Status of Women in Islam
December 1991 / January 1992
(This article is excerpted by permission of the author, from his essay in al Islam (Summer 1991) Dr. M.I.E, President of the K-W Islamic Association, also a professor of ECE and director of the VSLI Project at the University of Waterloo
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The status of women still seems to be an important issue in the public conscience in the 1990’s.

Issues of equality, role of motherhood, women’s rights, lack of women in the field of sciences and engineering are constantly discussed. The subject was an important one for thousands of years and it appears that it will stay with us as long as men and women constitute the two basic building blocks of any society.

As a Muslim Canadian, I would like to put to rest the stereotyping by presenting how Islam deals with the status of women, it is an integral part of the Islamic world view, value system and the rights and duties of men and women.

Over 1400 years ago, Islam established spiritual equality by categorically stating that men and women will receive equal reward for their efforts.

Islam also teaches that men and women are born free from sin. Adam committed the first sin, his wife is not blamed for his sin.

Intellectual equality comes next. “The search for knowledge is a duty for every Muslim, male or female”. Knowledge is not divided into sacred and secular, it is comprehensive; making a living is a byproduct not an objective. Man and woman should pursue his or her education as far and as long as it is possible “from the cradle to the grave”. As a result of this teaching, throughout history, many Muslim women became famous religious scholars, writers, poets, doctors and teachers. Today, in many Muslim countries women are half of the university student population in most areas of study, including medicine, sciences, engineering and law. Women can take any career they choose, as long as it is moral. This also applies to men; no double standard. Thus women were given the independence to learn and to work.

Women’s relationship with men in Islam is one of interdependence. Both men and women have rights and duties; his or her obligation to be kind, to love, to cherish: is first, second and thirdly towards the mother, fourthly to the father, and then to the wife/husband, and so on. As a result, a Muslim mother has a great feeling of fulfillment and considers that being a full-time mother is a great blessing. She feels secure about the care she can expect from her children when she reaches old age.

The relationship between women (as wives) and men (as husbands) within marriage is one of mutual care, consideration, respect and affection. It is one of co-operation, not of confrontation.

The rights and duties of the husband and wife is aimed at preserving the family unit in such a way that the atmosphere of tranquillity, love and mercy can develop to the benefit of husband and wife, their children and society at large. A Muslim woman keeps her legal identity and maintains her surname after marriage. Anything a wife earns is her own, either to use it herself or to contribute it to the family budget in all or in part, if she wishes. The man has full responsibility for the maintenance of the family. Meanwhile, the wife is responsible for the welfare of the family and management of the household.

The husband is the head of the family unit and should consult his wife in all matters to reach a consensus; If consensus cannot be reached, he is responsible for making a decision, and his wife has an obligation to follow that decision for the harmony of the marriage relationship.

More than 1400 years ago, Islam advanced the rights of women, giving them political rights: to vote, to nominate and to run for public office. Women were also given full rights to refute the legitimacy and constitutionality of the laws, to own property, to be full partners in trade and commerce, to sell and buy and to sign legal documents .. all without referring to any man. Women in Islam are entitled to inherit, without a will, half of the share given to a male counterpart. This may appear to be unfair, if taken in isolation. However, it must be remembered that men in Islam have moral and legal responsibilities towards the maintenance of all the women in their families. The half share that a woman inherits is her own without any financial obligation at all, moral or legal.

Now what is the relationship between women and men, other than their husbands and close relatives? Islam teaches men to look upon women as sisters, and sex outside marriage is not only a sin but a crime against society; both men and women held accountable.

Dissolution of marriages through divorce is allowed only when all methods of reconciliation have been exhausted. Some types of divorce are husband-instigated, others wife-instigated, still others are the result of mutual agreement or judicial process.

Islam allows man to have more than one wife, up to four, requiring full equal treatment between wives and their knowledge and consent as necessary conditions for the marriage to continue, allowing the marriage to end in divorce if equality is not fulfilled. Thus monogamy is the norm and polygamy is the exception. (Polygamy, or more precisely polygyny or plurality of wives was practised long before Islam but without limits or assurances). Although the practice has been abused, it may be considered as the lesser of two evils.

