Foundation asks Muslims to make a difference at home this Ramadan

(August 14, 2010) – Muslims are being encouraged to be active contributors to Canada by directing a portion of their charitable donations during Ramadan to local projects.

The Olive Tree Foundation has launched its 7th Annual Ramadan Campaign encouraging Muslims to share part of their annual charitable donations with deserving community initiatives within Canada.

”Canadian Muslims can make a significant contribution to our society if we were to direct a portion of our charitable donations annually to projects in this country,” Muhammed Haseeb Ali, Treasurer of the Olive Tree Foundation told Iqra.ca.

The Olive Tree Foundation is a philanthropic foundation that promotes community development through the collection of endowed funds and charitable contributions, to fund services for the long-term benefit of the community.

“The Olive Tree Foundation has distinguished itself, in a quiet and unassuming way, for being one of the most important and forward thinking organisations established in Canada,” says Dr. Kathy Bullock.

Dr. Bullock is the Director of the Tessellate Institute (TTI), a policy institute and think tank.

“Since its founding in 2004, the Olive Tree Foundation has served our community with excellence. They have supported projects that address real needs in our community, of women and girls, of children and education, and of disabled Muslims,” she said.

In six years, donations from the Ramadan Campaign have funded 20 projects, many of which have made a significant contribution to the community’s development.

“These projects would not have been made possible without funding from the Olive Tree Foundation,” Muhammed Haseeb Ali said.

“A foundation is an institution that has been part of the Muslim historical experience and has, in the past, provided for the flourishing of the Muslim contribution to societies,” he added.

Further information on the Foundation can be found at www.olivetreefoundation.ca; and to make a donation click here

My Ramadan challenge

By Imraan Assim

A few years ago I gave some of my madrassa students a checklist of a few tasks that they would commit to during Ramadan. They listed things like “not being mean to my siblings, helping mommy in the kitchen, and lending a hand in the kitchen.”

I thought about what things can help me and my spiritual state during this month, since all of us can stand to gain. I thought I’d challenge myself and put it out there for all to see. This way if I’m caught slipping, someone out there can help remind me.

1. Abstain from the perennial moon-sighting debates

Follow the qualified opinion that you subscribe to, with the understanding that the opinion you’ve submitted to has done its due diligence and arrived at a correct and valid conclusion. Remember that differences in this community are a mercy. The discussion surrounding calculations, naked-eye sighting, and international observances, etc. are matters best left up to the scholars.

2. Accept that some people pray 8 Rakats of Taraweeh

When you go to the mosque to pray your nightly prayers, focus on you! Be spiritually selfish and don’t try to police other people’s observances. Be happy that they stayed for eight or that they only believe 8 is required. Better yet, have a good opinion of them and assume they’re making up the additional 12 at home. The 20 vs. 8 annual debate is boring, lame, and unnecessary.

3. Don’t critique the Imam’s recitation

If you feel that the Imam you’re praying behind is too fast, too slow, or too young, please feel free to find another mosque. There’s no shortage of those in Greater Toronto Area! Why complain and make a scene to interrupt and put other people’s spiritual states in jeopardy, when you can quietly exit and join another congregation? Don’t you think there is a reward in the extra steps that you’re taking to find that solace in your prayer?

4. Rejoice to see additional brethren at the mosque

Far too often, do we hear of Muslims criticizing other Muslims calling them “Ramadan Muslims”. Why not recognize the magnitude of this month? Why not be happy to see that this blessed month has caused people who may otherwise not pray, to come out and pray? This month has the power to turn sinners into saints – so you can gripe about these new faces or be happy and greet them.

5. Enjoy food

Yes, that’s right, this Ramadan you should enjoy your food. Realize that food is a provision from the Almighty and not the result of your earnings or hard work. Thank the Lord for this blessing and quit complaining about the lack of salt or seasoning. If you happen to be at a mosque Iftar, you shouldn’t complain about the lack of second servings or the time it took the volunteers to serve you. Be thankful, appreciative, and loving to your wife (or mother, or sister, or daughter) for their preparation and the secret ingredient in their cooking – love!

