For example, going to local schools to talk about Islam, taking turns presenting topics to parents after the dhuhr (noon) prayer at the weekend Islamic school, and presenting plays and recitations to community members at the masjid. Our community also had a youth group, which consisted mostly of second-generation Canadian Muslims, like myself. During those years of being a member of the youth group, we planned and organized many activities, including social events, speakers, fund-raisers, and even sports events. When we met bi-weekly it was a chance for us to discuss issues like living in a non-Muslim society, our parents’ expectations, and our personal academic goals. Even though all of us from the youth group have moved away from Kingston...

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