“We are interested in documenting exactly that: the pioneering communities that made B.C. their home, and further enrich the fabric of our local communities,” says Moustafa. “The Muslim community is as diverse as the fabric of the city itself.”
Canadian Islamic History Month is celebrated each October, recognizing the presence, heritage and contributions of Muslim Canadians.
A public call
A national initiative, MiCA started at the University of Toronto’s Institute of Islamic Studies. SFU’s Centre for Comparative Muslim Studies (CCMS) was asked to join the project, serving as MiCA’s B.C. partner. Their work is to collect and document records concerning the lived experiences of Muslims in Canada.
“We envision this project as one that will continue for many years,” Moustafa adds, noting the project is in its early stages. “We encourage anyone with materials relevant to the history of Muslims in B.C. to contact CCMS.”
As a participatory archive, MiCA welcomes submissions from individuals, communities and organizations. The national initiative has so far traced the establishment of Muslim student associations across North American campuses, the settlement of “Arctic Muslims” up North and collections of Muslim print culture produced in Eastern Canada.
“MiCA enables B.C. Muslims to tell their own story in their own words through their ‘stuff,’” Moustafa adds. “The things you own – physical or digital, audio or video – help to highlight the rich histories and legacies of Canada’s diverse Muslim populations.”
For Moustafa, the project challenges “harmful stereotypes and Islamophobia” through storytelling – drawing attention to the wide ranging experiences of Muslims in the province.
“We can do this through podcasts and social media, radio segments and other avenues,” he adds.
Capturing stories
The project addresses what Moustafa calls “a gap in the representation of Muslim communities” within Canadian archives. He envisions this archive as “a goldmine” for those looking to better understand B.C.’s history of Muslim communities.
“Our student coordinator has conducted multiple family oral histories, collected family photos and received newsletters and other historical materials from local mosques and other community groups,” the faculty lead adds. “We even have menus and advertisements from an early Muslim-owned restaurant.”
He hopes to have a team of students continue this community engagement – seeing it as “a tremendous learning experience.” For Moustafa, sharing these stories is just as important as building the archive.
“One finding that is absolutely to be expected is the tremendous diversity within the Muslim experience in B.C. and Canada,” he adds.
According to Moustafa, SFU’s CCMS was chosen as MiCA’s B.C partner for its strong connections with local Muslim communities and administrative capacity to support the project. There remain financial challenges to scale the initiative.
Despite these challenges, Moustafa and his team are committed to sharing these stories – highlighting the “incredible pluralism and diversity” of the local Muslim communities.
“While mostly from South Asia and the Middle East, Muslims in Canada and B.C. come from every corner of the world, bringing tremendous ethnic, linguistic and cultural diversity with them,” he adds.
For Moustafa, these communities are “multi-layered and diverse,” ranging from newcomers to fourth-generation Canadians.
“We come from all walks of life – PhDs and MDs, electricians and bus drivers, schoolteachers and civil servants,” he emphasizes. “We are your friends, co-workers, and neighbours.”
For more information on MiCA, see www.muslimsincanadaarchives.ca/en
For more information on Canadian Islamic History Month, see www.islamichistorymonth.ca