When I think about all of these points (that will be a challenge for me to adhere to), I realize that my mother and father taught me all of these things as a young child. However, sometimes, back to the basics isn’t such a bad thing!

What’s your Ramadan challenge this year?

Why Halal food is good for everyone

By Yvonne Maffei, Editor of My Halal Kitchen, a halal food and cooking blog showcasing culinary tips and healthy halal recipes.

Within the Muslim community, halal is used to describe what is permissible both in food and in actions. We typically associate halal with food, as do many non-Muslims. For purposes of this article, we explore why halal food, specifically meat and poultry, is good for everyone.

I grew up devouring literature with information on eating right and living healthy. When I became a Muslim nearly ten years ago, I was excited to learn about the guidelines set forth in the Quran as it relates to what a Muslim should and should not eat.

In the process, I realized that I was fortunate enough to develop health-conscious eating habits early on in life that morphed into actions related to food consumption in accordance with Islam.

It was quickly obvious to me that the two went hand in hand.

Halal For A Healthier World

As a food writer and blogger, I keep up with the latest news and trends on the U.S. and international food scenes on a daily basis. Unfortunately, there are more and more instances in which food is contaminated and people sickened from preventable issues related to food safety and sanitation in both the agricultural and manufacturing sectors.

Also unfortunate is the rising number of preventable diseases related to over-consumption.

Alhamdullilah, there is a growing movement in the U.S. to revolutionize how and what we eat. First Lady Michelle Obama, celebrity chefs like Jamie Oliver, and well-known food writers such as Michael Pollan and Alice Waters are heading up this movement through books, documentaries and lectures across the country.

Because of this push to educate the masses, many people are not only reading labels but demanding to know the source of their food. They want to know what the animals are eating and how they are living, the kind of air they are breathing and what, if anything is being injected into their bodies. They are visiting farms, talking to farmers, insisting on organic products, or at least those that are all natural and not sprayed or injected with harmful pesticides, toxins or artificial growth hormones.

How does halal food fit into this parameter?

Halal encompasses more than just meat, or even the type of meat eaten, although it is the most discussed type of product consumed.

For an animal to go from farm to table as halal food, it must have lived a pure life from the very beginning, finishing a cycle of life that is permissible in accordance with Islamic standards. It must have eaten well, been treated well, and been sacrificed well. It may sound good in theory, but what does this all mean?

The Life Of The Animal

The kind of treatment and feed an animal receives during its life is important. It should be not be abused, mistreated or caused any pain. It should not be confined to an area where it cannot move or walk normally or get fresh air. It should be fed clean water and food that is appropriate and absolutely never fed another animal or products that contain the by-products of other animals.

The Sacrifice Of The Animal

As an animal should be treated well during its life, it should also be treated well at the time it is sacrificed for us. The slaughter should never be done in the presence of other animals and the animal should be made comfortable as it is positioned for the sacrifice. The act of the sacrifice should be done with a sharp object, so as to accelerate the process and reduce the pain suffered by the animal as much as possible.*

Afterwards, the blood should be completely drained from the animal. It is the blood that carries toxins, germs and bacteria and when left inside the body of the animal, could potentially make people sick. At the very least, it could make the cooked meat quite tough. An amazing result of cooking and consuming halal meat is a healthy meat in which the resulting texture is tender and the meat delicious. Some people say they can “taste the difference”.

Treating One’s Body Well Is A Good Thing

On the flip side of halal is the haram (impermissible). The most commonly known haram consumables are alcohol and pork (and their by-products), both of which are the cause of numerous health issues. (This is backed by scientific data.) Although these two products themselves could constitute their own essay, for purposes of this article they are only briefly mentioned here.

