Dr Zijad Delic

The Canadian Islamic Congress, Canada

From Constructive Integration to Reformation and Recognition in Canadian Mosaic: Muslims as Citizins

Abstract

This paper examines different possibilities Muslims in Canada can consider while settling in the new context. The paper touches on challenges involved in the process of reformation in the new society and gives an assessment of alternative ways in which Muslims can effectively integrate into Canadian society while still remain faithful to their religious principles. This paper is organized in the following ways: The first section examines Canada as a country of diversity in which Muslims besides many other ethnic and religious groups build their own Muslim Canadian Culture and work on settling properly in the new environment. This section is followed by the brief summary on culture, religion as a source of Muslim identity, reform and the notion of Identity of Muslims in Canada. The third section examines alternatives that Muslim can choose in Canada: assimilation, isolation and smart integration and suggests the smart integration alternative as the only acceptable and beneficial for all: Muslims and other Canadians. Smart integration offers balanced choices, enhances positives and minimizes undesirable extremes. It helps minorities in settling properly in new environments, reconciling the differences with new environments and creates opportunities for the contribution to both parties: minorities and new environments. The fourth section recognizes the possible obstacle on the path of integration namely “captive minds” and suggests that mere transplantation of thoughts and systems from the countries of Muslim origin will cripple Muslims in the process of settling, reconciling and contributing to the new homeland. The fifth section discusses Multiculturalism as a lived Muslim reality. The sixth section emphasizes the importance of the concept of Citizenship and the Muslim attitude towards it, since there is no a dichotomy in being a good Muslim and being a good Canadian Citizen. The seventh section concludes with recommendations for actions that can be undertaken by Muslims that the government could support or facilitate.

Bio

Imam Dr. Zijad Delic was born in Bosnia. He is a formally trained Imam in Bosnia and received his B.A (Hons) in Islamic Studies and Arabic language from International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan. He holds a Masters from University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA and a PhD from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

From 1995 – 2006, Dr. Delic held a range of leadership positions within the BC Muslim Association: head Imam, Vice-Principal of the BC Muslim School, the spokesperson for the community, etc.

For the past six years, he has also worked extensively as a consultant to all three levels of government, as well as to a number of NGOs (non-governmental organizations).

In addition to his formal academic endeavors and a longstanding personal interest in emerging issues of the Canadian and global Muslim communities, Dr. Delic has invested much of his career energy in researching how Muslims can integrate and contribute more successfully into the Canadian context. He envisions the building of a new Canadian Muslim culture with an even greater collective potential for making positive social, cultural and professional contributions to the national fabric of the country while remaining faithful to the formative principles of Islam.

He resides in Ottawa with his family and works for Canadian Islamic Congress as National Executive Director.