Share this Story: Windsor Muslim families invite community into their homes to clear misconceptions
Windsor Muslim families invite community into their homes to clear misconceptions
Over the next two weeks Waseem Kaleem and his family are opening their doors for people to visit and see what a Canadian Muslim family is like.
Mar 02, 2015 • March 2, 2015 • 2 minute read
Amtal Tahira, left, with her daughter Sarah Ahmad, husband Waseem Kaleem, centre, son Aleem Aleem and daughter Sanaa, right, arrive at Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Windsor Branch for an open house where the public was invited to meet and greet area Muslim families Sunday March 01, 2015. (NICK BRANCACCIO/The Windsor Star)
Over the next two weeks Waseem Kaleem and his family will open their doors for people to visit and see what a Canadian Muslim family is like.
"We're always happy to welcome people in our communities and our neighbourhoods," Kaleem said. "We just want to clear that notion of any fear-feeling in the minds of people — we're the same people."
Windsor Muslim families invite community into their homes to clear misconceptions Back to video
Kaleem's invitation is part of the two-week Meet a Muslim Family campaign, which kicked off Sunday. Canadian Muslim families from coast to coast are inviting people to their homes and mosques.
"The purpose is to invite the families of non-Muslims, our neighbours, back to our homes and show them that we also have the same values, same culture," said Aleem Khan, president of Windsor's Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. "We only have a different religion … but as far as society goes we are regular Canadian families."
On Sunday an open house was held at Windsor's Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Centre to kick off the event. Kaleem, 43, and several other families in the Windsor community are participating in the campaign.
"The campaign was inspired by most recent events … (and) the drift that some Muslim communities have felt in Canada over the past few months, which frankly has never really been there before," said campaign spokesperson Safwan Choudhry.
Choudhry said the campaign is meant to remove those misconceptions which associate Islam with violence.
Several thousand Canadian Muslim families have signed up to host in the campaign, he said. This allows people to ask the hosts questions and see their traditions.
"And most importantly, see all the similarities we have in terms of being Canadian," Choudhry said. "For instance, we get very excited about our NHL games. And we also start our day with our Tim Hortons coffee."
Choudhry added the campaign is also meant to respond to some specific things happening to Muslims in Canada.
Last Tuesday, for example, a Quebec judge denied a hearing
to Rania El-Alloul because she was wearing a hijab in court. "Which is unprecedented in Canadian history," Choudhry said. "There's no law that actually … condones that," he said, referring to the judge's position.
The Windsor Ahmadiyya community has also been holding monthly open houses, like one they held at the Windsor Public Library's central branch on Saturday, to help people find information about the religion and spread the message that Islam is about peace and not war.
For those wishing to meet a family or learn more about the campaign, visit meetamuslimfamily.com
jrankin@windsorstar.com
twitter.com/_jay_rankin
[pn_facebook_like /]
Public schools among those in greatest need of repairs in Ontario
The Greater Essex County District School Board ranks fifth among the province's 72 school boards when it comes to having schools in need of significant repairs, says a report released this week by the Ministry of Education.
4 years, 4 months ago Local News
Welcome Wagon returning to Leamington, Kingsville and Windsor
Welcome Wagon wants back on the trails in Windsor, Leamington and Kingsville.
1 year, 11 months ago Local News
United Way report maps area poverty, shows need for investment
Poverty is increasingly concentrated in Windsor and Essex County.
Child poverty rates in Windsor West among the worst in Canada, says report
Dave Waddell and Heather Rivers