Instead of seeing the impermissible as a closed door on food choices, one can embrace an entire world of exciting, delicious and healthy variety of foods. Islam enjoins us to treat our bodies well as it has a right over us and will testify against us on the Day of Judgment for any injustices we may have caused it during our lifetime.

Treating our bodies with wholesome foods free of harmful ingredients — pesticides, toxins, pollutants, filth, etc. — is not just a value desired by Muslims, it’s desired by all of humanity. It’s a common need, a common desire and a common right, and that means everyone can benefit from consuming halal foods and avoiding what is not.

Resources

Halal Meat & Poultry Companies
Crescent Foods (Poultry)

Green Zabiha

Whole Earth Meats

Halal Food & Cooking Sites
My Halal Kitchen

Zabihah.com (restaurant locator)

Important Documentaries about Our Food & Agricultural System
Food, Inc.

The Future of Food

King Corn: You are What You Eat

Books About the Current State of Our Food and What We Can Do About It
Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan

Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual by Michael Pollan

Edible Schoolyard by Alice Waters

*Narrated Shaddad bin Aus (Radiyallahu Anhu) Allah’s Messenger (SAW) said, “Anyone of you should sharpen his blade so that the animal may be spared from the suffering of the sharpening.” [Reported by hadith narrator Sahih Muslim].

Author Bio

Yvonne Maffei, M.A., is a food writer, recipe developer, culinary consultant and the Editor of My Halal Kitchen, a halal food and cooking blog showcasing culinary tips and healthy halal recipes. The mission of My Halal Kitchen is to provide home cooks with the tools to prepare halal meals, including those with the necessary substitutions to make every dish halal. It aims to make the lives of readers better by expanding the list of available recipes that are healthy, delicious, economical and halal. She is currently working on a cookbook and continues to write and develop recipes for her blog. She resides in Chicago, IL with her husband.

Divorce in the Muslim Community: 2010 Survey Analysis

By Taha Ghayyur

If you attended six Muslim weddings this summer, chances are that two will end up in divorce sooner or later. This is based on research conducted in the early 1990s by the late, New York-based sociologist Ilyas Ba-Yunus, who estimated the North American Muslim divorce rate stood at 31.14 percent, which was three times higher than the highest divorce rate in the Muslim world at that time (10 percent in Egypt and Turkey).

The situation hasn’t gotten better in North America over the last two decades. In fact, Imams, counselors, and lawyers are constantly indicating an increase in Muslim clients seeking help for marital crises and filing for divorce.

To understand this disturbing phenomenon, Sound Vision conducted an online survey from October 15, 2009 to January 15, 2010, in which 405 individuals across North America shared their divorce experience, including the factors that lead to divorce, as well as how they dealt with it.

Here are the detailed results of this survey for the benefit of social service providers, family counsellors, Imams, Muslim educators and the Muslim community at large.

Demographics:

Of those who responded to this survey:
1. Majority were female (82.71%)
2. Highest number belonged to 26 to 40 age group (56.04%), followed by 41 to 55 bracket (28.06%). Only about 6% belonged to 18 to 25 and 56 to 60 age groups each
3. Majority were of South Asian (Pakistani/Bangladeshi/Indian) (28.28%) descent, 17.85 were African Americans, 16.16% were white, and 11.11% were of Arab background
4. Most were currently employed (56.23%) and 15.82% were homemakers (only women)
5. 83.33% reside in the USA or Canada
6. Over half were born in the USA or Canada; the rest were born in a Muslim country
7. Over 60% indicated that their ex-spouse was born in a foreign country. Less than one third of the ex-spouses were born in the USA or Canada
8. Over 40% of the participants had been divorced for 2-5 years, over a quarter were divorced for less than 1 year, and about 17% for 6 to 10 years.
9. About 50% indicated they had been divorced only once and about 25% experienced divorce twice. One person had been divorced five times.

First Five Years: Most Critical Time

For a third of the participants, marriage lasted two to five years; for a quarter of them, it lasted less than one year. About 20% of them stayed married for six to 10 years, 16% for 11 to 20 years, and 6% for 21 to 40 years.

