by Daood Hamdani
Ottawa – When Muslim Canadians observed Al-Mawled Al-Nabawi (the anniversary of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad) on 12 February 2013, there was something strikingly different going on at the celebration in Ottawa, the nation’s capital. Breaking with the practice of sitting in the audience, sometimes behind curtains, and listening to male speakers, Muslim women took centre stage. From master of ceremonies to the keynote speaker, Muslim women captivated a full house – comprising legislators, diplomats, community leaders and Canadians of all faiths – in the Government Conference Centre.
The positive outpouring of response after the event was unprecedented in the 30-year history of this celebration in Ottawa.
The Al-Mawled Al-Nabawi celebration has played a crucial part in helping the largely immigrant Muslim community integrate with broader Canadian society. This ceremony used to be held in Muslim places of worship and hardly attracted anyone of other faiths. However in 2002, thanks to the efforts of dedicated community leaders and the support of a few members of Canada’s parliament, Muslims were able to move the celebration to the parliament building.
Explaining the significance of this shift in his welcome address, Jaffar Hashmi, President of the Ottawa Shia Islamic Association and co-ordinator of the event, said, “The move [from places of worship] to Parliament Hill was not just a change in the venue, but arose from our intention to embody and share the universal values of Islam with the broader Canadian community.” The focus this year was on gender equity and how it was practised in the Prophet’s own family.
The Prophet Muhammad’s wife and daughter were key figures in the transformative events in the history of Islam. For example, the person the Prophet immediately turned to for consultation upon receiving his first divine revelation was his wife, Khadija. His revered daughter, Fatima, was the first woman after his death to challenge the state, questioning its interpretation of inheritance law in early Islam. Her stand for justice paved the way for other Muslim women to speak up for their rights. Many Muslim social and political leaders, including the former first lady of Pakistan, drew inspiration from the Prophet’s daughter.
But cultural influences not practiced in early Islam started seeping into religious beliefs in conservative Muslim communities and led to the notion that a woman’s need for dependence as a wife could only be fulfilled by suppressing all other aspirations outside the house.
These patriarchal views are increasingly being challenged by Muslims around the world. For example, female Muslim scholars like American Lale Bakhtiar and Canadian Nevin Reda have questioned some of the traditional interpretations of Islam’s teachings, including the role of Muslim women in religious institutions.
Muslim women’s leadership has also been vital in changing women’s attitudes. In particular, the Canadian Council of Muslim Women and the Ottawa Muslim Women’s Organisation have made strides in transforming women’s views about their role in Canadian society. Ingrained assumptions are changing, albeit slowly.
Young Muslim women defy patriarchal representations of the women’s role in society. The traditional family model in which there is a male breadwinner and a full-time housewife no longer adequately captures the reality of Canadian Muslim life. According to government data, mothers with pre-schoolers at home are joining the labour force in large numbers, matching or exceeding those in European countries, in some cases by approximately 50 per cent. Indeed, some of these women are the primary breadwinners of the family.
In spite of the progress in social and cultural adaptation, the idea of women’s integration into religious events and institutions still has room for improvement, partly because many religious leaders were born and educated in conservative or culturally different Muslim communities and are struggling with how to respond to the contemporary needs of their Canadian congregations.
However, many more Muslims in Canada are clearly moving on with greater women’s integration. And there is no more appropriate occasion to show their commitment to gender equality and equity than the anniversary of the birth of the Prophet, who transformed a rigidly patriarchal society and respected women’s equal rights.
###
* Daood Hamdani is the author of In the Footsteps of Canadian Muslim Women 1837-2007 and The Al-Rashid: Canada’s first mosque 1938. This article was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).
Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 5 March 2013, www.commongroundnews.org
Copyright permission is granted for publication.
The positive outpouring of response after the event was unprecedented in the 30-year history of this celebration in Ottawa.
The Al-Mawled Al-Nabawi celebration has played a crucial part in helping the largely immigrant Muslim community integrate with broader Canadian society. This ceremony used to be held in Muslim places of worship and hardly attracted anyone of other faiths. However in 2002, thanks to the efforts of dedicated community leaders and the support of a few members of Canada’s parliament, Muslims were able to move the celebration to the parliament building.
Explaining the significance of this shift in his welcome address, Jaffar Hashmi, President of the Ottawa Shia Islamic Association and co-ordinator of the event, said, “The move [from places of worship] to Parliament Hill was not just a change in the venue, but arose from our intention to embody and share the universal values of Islam with the broader Canadian community.” The focus this year was on gender equity and how it was practised in the Prophet’s own family.
The Prophet Muhammad’s wife and daughter were key figures in the transformative events in the history of Islam. For example, the person the Prophet immediately turned to for consultation upon receiving his first divine revelation was his wife, Khadija. His revered daughter, Fatima, was the first woman after his death to challenge the state, questioning its interpretation of inheritance law in early Islam. Her stand for justice paved the way for other Muslim women to speak up for their rights. Many Muslim social and political leaders, including the former first lady of Pakistan, drew inspiration from the Prophet’s daughter.
But cultural influences not practiced in early Islam started seeping into religious beliefs in conservative Muslim communities and led to the notion that a woman’s need for dependence as a wife could only be fulfilled by suppressing all other aspirations outside the house.
These patriarchal views are increasingly being challenged by Muslims around the world. For example, female Muslim scholars like American Lale Bakhtiar and Canadian Nevin Reda have questioned some of the traditional interpretations of Islam’s teachings, including the role of Muslim women in religious institutions.
Muslim women’s leadership has also been vital in changing women’s attitudes. In particular, the Canadian Council of Muslim Women and the Ottawa Muslim Women’s Organisation have made strides in transforming women’s views about their role in Canadian society. Ingrained assumptions are changing, albeit slowly.
Young Muslim women defy patriarchal representations of the women’s role in society. The traditional family model in which there is a male breadwinner and a full-time housewife no longer adequately captures the reality of Canadian Muslim life. According to government data, mothers with pre-schoolers at home are joining the labour force in large numbers, matching or exceeding those in European countries, in some cases by approximately 50 per cent. Indeed, some of these women are the primary breadwinners of the family.
In spite of the progress in social and cultural adaptation, the idea of women’s integration into religious events and institutions still has room for improvement, partly because many religious leaders were born and educated in conservative or culturally different Muslim communities and are struggling with how to respond to the contemporary needs of their Canadian congregations.
However, many more Muslims in Canada are clearly moving on with greater women’s integration. And there is no more appropriate occasion to show their commitment to gender equality and equity than the anniversary of the birth of the Prophet, who transformed a rigidly patriarchal society and respected women’s equal rights.
###
* Daood Hamdani is the author of In the Footsteps of Canadian Muslim Women 1837-2007 and The Al-Rashid: Canada’s first mosque 1938. This article was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).
Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 5 March 2013, www.commongroundnews.org
Copyright permission is granted for publication.
