Islamic History Month: celebrating diversity through trying times

This year’s Islamic History Month nears its end amid a difficult landscape — a rise in Islamophobia and ongoing conflicts in Muslim-majority countries including Lebanon, Palestine and Sudan.

According to Ottawa police, out of the 225 hate-motivated incidents to date in 2024, 15 were reported Islamophobia incidents, compared to seven in 2023, resulting in an over 100 per cent increase.

Aadil Naik, an Algonquin College alumnus from India who is a practising Muslim, said he believes the most crucial points to Islamic history month are remembering Muslim luminaries and fostering connection between people of different cultural backgrounds.

“Practising Muslim scholars, scientists and engineers were at the forefront of civilization and of the vast majority of what we know about medicine, science and astronomy,” said Naik. “It also goes a long way to just recognize that Muslim people have the same desires, aspirations, and wants as anyone else.”

Islamic History Month in Canada was designated to be October by the Parliament of Canada in 2007. It serves as an yearly opportunity to celebrate the contributions of Muslim people to Canadian society and recognize the diverse stories that have shaped Canada’s cultural identity, according to the Islamic History Month Canada website.

Ayah Styles, an Algonquin College developmental services worker alumna, said there is a lot about Islam and Muslim people she would like people to know and learn about this month.

“We are not violent how we’ve been portrayed,” said Styles. “We’re just like most of everybody else, we’re sweet and kind. Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the world and it’s very similar to other religions, we all believe in the same values.”

Muslim people make up around five per cent of the Canadian population, according to a 2021 survey by Statistics Canada.

Styles said while there are many difficulties with recent conflicts and public perception, she feels closer to her religious and cultural heritage more than ever.

“I’m half Lebanese and half European,” said Styles. “I feel like especially within the past year, I have felt closer to my roots ethnically, as well as religiously, than ever before.”

This year’s theme, “health and healing,” also directs focus to historical figures in Islamic medicine, such as Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Al-Razi (Rhazes) and many others, whose groundbreaking work laid the foundation for modern medical practices.

These historical figures’ contributions to the fields of surgery and diagnostics, as well as scientific methodology, continue to influence contemporary medicine, according to the Islamic History Month Canada website.

Naik said he is very happy Islamic history month is providing a space for these important figures to be celebrated.

“I think it’s wonderful that, even if it’s sliding under the radar, something like this is still happening,” said Naik. “They’ve been the bedrock for what we know about medicine and how we study it. And they did it at a time when the world needed it more than anything else.”

At the start of the month, Canadian Heritage published a statement by Kamal Khera, federal minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities and Amira Elghawaby, special representative on Combatting Islamophobia, emphasizing the importance of this month for education and awareness.

“We continue to call for peace and de-escalation of tensions across the Middle East,” said Khera and Elghawaby in their statement. “It is our collective duty to stand against Islamophobia, racism and hate in all their forms, wherever and whenever they occur.”