The fact that majority of divorces occurred within the first five years of marriage clearly illustrates the need for spouses to work harder to protect, strengthen, and nurture their relationship. It is in these initial years that most of the challenges that shake the foundation of a marriage arise.

Current Marriage Status: More Men Re-Married

Out of the 405 respondents, only 31.63% were currently married; 56.55% were currently divorced and 11.82% were separated.

Not surprisingly, a far higher percentage of men (47.06%) re-married, compared with women (26.78%). This finding reinforces the common observation that women in the Muslim community in particular have a harder time re-marrying due to the stigma attached to women getting divorced.

More Women Initiating Divorce

About two-thirds of the participants initiated the divorce themselves, versus the one-third whose spouses started the process.

The fact that 64.32% of Muslim women respondents admitted that they initiated the divorce process beckons a new trend in the North American Muslim communities. More Muslim women are making crucial decisions involving marriage and divorce on their own. Unlike in traditional Muslim societies, North American Muslim women speak their mind, make more informed decisions, and are less likely to tolerate spousal or family abuse.

Incompatibility: #1 Reason for Divorce

Incompatibility was the most cited reason for divorce (16.38%), followed by abuse (13.12%), financial disputes (10.41%), family / in-laws interference (10.20%), sexual infidelity / adultery (8.79%), and others.

If we add the results of “religious incompatibility: lack of practice” and “religious incompatibility: extreme practice” to the general “incompatibility” factor, it comes out to 25.71%.

While every warring couple could cite multiple reasons for the break up, there is always one major factor that leads to the death of a marriage. Some of these factors are detectable and even preventable before the marriage. Compatibility or lack thereof between potential spouses can be determined with good scrutiny prior to official union.

The compatibility factor becomes more pronounced when one spouse was born and raised in North America and the other in the Muslim world. In our survey, over 50% of the respondents were born in North America, while only one third of the ex-spouses were born on the continent.

It can be argued that ‘incompatibility’ is also a convenient excuse or scapegoat some couples use to end their marriage due to relatively minor lifestyle inconveniences they go through after marriage.

Emotional Abuse: Most Common form of Abuse

Those who indicated abuse as one of the reasons for divorce chose emotional abuse as the most common form of abuse they experienced. About one-third (32.32%) of individuals chose emotional abuse, while one-fifth (21.80%) selected verbal abuse, followed by financial abuse (14.79%), physical abuse (13.87%), spiritual abuse (8.99%) and sexual abuse (5.79%).

Surprisingly, a slightly higher percentage of men indicated emotional abuse (37.70%) to be the main form of abuse they suffered, as opposed to 31.26% women. This is similar to the findings for verbal abuse: 24.59% men cited it as one of the forms of abuse they experienced in their relationship, while 21.49% women chose the same.

Understandably, more women than men ranked financial abuse, physical abuse, and spiritual abuse as a higher form of abuse they experienced in the marriage.

Emotional abuse and verbal abuse, the most common forms of abuse cited, are also perhaps the most dangerous because they are often not as overt and explicit as other types of abuse. A spouse may continue to silently suffer under emotional and verbal abuse for years until one day it becomes intolerable.

Moreover, the abuser may not even know at times that his or her actions, based on cultural upbringing or nature, are hurting his or her spouse’s feelings and could be detrimental to their relationship. This is why clear communication about expectations even before one decides to get married is crucial.

Children from the Marriage

Over two-third of the divorced individuals reported that they had children from the failed marriage, out of which 22.19% had disputes over the custody of children.

Three-quarters of the women surveyed had children living with them and only a quarter of the men surveyed had children living with them. The rest of the respondents indicated that their children were split between mother and father; others would have their children stay with one parent certain days of the week and on other days with the other parent.

About a quarter also had children from earlier marriages.