If Muslim women’s status has been compromised in any Islamic society, for any period of time, it is because that society has not followed the Islamic teachings.

Fasting of Ramadan
April / May 1992
(This article is excerpted by permission of the author, from Extracts published by the Toronto Star, April 25,1987)
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Canadian Muslims, and Muslims worldwide, are presently fasting the month of Ramadan. For 29-30 days they fast during the daylight hours of each day (from one hour before sunrise until sunset). The keynote to all observances is self-discipline, self-restraint and flexibility. It is not an ascetic or self-mortifying practice.

On the material level, the fasting – during the fasting hours – involves total abstinence from all food, drink, tobacco and marital intercourse. On the behavioral level, abstinence from quarreling or engaging in angry talk, and wrong behavior of any sort. It is a time for reconciliation.

Fasting is in no sense an excuse for neglect of work or obligations, idleness irritability or outbursts of temper, but, on the contrary, should be a totally inner state leading to patience and inner peace. Muslims must carry on their work and other activities even though they may be hungry, thirsty and tired.

The basic rules of fasting are quite simple: every day of Ramadan is a fasting day. The very elderly, the very young, and the insane are permanently exempt from fasting; while travelling or sick persons, women during menstruation and up to 40 days following childbirth, pregnant and nursing mothers, and any other condition where fasting could cause harm, are temporarily exempt. Instead, he or she would feed a needy person or give a sum equivalent to the meal.

Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic Hijra Calendar, and is followed by Eid al Fitr, the festival of Fast-Breaking.

It should be noted that because Islam uses a lunar rather than a solar calendar, any given date falls 12 days earlier each year than in the preceding one. Consequently, Ramadan, (and all other dates), rotates throughout the seasons, completing the cycle of 12 months in about 33 years. So Ramadan can be in the spring, summer, fall or winter.

Fasting is naturally quite easy during the short days of winter, but can be extremely taxing in the heat of tropical summers. Under such conditions the fasting Muslims learn that food and drink are indeed precious gifts to be accepted with thankfulness and not taken for granted. They also learn to feel with the poor who are frequently in the same state of hunger they are now experiencing, and become even more charitable during Ramadan.

The most difficult time is the first 3 days, when the body is adapting to the new system of no food, no drink, and no smoking for so many hours. The body learns to survive, and spends its time cleaning up and putting its internal functions in order without the daily duties of consuming food. It possesses fantastic mechanisms whereby it can deposit and store fuel during periods of availability and it possesses the ability to mobilize this fuel at times of need. During fasting for example, the liver must provide glucose for tissues requiring this fuel, primarily the brain; This it does mainly by synthesizing new glucose from glycogenic amino acids released into the circulation from the muscles. This results in a fast rate of fat breakdown.

Does one lose weight during Ramadan? Yes, if one does not indulge at the time of breaking the fast!

In spite of the apparent hardship of fasting, Ramadan is a very enjoyable period to which Muslims look forward year after year, when a special family and social atmosphere prevails throughout.

Eid al Adha
June / July 1992
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On Thursday June 11th, Canadian Muslims join their fellow Muslims worldwide in the celebration of Eid al Adha: The Feast of Sacrifice, commemorating Abraham’s obedience to sacrifice his son Ishmael, and the offering of the lamb to replace Ishmael – thus signalling an end to human sacrifice and holding human life at the highest level.

Families celebrate by sacrificing farm animals to feed the poor and the needy.

The day starts with an early morning prayer followed by festive activities that include visiting relatives and friends and enjoying a Canadian summer day outdoors. Children wear their best traditional clothes and enjoy games, sweets and cake; and would probably receive a present or two from parents and grandparents.

Close to two million Muslims, on that day, will have just finished assembling in a state of devotion, on a mountain top near the city of Mekka in Saudi Arabia. The assembly occurs at the end of the annual Islamic Pilgrimage to Mekka : al Hajj.

