Weekend Muslim conference attracts young adults from across Canada

Winnipeg Free Press

a day ago

Muslim youth from across Canada gathered in Winnipeg on the weekend for a conference, the first of its kind in the country.
About 60 young adults travelled here for the event, which was sponsored by the Islamic Social Services Association of Winnipeg, to discuss a variety of issues, including legal and civil rights when dealing with the police, gender diversity, finding allies in the fight against Islamophobia and dealing with trauma and mental-health concerns.
Association board member and conference moderator Jamie Carnegie said there was a discussion about understanding how the media reports about Islam, and how to find reliable sources of information online.
JOHN LONGHURST / FREE PRESS
Lila Mansour, who travelled from Ontario to attend the conference, says mental health is 'a very serious issue for Muslim youth now.'
'Muslim youth, like other youth, have many sources of information today,' Carnegie said. 'Our goal was to help them find trusted sources and to understand what is being reported.'
One issue that came up was how the media covers Muslim women in sports, especially when it comes to female athletes who wear hijabs. 'Gendered Islamophobia is another layer for Muslim youth to have to navigate,' Carnegie said.
The conference also offered stories of spiritual and emotional hope and resilience.
'It's a great way to connect with others from across Canada and learn from them and share ideas,' said Winnipegger Ayesha Sultan, 23, a recent graduate of the University of Manitoba. 'There is so much we can learn from each other.'
Aasif Bulbulia, 28, appreciated the opportunity to talk about how to respond to the war in Gaza and the situation facing Palestinian people.
'How do we address that?' asked Bulbulia, who is part of the Youth Leadership Institute at the Darul Falah Islamic Centre in Regina. 'How can we equip each other to resist what is happening when children are starving and being killed?'
Bulbulia said he hoped to learn more about how Muslim youth can work with others to build a world based on shared ethical principles that go beyond any one religion.
'We should all be standing with marginalized and suffering people,' he said, adding that, for him, Jesus is an example of how to do that.
JOHN LONGHURST / FREE PRESS
Winnipegger Ayesha Sultan (right) says the conference was an opportunity to build on ongoing conversations about Islamophobia.
Lila Mansour, 26, an articling student at a law firm in Toronto, said hearing a variety of perspectives made the conference worthwhile for her, especially on the topic of mental health.
'That is a very serious issue for Muslim youth now,' she said, adding that many young people wonder how they fit into Canadian society.
Young Muslims — particularly women, like her, who wear the hijab — can feel they are misunderstood or ostracized, she said.
'That immediately marks you as different,' said Mansour. 'For some people, there is bias.'
Some people assume she is anti-Israel if she voices support for Palestinians.
'It can make things uncomfortable,' she said. 'My very presence is political for them… I am careful about what I say about Gaza.'
Manitoba's Minister of Advanced Education and Training Renée Cable delivered an address at the conference, which she said was 'incredibly important.'
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She praised the 'beautiful minds doing difficult work'
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Aasif Bulbulia, who travelled from Regina, says he appreciated the opportunity to talk about how to respond to the war in Gaza.
'I want you to know how much I honour, respect and appreciate all of you,' she said during her speech.
Noting this is a difficult time for many communities, Cable said the government wants everyone Manitoban to feel seen, welcomed and celebrated.
'There is so much division rooted in misinformation and hate,' she said.
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John LonghurstFaith reporter
John Longhurst has been writing for Winnipeg's faith pages since 2003. He also writes for Religion News Service in the U.S., and blogs about the media, marketing and communications at Making the News.
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