Family Support

A decisive majority of the participants (82.12%) had their family’s support and blessing in the process of divorce. Women seemed to have more support from their family (84.68%) than men did (67.39%). This again points to a shift in the Muslim community away from traditional ideas, where parents abhor and resist the idea of their children divorcing at any cost and spouses (especially wives) are encouraged to bear with a miserable relationship for the sake of the family’s honor or reputation, and the couple’s children.

Family and relatives were also ranked highest by respondents as those from whom they sought help to resolve the differences with their spouse before initiating divorce: 28.27% approached their family / relatives, 22.44% went to their Imams or local religious leaders, and 21.53% asked their friends for help, followed by a Muslim counselor (8.82%), a lawyer (7.52%), and a non-Muslim counselor (7.39%).

The fact that about half of the couples approached their families or local Imams for help reflects the urgent need for equipping family members and community leaders, in particular, with tools and resources for family counseling and the knowledge of Islamic marriage laws, as well as the legalities of marriages and divorce in the country they are living in. Professional marriage counselors in the community should also be known to the wider community and should work closely with Imams for referrals as needed.

Community Response

In response to “What was your local Muslim community’s reaction to your divorce?”, 24.84% indicated negative, 12.74% received positive reaction, and 31.85% felt the community reaction was neutral. It is revealing to note that 30.57% of the participants did not publicize the divorce in the community, hence there was no reaction.

While divorce is not something encouraged by Islam, especially when all the means of reconciliation have not been exhausted, it is not something to be kept hidden from the community. The fact that about a third of the respondents decided to keep their divorce hidden, shows how much stigma divorce still carries in our community.

Moreover, when asked “Did you feel your local Muslim community gave you the support you needed while divorcing?” most said no (49.34%), 27.63 indicated yes, and 23.03% received some support.

For the majority of the couples, divorce was processed by a lawyer (48.08%) and for 19.55% it was handled by their Masjid or an Imam. The rest (32.37%) resorted to other means, including a professional mediator, judge, Shariah council/arbitrator, friend, or “verbal Talaq pronouncement three times.”

Current Level of Happiness

The response to “Are you better off today than you were in this marriage?” was a resounding YES (90.61%).

Of those who indicated they were happy with the decision to divorce, 31.64% were currently married, 57.45% were not married, and 10.91% were separated.

Moreover, of those who are happier today, 66.19% initiated the divorce themselves.

Interestingly, the income level of participants did not seem to emerge as a factor in the frequency of divorce. Our survey respondents were quite evenly distributed across all income levels, from “under $15,000” to “$75,000-$149,999” income brackets.

——————————

Taha Ghayyur is Sound Vision’s Development Manager and has been writing on leadership, lifestyle, and self-help issues since 1997. He is a director of MuslimFest, a project of Sound Vision, which is an award-winning annual festival celebrating the best in Muslim arts and entertainment held annually in Toronto, Canada.

Co‐op creates model for Muslim home financing

In the co‐operative model, the founders of the Ansar Co‐operative Housing Corporation discovered a way for Muslims living in Canada to purchase homes and make investments in a way that wouldn’t contravene their religious beliefs. Now the model is being adopted around the world.

Paying or receiving interest (Riba) is forbidden in the Quran. For Muslims, that means a tough decision: to buy a house and indulge in interest or to forget buying a house altogether to avoid interest with a traditional mortgage.

For Pervez Nasim that wasn’t good enough. In 1980, he and a few others from the Muslim community created a solution: the Islamic Co‐operative Housing Corporation Ltd., North America’s first Islamic financial institution that provides interest‐free housing and investment opportunities for Muslims.

It was so successful, the co‐op soon reached its authorized capital limit and a new co‐operative, Ansar Co‐operative Housing Corporation Ltd., was incorporated. Ansar functions in exactly the same way and is managed by the same Board, with Nasim as its Chair, and operates out of the same office. There is no maximum limit on the sale of Ansar shares.

