One of the conference’s sessions

By Tamir Abu As-Su`ood, IOL Canada Correspondent

TORONTO, January 5 (IslamOnline.net) - As the “Reviving the Islamic Spirit” conference came to an end in Toronto, Canada Sunday, January 4, people were left with numerous messages to take home to apply in their daily lives. Advice after advice, the speakers have tried to give the audience guidelines by which to live as Canadian Muslims.

The conference had certain elements it focussed on, among them are security of Muslims in Canada, spirituality and personal success, Islamic contributions to the West, the current direction of the Ummah (Islamic Nation) and the role of Canadian Muslims in the Islamic Movement.

Canada’s Royal Canadian  Mounted Police (RCMP) commissioner was among those invited to speak to more than 8, 000 Muslims - in the Friday through Sunday conference - about Muslim security concerns and national safety.

In a 50-minute session called "Muslim citizens in a secure Canada", Giuliano Zaccardelli acknowledged that Muslims across Canada have faced “blunt discrimination since the attacks of Sept 11, 2001 and vowed to protect Muslims" civil liberties.

“The tragedy of that day (9/11) has been used in some cases to justify hateful words and actions against innocent Muslims, “he said.

“Those who signal out Muslims for unfair treatment or unjust accusations seek to sow hatred and division. That is their objective; it must not be their achievement,” he added.

Zaccardelli thanked the Muslims of Toronto for taking such positive approach to reach out and explain to the people who they are and what they stand for.

“This conference is a great example of bringing people together, of reaching out, trying to build bridges.”

For his part, Toronto Mayor, David Miller, told the crowd that "stereotypes are simply unacceptable and we will not allow our city to be governed, or the law to be enforced, based on stereotypes of people."

Dr. Mukhtar Maghroui, member of the Fiqh Council of North America, U.S., and Imam Zia Khan, Director of the Center for Islamic Development, Halifax, Canada, both focussed on the refinement of the characteristics and qualities of the Muslims to be examples for others, for the Muslim character to be the embodiment of Islamic morals and principles.

Maghroui also had a session specifically on the state of the heart wherein he instructed Muslims to purify this essential component of the body in order to attain nearness to Allah.

With regard to personal success, Dr. Tareq Suwaidan, a prominent Kuwaiti scholar who studied for many years in the U.S., taught that personal success depended on the ability of one to find balance between four main areas of life: success within one’s self, within one’s life, with others and most importantly with Allah.

Suwaidan insisted the revival of the “Islamic Spirit” depended on individual efforts

Suwaidan highlighted that the revival of the “Islamic Spirit” depended on the individual efforts of each person.

This aspect of the conference emphasized the fact that the strength of the Ummah depends on the strength of each individual member.

As for Islamic contributions to the West, Sheikh Hamza Yusuf, head of the Zaytouna Institute in the U.S., gave a dazzling presentation on how Islam and Muslims had in someway contributed to many of the blessings used – and often taken for granted – today in the West.

The stated contributions range from the overwhelming achievements in the field of mathematics to the simple addition of coffee to the Western lifestyle.

This presentation was important in its ability to highlight the fact that Muslims had played a significant role in bringing about the modern day world.

In his address, Tareq Ramadan, a prominent speaker on Islam and Prof. of Islamic Studies at the University of Freiburg, challenged the notion of “globalization” – “Is the world really a small village in which everyone is benefiting from its resources?” he asked.

He questioned weather we (Muslims) truly understand “our situation world-wide”. He even went to say that we (Muslims) are living with people that we do not truly know or understand.

“We are judging the society based on a superficial understanding of that society,” Ramadan said.

Ramadan pointed out that Muslims must come to the realization that Islam is - while based on the Qur’an and the Sunnah –  also based on the Waqi’, or the relative situation, the people, implying that a sound understanding of the underlying circumstances must be present in order to properly practice and live by Islam.

To combat this problem among many Muslims he asked, “Are we acting against the superficial knowledge of the other peoples?”

Another problem Muslims are having with the current trend of globalization, he highlighted, is the fact that the “dominant economic order is against our ethics” and “we have to find a solution.”

Stressing that Muslims are lacking proposals in this field – true alternatives to current day economic systems at the global and local levels. “Economy is the key issue of the future”, he emphasized.  And to find viable alternatives we must be connected with others who are working in this field.

Living in a world with few values, Ramadan stated, Muslims have one main mission in life: “to become better and to change the environment to the better.” 

Ramadan questioned the audience, “Are we changing this environment? Or are we still trying to explain to people that we are not a problem?” Ramadan strongly advised that the Muslims must show that they “have a solution” and to “stop speaking with a defensive attitude.”

Role of Canadian Muslims:

Addressing the Canadian Muslims with practical steps to their responsibilities to the Muslims and the World, Dr. Munir El-Kassem, acting Imam of the Islamic Center of South-western Ontario, advised to establish bridges with people of different faiths and cooperate with other organizations in the West.

He highlighted the need for Muslims to reach out to their fellow Canadians so they can understand who they are and what they stand for. While doing so, El-Kassem said, “you (Muslims) have to maintain your faith and preserve your identity.”

“By strengthening our faith and becoming real Muslims, we will achieve ... security, even though we may be swimming in an ocean of disaster and calamity," he added.

El-Kassem added that reaching out to others is another way to ensure the security of Canadian Muslims.

"Human beings will continue to fear the unknown. If you are living within a minority among a bigger Canadian community that you belong to, as long as they continue to not know who you are and what you represent, they will fear you.

"It is our own duty to do something about it, to become known and reach out to the people around us, and show them what real Islam is all about. We have nothing to hide.... We are peace-loving people, and crimes do not have a religious identity."

Listen To Some Of The Speakers:

1. Toronto Mayor, David Miller

2. Dr. Tareq