The Hajj at least once in a life time, is required of every Muslim, if he/she is financially and physically able.

The Ka’bah itself, the focus of this act of worship was built by the prophets Abraham and his son Ishmael; It is a cube-like building measuring about 35 feet on each side and is 50 feet high, and stands today in the centre of Al Haram mosque, the largest in the world, accommodating more than 600,000 people at a time.

Hajj is a spiritual experience, when Muslim men and women, rich and poor, from all races, gather from across the globe, clad in simple dress of white. The men wear two white sheets, the women are dressed in a simple light colour dress mostly white. Every member of this great assembly sets out from home, on the journey of Hajj, concentrating his or her devotion on the Creator, not in solitude, but in the company of others.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Yesterday & Today
December 1991 / January 1992

A note of acknowledgement and appreciation is due here, to the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Ottawa .. specifically to the Cultural Attache : Dr. Al Jasser
for providing this wealth of information and his willingness to share it

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia enjoys a long and rich history. The region’s ancient nomadic peoples developed a deep love for the land as well as a strong sense of independence.

The Arabian peninsula has supported agricultural, herding and hunting cultures for thousands of years. Living on important ancient trade routes, the ancestors of the Saudi Arabians were touched by diverse civilizations, including those of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, Byzantium, India, Persia and China.

It is one of the regions that historians know little about. However it is rich in old historical monuments narrating the history of the old man. The first studies or excavations started only in the sixties; and although there are some different evidences, it is clear that the region known today as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was populated for intermittent periods since earliest human history.

Permanent settlement dates back to 5000-4000 B.C.

In prehistoric times, the Arabian peninsula was very different from what we know today.

There were lakes and inland streams, where now, there is desert and saline rocky plains. Stone age implements found on the edge of the great desert, the Rub al Khali, indicate that hunters and fishermen once reached the area.

The people of the Arabian peninsula were a mixture of various Semitic tribes who used each others’ customs and dialects.

Trade exposed them to many different ideas and sciences, most important of which were mathematics and the alphabet. This tradition of accepting, and promoting human achievements was especially useful to the Arabs as they entered the next major period of historical development, the Islamic Era. With the advent of Islam in the 7th century, the various tribes and clans were unified under the new religion.

The Qur’an (Kuran), the holy book of Islam, was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad in the western Arabian cities of Makkah (Mecca) and Madinah (Medina) beginning about 610 A.D. Islamic rule had flourished in many countries throughout the 16th century, and it had significant cultural, artistic, and scientific impact.

The Muslim Arab civilization remained vigorous for centuries, providing stability and advancing human knowledge. The Arabs made extensive and original contributions to chemistry, physics, optics, astronomy, medicine, mathematics literature, and philosophy. They invented Algebra, they also transmitted the number system, called Arabic numerals, to the West.

In the 13th century, the Mongol invasions dealt a devastating blow to the Arabs’ eastern lands, and their empire began to decline.

The modern Saudi Arabia begins with Abdul Aziz al Saud, known in the West as Ibn Saud. The al Saud family had reigned over much of Arabia in the early 19th century. It lost part of its territory to the Turks later in the century, however, and was driven from its capital, Riyadh, by the rival House of Rashid.

In 1902 Abdul Aziz recaptured the city and began to reconquer and reunify the country, which he completed some three decades later. In 1927 he was officially proclaimed king, and the country was named the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932.

Since the discovery of oil (petroleum) in commercial quantities in 1938, rapid economic development and rising prominence in world affairs have dominated the most recent chapter in Saudi Arabia’s history.

Inviting New Canadians
December 1991 / January 1992

Yvonne Roussy

Canadian culture .. even those born and raised here have a difficult time defining exactly what this is. For someone new to Canada, our customs and traditions must seem strange and sometimes intimidating. Friends of mine from different countries have told me that Canadians seem cold, conservative and lack a sense of humour; in short: “standoff-ish”.