To join the co‐op, individuals pay a onetime $75 membership fee and annually must purchase a minimum of six shares ($600) from the equity pool. Once a member accumulates enough shares, the co‐op buys a house on behalf of the member and his family to live in while paying a proportional rent to the co‐op.

For example, if the member has contributed one‐quarter to the price of the house and the co‐op contributed three‐quarters, the homebuyer pays three‐quarters of the value to the co‐op in rent. Members increase their ownership by purchasing more shares and the rent goes down in the same ratio until it is phased out completely.

At that point, the homebuyer surrenders the equity shares to the co‐op and the co‐op transfers the title to the homeowner. Any capital gain or loss is shared between the homebuyer and the co‐op as per agreed ratio.

Since 1981, Ansar has sold more than 700 homes and although it only deals with Canadian homes, it has members throughout the world.

And rather than putting their savings in banks, members can invest in the co‐op and earn Halal (lawfully permitted) income. The co‐op shares pay dividends from rental income, which is calculated quarterly and paid annually. Ansar has been so successful it regularly receives calls from financial institutions around the world looking to copy it.

Today, there more than 250 Islamic financial institutions are operating worldwide, managing in excess of $200 billion USD. Many western banks, including several in Canada, have also developed Islamic units hoping to meet the financial needs of Muslims.

Mohammed Jalaluddin, Vice Chairman of Ansar Co‐operative Housing Corporation, says the global financial crisis has brought renewed vigour to the co‐operative models as well as other alternative methods, such as Islamic banking, finance and insurance.

[This profile of Ansar Co-operative Housing Corporation appeared in the Canadian Co-operative Association’s publication, New futures: Innovative uses of the co‐op model, November 2009]

Protecting the planet is a sacred and scientific duty

By David Suzuki with Faisal Moola

If we were to judge our priorities by the amount of space devoted to stories in the news, we’d have to figure that the World Cup, controversy at a hot-dog-eating contest, and the shenanigans of Paris and Lindsay were the most important issues. Meanwhile, news about vanishing species, climate change, and loss of topsoil appears briefly, often buried in the B section of the newspaper, before vanishing.

It’s been this way for a while. Back in 1992, some of the world’s most prominent scientists issued an urgent warning about imminent ecological collapse. The” World Scientists’ Warning to Humanity”:http://www.ucsusa.org/about/1992-world-scientists.html, signed by 1,700 top scientists from 71 countries, including 104 Nobel laureates, began with the statement: “Human beings and the natural world are on a collision course.” Major television networks and newspapers ignored the warning. Yet the same news media continue to play up the pronouncements of economic pundits who weren’t even able to anticipate the 2008 economic meltdown.

I have long maintained that what distinguishes us from other animals is our ability to use our accumulated knowledge, experience, and insight to look ahead, to see where the dangers and opportunities lie, and to choose a path that allows us to avoid the hazards and exploit the opportunities. Foresight has been the key to our enormous success as a species. Yet today, we are turning our backs on this great survival attribute as we ignore the perilous warnings of scientists while focusing on the latest shift in the Dow Jones average, the value of the Canadian dollar (to four decimal points), and the activities of Donald Trump and Steve Jobs.

Two years before the World Scientists’ Warning, astronomer Carl Sagan presented a remarkable appeal from scientists to religious leaders at the Global Forum of Spiritual and Parliamentary Leaders on Human Survival in Moscow. It was signed by 32 Nobel Prize-winning and other scientists and is well worth quoting at length:

“The Earth is the birthplace of our species and, as far as we know, our only home. When our numbers were small and our technology feeble, we were powerless to influence the environment of our world. But today, suddenly…our numbers have become immense and our technology has achieved vast, even awesome, powers. Intentionally or inadvertently, we are now able to make devastating changes in the global environment, an environment to which we and all other beings with which we share the Earth are meticulously and exquisitely adapted.”

