By Sanesha Hajiyanee | December 6th, 2021
The month of October is recognized across Canada as Islamic Heritage Month. It was established by the Canadian government in 2007 to recognize the contributions made to Canada by Muslim individuals, as well as to honor and promote education on the history of Islam. Islamic Heritage Month helps to teach others about Islam; what it is, and what being a Muslim truly means.
The Muslim Student Association (MSA) at The Woodlands demonstrated creativity and pluralism throughout October when they taught staff and students at The Woodlands more about Islam and the impact of Muslims on the world. This came in the form of an interesting fact about Muslims being broadcast every day for the entirety of the month on the morning announcements.
Some of these facts include:
“There have been many incredible Muslim scholars that have made a significant impact on the world as it is today. For example, Abu al-Qasim al-Zahrawi was the father of modern surgery, and Alhazen was the father of modern optics.”
“A Muslim person is somebody who follows the religion of Islam. Muslim people live in many different countries around the world. They also speak many different languages. But whenever one Muslim person greets another Muslim, they say ‘As-salamu Alaykum’. This is an Arabic phrase that means ‘Peace be upon you.”
“Tim Hortons or Starbucks? Do you like to start your day, like millions of humans around the globe, with a cup of coffee? The word coffee has its roots in different languages, including Arabic. For example, ‘qahwah’ was a popular drink made by the Arab people of Yemen around the 10th century. Coffee was discovered and used by Muslims, as an aid to stay up at night to pray. Through trade, Europe was introduced to coffee and started enjoying it around the 16th century.”
Mariam Tazkarji, president of The Woodlands MSA, says, “I feel it is important to recognize the Muslims from all parts of the world and in all periods who have made significant contributions to today's society in terms of academics, scientific knowledge, and culture! Islamic Heritage Month is also important because it allows Canadians to reflect on the challenges and barriers that Muslims sometimes face, and overall is a great way to foster inclusion in Canada!”
The MSA also held workshops throughout the month to keep students engaged. On October 8th, members set up their display in the front foyer. On October 15th, they held an Islamic Diversity Day, where students wore clothes that they would typically wear to the mosque. The MSA also held an Islamic Art workshop, where students learned about calligraphy and made geometric art, on that day. On October 22nd, they hosted an Islamic History and Inventions information session, where they tackled misconceptions and learned about the beauty of Islam’s history. On October 27th, the club held a Pink Hijab Day, where students wore pink hijabs to school to celebrate hijabs (headscarves) and raise awareness for breast cancer. Lastly, on October 29th, the MSA held a group discussion and learning opportunity on Muslim women and their contributions to today’s world, as well as the unique challenges they face. This final workshop was especially pertinent, since October is also recognized as Women’s History Month.
The Muslim Student Association is constantly planning initiatives to keep Muslim students involved and foster a better sense of community. Every Friday, the MSA holds a Jummah prayer, the special Friday prayer, because, in Islam, Friday was chosen by God to be dedicated as a day of worship. As a Muslim student, I am personally excited to see what the MSA does to involve students in the Muslim community and help give them a sense of belonging at The Woodlands.
Feel free to follow the MSA Instagram account @msawoodlands. Within the link in their bio, you have access to the Discord, Google Classroom, and many more resources!
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