I’m sure that this is not the image we wish to project. Yet, if I am honest with myself, I know that this image is a realistic one. Not too long ago, a fellow Council member who hails from another culture was a guest in my home. During his visit, we discussed the music and poetry of my guest’s native culture. He sang for me as we sat at the kitchen table. Suddenly I felt very uncomfortable. How was I to react, to show my appreciation? What was considered polite in his culture? This experience taught me that, as a Canadian, I must indeed seem aloof and cool – not the image I wish to project. At that moment, I also experienced some of the sense of alienation and isolation that must be commonplace for new arrivals to this culture. I began to imagine how it must feel if this type of situation occurs throughout the course of a day.

On that day, I learned a little about the plight of those who are new to Canada. I realized that this same feeling of being set apart from others can only be increased by the inability to converse in the language of one’s new home.

As a response to this problem, the Literacy Council of Kitchener-Waterloo at which I am a volunteer, offers speakers of other languages an opportunity to learn to speak, read and write in English. The Council is a non-profit, community based organization, dedicated to improving the quality of life in our community by enhancing self-esteem and social skills through increased literacy levels.

We offer one-on-one, student centered tutoring according to the Laubach system motto:

“Each one teach one”

This alternative to traditional classroom settings allows total privacy and confidentiality, and guarantees individualized attention for each student. In this way, we hope to break down some of the cultural barriers, and help new Canadians fulfil their basic need to communicate in our sometimes complex society.

Tutors are matched individually with students to provide the maximum potential in learning and growth for both. Speaker of other languages who are interested in improving their communication skills in English are invited to visit our office

A New Experience
December 1991 / January 1992
Elsa Torre
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I am delighted with the launching of the magazine “Cross Cultures” especially because this community hosts an enormous diversity of ethnic groups, and Cross Cultures will provide an excellent way to communicate with everyone, and help us all know and understand each other better, and that is why I am writing to tell everyone about the organization I am working with: the K-W Intercultural Women’s Group. It was created by a committee of dedicated volunteers who felt many immigrant women’s needs were not being totally addressed. Our goal is to help them integrate into mainstream Canadian society.

We have organized support groups for those women. Each group is formed of a few members who are encouraged to interact, to be self motivated and to direct the program according to their own needs. Our groups are headed by volunteer leaders who have a genuine interest in helping these women adapt to their new country. Many of the leaders are immigrants themselves, and are well aware of the obstacles faced by newcomers. Others are volunteers who wish to put their time and skills to a worthy cause. Together they form a very cohesive team.

A few of the short term goals we wish to achieve:

* Provide an atmosphere where the members feel free to talk and express their ideas and concerns

* Implement those ideas into programs

* Organize activities in which members get better acquainted and develop lasting friendships and acquire broader
knowledge and understanding of other cultures, races and points of view

* Develop a program that is flexible, dynamic, creative, educational and recreational

* Inform members of community events and services available for them and their families

* Provide as many learning experiences as possible, through group members or by hosting speakers

* Provide a comfortable atmosphere to practice their English skills

The groups meet regularly. Babysitting is at no cost. Groups meet at different locations

Mixed – Up Priorities
December 1991 / January 1992

Arvind Vyas came to Canada 17 years ago, originally from Gujarat, India.  He  is an Engineer, speaks 3 languages and loves sports, painting and teaching

As they say “Life is but a journey from cradle to grave”. It is simple and straight. Then why do we see all the complications ? I remember a farmer’s story my good friend used to tell me:

“This farmer had a dog that followed his master every day from the house to the farm and from the farm to the house. One day when the farmer was returning home from the farm, as usual, his dog was with him. The dog was totally exhausted and gasping for air. Seeing the dog half-dead, a passer-by questioned the farmer, “How could you make your dog run all the way? Don’t you have any mercy ?”. The farmer replied, “My good man, the farm is not too far from here and this dog is not tired because of that short distance. He had many distractions on the way, he chased so many cats and dogs and rabbits in his path, that he is now exhausted”

Ours is a similar situation, isn’t it ? Life is simple and straight and yet we also run after every attraction and distraction, exhausting our lives. We all ask ourselves, “Why do we chase and fall in the ruts ?”