The appeal listed numerous threats, including “depletion of the protective ozone layer; a global warming unprecedented in the last 150 millennia; the obliteration of an acre of forest every second; the rapid-fire extinction of species; and the prospect of a global nuclear war which would put at risk most of the population of the Earth.”

It also called on spiritual leaders to view the situation as a common cause: “Problems of such magnitude, and solutions demanding so broad a perspective, must be recognized from the outset as having a religious as well as a scientific dimension. Mindful of our common responsibility, we scientists, many of us long engaged in combating the environmental crisis, urgently appeal to the world religious community to commit, in word and deed, and as boldly as is required, to preserve the environment of the Earth.”

This remarkable document ends with a moving statement about an underlying congruence of science and religion: “As scientists, many of us have had profound experiences of awe and reverence before the universe. We understand that what is regarded as sacred is more likely to be treated with care and respect. Our planetary home should be so regarded. Efforts to safeguard and cherish the environment need to be infused with a vision of the sacred. At the same time, a much wider and deeper understanding of science and technology is needed. If we do not understand the problem, it is unlikely we will be able to fix it. Thus, there is a vital role for both religion and science.”

At the conference, 271 spiritual leaders from 83 countries — patriarchs, lamas, chief rabbis, cardinals, mullahs, archbishops, and professors of theology — added their names to the document. Now, 20 years later, we must regain our foresight and remember these powerful warnings from scientific and religious leaders. They’re even more relevant today.

[Learn more at: http://www.davidsuzuki.org]

Public foundation recognizes ‘good works’

 The Olive Tree Foundation celebrated community development at its Annual Appreciation Brunch on Sunday June 20, 2010.

“Successful public foundations that fund community initiatives can lead to community development,” said Muneeb Nasir, President of the Olive Tree Foundation.

The event, titled, ‘Leading Community Development’, recognized the Foundation’s contributions as one of Canada’s first Muslim granting agencies and public endowments, and recognized the Olive Tree Foundation’s donors and grant recipients.

The event was attended by a number of non-profit organizations, community workers and supporters of community development.

“Our annual event recognizes all those who are doing good works and providing services to our community,” Nasir told the audience in his opening remarks.

Olive Tree Foundation to fund study on Muslim youth involvement

(June 20, 2010) – The Olive Tree Foundation has announced that it will fund a study by the Tessellate Institute (TTI) on “Canadian Muslim Youth: Concepts of Political Participation.”

TTI’s project will be conducted in the context of growing governmental and community concern over the ‘radicalization’ of Canadian Muslim youth.

By investigating, through empirical research, their perspectives on participation, the research aims to learn what Canadian Muslim youth think about politics and their involvement with it.

The study will seek to answer some pressing questions: Are they similar to other youth, who are only marginally involved in formal political processes? Do they share with other Canadian youth a more extensive involvement in local, voluntary, and civic engagement? What is their political socialization in the home, at school, in civic associations, amongst peers? Is there a sub-culture(s) particular to Canadian Muslim youth as far as political engagement goes? What demands are Muslim youth placing on the political system? What diffuse support do they offer to the Canadian regime? Are Canadian Muslim youth being ‘radicalized?’

When mothers are driven to kill

By Hajara Kutty

Does postpartum depression cause mothers to kill? It’s a question some may ask following the triple stabbings last week by a Winnipeg mother said to have been suffering from postpartum depression.

Fortunately, the answer is short and simple: No, it doesn’t.

The notion that women with postpartum depression are at risk of killing their children is one women who have suffered from the affliction will tell you they cannot relate to. It is also one many feel unjustifiably vilifies the condition.

Postpartum depression, a condition that afflicts up to 20 per cent of new moms (and can even strike those who have adopted, miscarried or aborted) is but one disorder on a spectrum of illnesses called postpartum mood disorders.

It is the most common of the lot, which includes postpartum anxiety, obsessive-compulsive and postpartum psychosis. Symptoms of the condition include: feeling overwhelmed; numbness; frequent crying; lack of interest or pleasure; and/or appetite and sleep disturbance.

