Spectrum (2017) was a series commissioned by Senate of Canada in celebration of the 35th anniversary of The Canadian Council of Muslim Women and the 35th anniversarry of The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
It was exhibited in Toronto on October 21, 2017 and in Ottawa on Parliament Hill on October 25, 2017.
Spectrum aims to defy the singular visual that exists amongst the masses of what a Muslim woman looks like. Muslim women, to the surprise of many, are as diverse and multifaceted as any category of individuals. Specifically in Canada where many of us have immigrated to from all around the world. As claims of diversity, inclusion and representation are growing, we must remain critical and ask ourselves if it is done genuinely or as a form of tokenism.
At large, representation of Muslim women is often done through sensationalized or oppressive lenses where, under the guise of modesty, they are presented as soft, gentle, etherial and frankly boring. This series aims to present Muslim as they are; varied and bold individuals with their own stories, who happen to be connected through their faith, an important aspect of their identity but not all that defines them.
This series is by Muslim women, about Muslim women and for Muslim women. We are muslim women and we are not a monolith.
Tasneem Isma
Student
Being a Canadian Muslimah means constantly side-eyeing the "benevolent Canadian" trope because we are one of the many minority groups in this country who truly understand how much work there is needed in order to address our legacy of racism. I am empowered by the many fierce, intelligent and compassionate women that I am surrounded by. Their unconditional love and support has made me the person I am today and will be tomorrow. I just try to reach closer to their level, little by little, day by day. I am defined by my intentions, my resilience and service to others.
Reenas Abdellatif
Student
I feel that there's a lot of misconceptions about Canada being immune to racism. It does exist here, even though it might be more covert than other places. I'm not only a Muslim woman, but I'm also a black Muslim woman and that means I not only deal with Islamophobia but also anti-black racism in my daily life. I don't feel represented in Canada because my intersectionality is rarely acknowledged. What defines me is the choices I make in my everyday life and I think it's heavily influenced by my faith and lived experiences as a black Muslimah and I'm empowered when I'm unapologetically Muslim and black in every space.
Amanta Selmanoska
Designer
Being a Muslimah in Canada is great, This nationʼs ability to be welcoming and warm is certainly on the money. I use to struggle to find my place within the community. I donʼt necessarily look like what people think of when they think of a Muslimah and time and time again I found myself having to “prove my ‘Muslimhood’. I really struggled with my identity but I slowly stopped caring about having to prove myself to anyone but myself. Itʼs my faith and my life and I know who I am and why I am. The responsibility I feel my faith has on me to be kind to all always really drives me. To accept everyone, regardless of who they are. Islam teaches me to meet someone and leave them with a full heart and their soul feeling loved. Now the sisterhood I am apart of in my Muslimah community is unlike any other. We are all so different but there are always similar stories and experiences we share. This sisterhood is what moves me, what makes me feel like my best self.
Zehra Allibhai
Fitness Instructor, Mother, Wife, Lover of Nature
To me, being a Canadian Muslimah means being completely free, safe, and supported to practice my religion, and I am truly grateful for that. It means celebrating our diversity and individuality as much as our shared values. I'm empowered whenever I set a goal for myself - either big or small - and then work to meet or exceed it. Seeing the positive impact that I can have in the lives of others is also one of the most empowering and gratifying parts of my job. I am defined by my faith, by the way I treat others and the way I conduct myself especially when nobody else is watching. I try to pass on the values that define me to my children. I want them to live their best life, to be present and appreciate their blessings, and to help make the world a better a more beautiful place. My goal is to leave every person I meet feeling happier than before they met me.
Maha Noor Shahzadi Gondal
Student, fashion stylist and Retail Manager
When I arrived to Canada 12 years ago, it was was shocking to me how acceptable Canadians are of other religions. I feel free to be a Muslim here. Women’s empowerment is crucial in today’s day and age because of the constant stigma that is that we are less important than the opposite gender. What empowers me most is the strength and sheer willpower that my mother and her mother have showed me in times of adversity. To be a muslimah is a deeply personal and spiritual sense of being that is individual to every Muslim.
Amina Mohamed
Writer, Researcher, Curator
Being a Canadian Muslim woman is to embody strength, spirituality, diversity, and vitality in all things. The number of opportunities for young women to succeed and enter government, rally our communities, and invest in ourselves empowers me by reinforcing my role as an active citizen with the potential to make real change. Furthermore, the freedom to take advantage of these opportunities from a young age gave me a clear indication that my participation was valued and that I always had something to bring to the table. I take that confidence with me now in all that I do. My focus on empowering my community and succeeding so that other girls know they can too.