“Mixed-up priorities”, you say ? Right, but I am not mixed-up. I know exactly what I need and I don’t sit quietly until I get it. You may ask me, what do I do when I get what I want ? Well I think about something else I want and try to get that.

This means an endless pursuit to get one thing or the other. Sometimes it seems that I am after something even though I have no real need for it. I am driven by the mere desire or just because others have it, whatever “it” may be.

This ‘not knowing what is good for me’ really keeps me at it. Sometimes it keeps me so occupied that I forget to do the right things. The famous saying “Simple living and High thinking” starts twisting to “High living and Simple (or worse):

NO thinking”. This leads to no peace of mind. You may have heard me quite frequently saying “I don’t have time”. In reality, I don’t have time to do the right thing at the right time or even anything at anytime. Prompted by further dissatisfaction, I am driven towards the pursuit of aimless tasks, leading to more dissatisfaction … an endless cycle … I know that I am like that farmer’s dog who was exhausted due to useless chases. I must break this endless cycle.

Satisfaction is the key to peace of mind. I must learn to work hard but be happy with what I have, recognize what is important in life and pursue only that. I know everyone is contemplating the same problem. All I can say is, let’s straighten out our mixed-up priorities !

Sean O’Seasnain is an Irish-born former Dominican priest who is married to a Trinidadian, and is active in the K-W multicultural community. He is a rehabilitation counsellor with the Workers’ Compensation Board

Irish Horizons & the Fifth Province
December 1991 / January 1992

Irish Horizons – our very own radio program – has been on the air every Tuesday evening since July 3,1990. It is brought to you by Liam Rafferty, Stephen Todd and Sean O’Seasnain. If you have been tuning in, then you are familiar with the variety of music – from popular Irish to Irish pop, trad and rock. It’s all there.

Irish Horizons is unique in cultural broadcasting. The popularity of Irish music and the international standing of a myriad of Irish singers and musicians makes it possible to bring listeners – Irish or not – a pot pourri of musical expressions. The varieties of style and musical form in Irish and Celtic music also make it possible to produce a programme which appeals to the tastes of a wide range of interests.

Since September of this year we have gone to a new time slot: Irish Horizons now starts at 6:00 pm and goes ’til 8:00 pm every Tuesday. The station is CKWR – FM 98.7 -Canada’s first community radio station.

The first hour is hosted by Liam Rafferty. This segment of the programme is designed for easy listening. Liam, with his relaxing and modulating intonations, provides you with an ideal way to wind down after a busy day, music for dining, and information and reflections on all kinds of events.

We are calling the second hour “The Fifth Province”. This segment is hosted by Stephen Todd and Sean O’Seasnain.

The idea of the title comes from the address given by President Mary Robinson on the occasion of her inauguration at Dublin Castle. This is part of what she said:

The recent revival of an old concept of the Fifth Province expresses this emerging Ireland of tolerance and empathy.

The old Irish term for province is coicead, meaning a “fifth“, and yet, as everyone knows, there are only four geographical provinces on this island. So where is the fifth ? The Fifth Province is not anywhere here or there, north or south, east or west.  It is a place within each one of us – that place that is open to the other, that swinging door which allows us to venture out and others to venture in. Ancient legends divided Ireland into four quarters and a ‘middle’, although they differed about the location of this middle or Fifth Province. While Tara was the political centre of Ireland, tradition has it that this Fifth Province acted as a second centre, a necessary balance. If I am a symbol of anything I would like to be a symbol of this reconciling and healing Fifth Province.

Immediately following her description of the Fifth Province, the President made reference to a model of community which encompasses not only residents of the country but the vast community of Irish emigrants. Our own community in Canada consists too of descendants of Irish immigrants as well as lovers and admirers of “things” Irish. We are the Fifth Province.

