Faisal Kutty.com » Belonging and Banishment

Belonging and Banishment – Being Muslim in Canada

Submitted by Editor on February 9, 2009 – 2:55 pmNo Comment

A variety of Canadian voices come together here to explore some of the vital issues facing Muslims in Canada. Who, indeed, is a Canadian Muslim? This is only one of the fundamental questions addressed in this volume. The authors are from diverse ethnic backgrounds, hail from coast to coast, and profess varying degrees of practice and belief. In their thoughtful contributions, they explore matters of faith, identity, sectarianism, human rights, and women’s rights. Specifically, the essays collected here question the dubious role of the government of Canada—under pressure from the “war on terror”—and its agencies regarding the human rights of young Muslims; explain the relationship between scientific research and the Muslim traditions of knowledge and intellectual pursuit; give examples of tolerant Muslim upbringing and reinforcement of positive teenage identities; point out the duplicitous practices of certain Canadian media in portraying Muslims; look at the issues of women voting or participating in sports while veiled, as well as the implications of Shariah law as a means of arbitration.

The contributors to this important and timely volume include,
Anar Ali, author (fiction); Arif Babul, University Distinguished Professor and Professor of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, British Columbia; Anver Emon, professor of law, University of Toronto; Karim H Karim, Director of the School of Journalism and Communication, Carleton University, Ottawa; Ausma Khan, editor, Muslim Girl; Rukhsana Khan, author (children’s books); Sheema Khan, columnist, The Globe and Mail; Amin Malak, professor of English, Grant MacEwan College, Edmonton, Alberta; Syed Mohamed Mehdi, Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, IL; Haroon Siddiqui, editor emeritus, The Toronto Star.
Natasha Bakht is an assistant professor of law at the University of Ottawa. She was called to the bar of Ontario in 2003 and served as a law clerk to Justice Louis Arbour at the Supreme Court of Canada. Her research interests are generally in the area of law, culture and minority rights and specifically in the intersecting area of religious freedom and women’s equality. Natasha has written extensively on the issue of religious arbitration in family law. Her probono work includes being active as a member of the Law Program Committee for the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF). Natasha is also an Indian contemporary dancer and choreographer. She is the 2008 co-recipient of the KM Hunter Artists Award, presented to artists in Ontario who have begun to produce a body of work and make a significant mark in their field.