The Carleton University Muslim Students’ Association is organizing various events for Muslim students and community members in Ottawa during the holiday season to provide support and social opportunities.
Starting Friday, the association – which has teamed up with Muslim student associations at Algonquin College and University of Ottawa – is hosting four weekend programs throughout December that deal with Muslim identity.
The first event is called “You as a Muslim in the West.” Tickets for the in-person lecture, which will be held Dec. 1 at 6 p.m. at Algonquin College, have already sold out, but organizers say the program will also be available online.
Friday’s lecture explores the experiences and challenges of Muslims in Western societies and how they can thrive while maintaining their Muslim identity. Speaker Abu Umar Abdul Azeez, an international speaker and scholar, will speak about Muslim identity.
Ali Abdur Raheem, a fourth-year electrical engineering student, said he is not a club member, but he usually participates in its events. He said he benefits from the support the club provides to Muslim students.
“The safe prayer room at Paterson Hall is one such support,” he said. “We also come together for Jummah (Friday) prayers every week at Norm Fenn Gym.”
Abdur Raheem said he will attend Friday’s lecture online and added that he and Muslim students come together in the prayer room five times a day, pray and chat with each other. He said that events like “You as a Muslim in the West,” as well as the various other supports offered by the Muslim association on campus, are essential to maintaining a strong sense of identity.
“It is vital for Muslim students to come together with various organizations so that they do not lose their identities.”
– Ali Abdur Raheem
Club member Mariem, who did not want her last name published, said she plans to attend Friday’s lecture. “As an international student, events featuring Muslim academics and speakers raise my awareness of the challenges I face as a Muslim,” said Mariem, who is studying psychology at Carleton University.
Mariem, who also volunteers at some club events, said the club supports the community by providing a safe space. “The association regularly posts on social media, and if you follow its Instagram account, you will be aware of many events related to the Muslim community. We also regularly put up announcement posters on the notice board opposite the prayer room,” she said.
Carleton’s Muslim student association aims to represent Muslim students within the Carleton community, promote civic engagement and organize events and services, according to Ruqiya Ahmed, a spokesperson for the club. It serves the Muslim student community at Carleton by organizing book clubs, travel programs, regular prayer meetings and other forms of support.
“Support is a key part of community, and we aim to provide it for one another to balance our social and work life,” Ahmed said. “Working with sincere intentions enables us to have what we believe to be blessed and fulfilling experiences.”
Ahmed said she encourages all students who are interested in the upcoming events to register online.
The club is also organizing a bracelet-making workshop for Muslim women on Dec. 5 at 5:30 p.m. and a trip to Toronto later this month to attend the annual Reviving the Islamic Spirit convention.
Mariem said these types of events, including the bracelet-making workshop, help her connect with other Muslim students and foster a community on campus.
“I come together with students with whom I share the same emotions and thoughts,” she said. “This is the most effective way to protect my Muslim identity and I am proud of it.”