The Fifth Province on Irish Horizons explores the varieties of Irishness, the unique cultural resonances of all Irish peoples – north, south, east and west. We listen to Celtic music in all its expressions. We examine Celtic spirituality, myth and magic in all its dimensions. We will ask questions, and sometimes provide answers, about Ireland’s history, and the history of the Irish, wherever they may be. Through the hosts- Sean, Stephen, guests and music – the Fifth Province will explore and formulate the aspirations of all Irish people and people who like Ireland and the Irish.

K W Multicultural Centre
December 1991 / January 1992
prepared by Indrani C – Program Co-Ordinator
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The K-W Multicultural Centre was founded in 1970, and is the oldest agency serving immigrants in the area. To learn more about the Centre’s work, read on! If you already know the Centre, read on anyway .. you may learn something new about our services!

Moving to K-W can be confusing for anybody: how can you explain King Street, that runs north, south, east and west ?! Or streets like King and Weber, that are sometimes parallel, and yet cross each other in two places ? For someone new to the country, adjusting to life here can be even much more confusing.

The Centre focuses on two main areas in its work. First it tries to help immigrants with whatever they need in order to participate in their new life. Second, it helps community members to adjust to its changing face.

To achieve the first goal, the Centre provides what are called settlement services to newcomers. These include helping them in areas such as looking for housing or work, filling out immigration forms, finding a lawyer or a doctor, giving information about English classes or job training possibilities. In the winter, the Centre has a supply of used clothing available to people who need this service. Every day, the Centre’s staff answer many questions and help people in these and many other areas. The Centre also has pamphlets and brochures on a wide range of subjects. The publications are available in many different languages.

The Cultural Interpreter and Translator program enables people who have not been in Canada long enough, to communicate in English at an appointment with a doctor or lawyer, for example – by providing an interpreter (usually a volunteer), who is fluent in their first language and in English to go to the appointment with them to interpret. A Translation service for documents from many different languages into English is also available.

To help the community welcome those new to the area, the Centre provides seminars and workshops for community groups, businesses, and schools.

Just in case you are getting the impression that it’s all work and no fun, let me remind you of the Multicultural Festival, which is held every year at Victoria Park during the Canada Day (July 1) weekend. For two fun-filled days, the whole family can enjoy crafts, traditional dancing and especially foods from around the world !  This event is something Kitchener-Waterloo always looks forward to.

The Real Sicilians !
December 1991 / January 1992
Maria Insalaco
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What is your first thought when I tell you I’m originally a Sicilian?  The reaction I’ve been getting is something like: “Do you have Maffia connections, relatives..?” as if jokingly.  The truth is, most Sicilians do not condone the actions of the Maffia, because of the reputation it gives the rest of us. It’s amazing how such a minority can give an entire culture such a bad name.

Sicily is a country with a Mediterranean climate, which is very warm and moderate. The warmth of its people reflects the climate of their country. They are loving, hospitable and highly emotional.

I might stress that they are very demonstrative in expressing their emotions. I’m sure anyone who has ever been at Pearson Airport when a flight from Sicily arrived would agree. It is not uncommon to see groups of teary eyed families kissing and hugging and talking, with everyone doing these things simultaneously. It might appear as just a lot of commotion to the onlooker. Sicilians also demonstrate a strong love for the land. They are very attached to it; Probably because their entire way of life has always revolved around farming.

It is so picturesque to see the olive groves, the almond and pistachio trees, and the grape vines. The countryside is very scenic and panoramic.

The family unit is very important and family ties are very strong among the Sicilian people, with each member taking a keen interest in the others’ affairs.

Most Sicilians have a great love of life, preferring to live a simple, uncomplicated lifestyle. The types of things they would consider to be important are good friends and good food. Religion plays a key role in the life of the average Sicilian, with Catholicism predominating. They pay homage to their saints by holding feasts in the town and village squares, and also by having religious processions.

Honour and respect seem to be the order of the day when friends deal and interact with one another.