Fahmida Kamali
Project Lead, Policy Innovation Hub, Ontario Public Service
When Muslims are called upon to explain themselves and who they are, it’s often a reaction to what they are not instead of what they are. Or what they strive to be. For myself, being a Canadian Muslimah means striking a balance between assimilation and isolation. For as long as I have known myself, I have been a Canadian and I have been a Muslim - and it's not been a difficult identity to reconcile. It's how I operate in different spaces, weaving through many identities and navigating spaces in which I may not belong that I've learned to balance my identity. From being a woman of South asian descent and being a Canadian citizen. To competing ideas of feminism and the alleged traditional ideas of gender in Islam. To being a female person of colour in a white male dominated workplace. And so much more.
Rada Abdo
Education Project Coordinator at TakingITGlobal
I was born Canadian and I was born Muslim, two identities that I take pride in and uphold. Two identities that that I am entitled to enjoy, just as much as everyone else in this country. Being a Canadian Muslimah means hoping that I can confidently hold my hijab alongside the Canadian flag over my head, while both harmoniously wave in sync. But being a Muslim coloured woman also means always having to second guess every outcome that has been negative in my life, wondering if it was because of who I am and how I look. I choose to be visibly Muslim by wearing the hijab. I find that because I live in the multicultural city of Toronto, the journey has not been as difficult for me as many other Muslims in the West. I'm not going to act like everything is easy for the minorities. There is still issues in this country for example we still are working through institutional racism. I feel empowered finding success despite being at almost the lowest end of the privileged scale. It's like fighting against every obstacle possible thrown at you, and somehow still remaining afloat.
Samawada Mohamed Abdi
Tech-Savvy Social Media Coordinator, Loving Sister and Daughter
Being Muslim in Canada is like winning the lottery. There’s a lot of joy and excitement from feeling generally accepted, loved and appreciated. But there’s also a subtle layer of something a bit more sinister. And it can sometimes feel like there’s something left unsaid because of our polite Canadian demeanour. I’d like to think that nothing really defines me. Because for me, once you’re labelled (be it as a Muslim woman, a black woman, or simply a woman) you begin to lose some of your agency and power. But knowing that, that I am a Muslim woman of African descent makes me feel powerful. It’s great know that all my intersections have such a deep and rich history. One that I will hopefully be able to positively impact myself. I think that my commitment to others is what ultimately makes me, me. I love knowing that I’m helping someone, be it my friend or a complete stranger. I’d sooner rather give everything I own away to make someone I love happy. I guess that’s just the Canadian in me.
Nafisa Mohamed
Student
My lived experiences are defined by my Black Muslim identity. It shapes which spaces I enter and how I choose to navigate through them. We exist for a reason and it is important for us to constantly be resisting barriers.The black Muslim identity is not a singular one. Muslims within Canada are often represented as a monolith, which is a denial of the other intersecting identities that come with being Muslim. Islamophobia still heavily exists in Canada and until it’s combatted, we all have a lot of work to do to ensure Muslims feel safe.
Laiba Fatima
Student
To me, being a Canadian Muslimah means that I can practice my faith & religion without any judgement or preconceived notions. As a Shia muslim, in my experience I have had the space to educate and enlighten people of this beautiful religion. My strength and empowerment comes from the people around me. Being able to accomplish my goals, utilizing opportunities that I'm lucky enough to have & making my loved ones proud creates a sense of empowerment unlike anything else.
Aisha Ahmed
Assistant Professor of Political Science
As a Canadian Muslim feminist, I deal with nonsense from both white supremacists and patriarchal Muslims on a daily basis; but I can always count on love from my Black, Indigenous, Muslim, and POC girls keep me strong and laughing. As a professor, my life is defined by the pursuit of truth and justice; I travel to the most troubled parts of the world not just to understand these international security crises, but also to find solutions to them. I also train at a boxing gym, and my left hook is fierce.
Barrah Faysal
Insurance agent, sister, and dreamer
My upbringing defines me. As a first generation Canadian Muslimah I witnessed the struggles of my parents and family to provide for my siblings and I which has led me to appreciate and value the things that I am blessed with. The Canadian diversity is what sets us apart, given this I feel that the uniqueness that I as a Canadian Muslimah offer is exactly what makes me and defines me as a Canadian. Doing what I love and knowing that doing what I love leaves a positive impact to those around me makes me feel empowered.
Noor Khan
She/Her, daughter, sister, partner, community worker, freelance writer
Being a Muslimah has differed in every town, city or district that I have lived in Canada. This is an experience that also differs based on the socio-economic changes that have occurred in my life, and differs in terms of my gender identity. The lower I am in the social stratification of each context, the more I experience Islamophobic violence from others. Other Muslimahs and other racialized people, including men, and non-binary folks, trying to live their best life, which includes acceptance rather than tolerance in and outside our own community make me feel empowered. I define myself. Re-calling Frantz Fanon on the effect of oppression on mental health and its manifestation in real life- racialized and/or Muslim people are defined by collective ideas, things, actions, rituals, geographies, and this renders us stuck in a time/space barely being able to grow. Acknowledging that I define myself helps me break out of this to become who I need to be in order to survive, find and share happiness, and become better for myself and others.