So how is it that whenever a mother kills her children the words postpartum depression always seem to crop up?

The issue here is a misunderstanding of the medical facts. The woman in question may very well have been suffering from postpartum depression, but what is left out is whether she was also experiencing psychotic features. This is fundamental to the discussion because postpartum depression with psychotic features is actually a form of the life-threatening emergency condition known as postpartum psychosis.

It is women with this illness who are a very real threat to not only themselves, but others around them, including their children.

This is because women with postpartum psychosis experience, in addition to the symptoms listed above, severe paranoia, delusions (beliefs not rooted in reality, i.e., that they are Jesus, Satan or are living among aliens) and hallucinations (seeing, hearing or feeling things not actually there). In short, these women are not in touch with reality but are functioning in a reality of their own.

Tragically, afflicted women sometimes feel compelled either by their delusions or hallucinations to do things they would otherwise never do, believing they have no choice in the matter.

This is why women who have committed some of the most horrific crimes tend not to hide what they have done, but are often the ones who report the matter themselves to police and family.

What is even more unfortunate is the illness, when properly diagnosed, is easily treatable.

Therefore, the real question is: Why are women and their families/supports not educated about the symptoms of postpartum psychosis, such that they can be alert and get themselves or their loved ones help before tragedy strikes?

The rationale used by some that postpartum psychosis is a rare occurrence that doesn’t warrant mainstream awareness is simply an excuse. Some in the health field have told me they fear discussing its frequency will simply scare new mothers. This is unfortunate, given the fact postpartum psychosis is not all that rare — studies around the world put its incidence at about 1 in 500 births, higher than the incidence of a mother giving birth to a child with Down syndrome, a condition most everyone knows about.

To this overall lack of education on the reality of postpartum psychosis, add in that immigrant women have a more difficult time accessing services for a variety of reasons, including: language barriers and cultural beliefs about mental illness. Easy to see how a combination like this may end up in tragedy.

Those south of the border have taken the right kind of steps by adopting the Melanie Blocker-Stokes Mothers Act, which mandates increased education about and research into postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis.

True, it took the death of Melanie Blocker-Stokes and the loss of numerous other lives before the bill became law. Is that what we in Canada are really waiting for? A few more Canadian children to be hurt or killed by their own mothers? I for one hope not.

*Hajara Kutty, the co-ordinator of Postpartum Support International in the Greater Toronto Area, gives assistance to women (and their families) who seek help with postpartum disorders.

 This article was originally published in the Winnipeg Free Press

Council of Canadians host ‘Shout out for Global Justice!’ during G20 Summit

(June 8, 2010) – The Council of Canadians has announced that the Shout Out for Global Justice public event, scheduled for Friday June 25, will now be held at Massey Hall in Toronto.

“Strategically planned between the G8 and G20 Summits of world leaders, the Shout Out for Global Justice will bring together leading Canadian and international social justice activists, labour leaders, journalists, authors and policy experts for a timely and necessary public forum to directly challenge their undemocratic closed door meetings,” says Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow.

“This touchstone event also illustrates that you don’t need to spend a billion dollars to hold a meeting of world leaders.”

Temporarily shut out from Convocation Hall due to the University of Toronto St. George campus closure announcement last Monday, organizers are thrilled to be landing at Massey Hall, bringing the event even closer to where the G20 leaders will be sequestered.

With a billion dollar-plus price tag, infringements of basic civil liberties, massive disruptions for those who live in Toronto, and a ‘business as usual’ agenda that serves neither people nor the planet, the Council of Canadians is calling on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to scrap the upcoming G8 and G20 summits.

The event will feature Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow, Bolivian ambassador Pablo Solon, writer Naomi Klein, union leader Leo Gerard, physicist Vandana Shiva, Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman, War on Want executive director John Hilary, Indigenous activist Clayton Thomas-Muller and many others. The event is receiving support from national and provincial unions across Canada.

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