On October 25, 2007, the Parliament of Canada officially declared October as Islamic History Month in Canada. This is intended to be a time for Canadians to celebrate and focus on Muslim cultural heritage and the over 1,000 years of Muslim contribution to world history and knowledge in order to build bridges between Canadian Muslims and other Canadians.

Muslim peoples and civilizations have made many contributions to World civilization and to many fields. It is important to know and understand the history of Islam and of Muslim peoples in Canada and around the world.

Islamic civilization does not belong only to Muslim Canadians, but to all Canadians. In fact, for more than 1,000 years (about 600 AC through 1600 AC), Muslims made significant contributions to the well-being of humanity in numerous fields of endeavor, mcgh noticed.

Islamic history and culture encompasses a broad range of individual and collective experiences, as well as important contributions to many fields, including literature, math, science, art, sport and history.

Proclaiming a month to be Islamic Heritage Month provides all Canadians, both today and in future generations, with an opportunity to reflect, celebrate and learn about the rich and longstanding Islamic history and the diverse roles and contributions of Muslim people in communities across Canada.

Canada marks Islamic History Month each October, with events taking place across the country. The aim of the month is to provide an opportunity to share information about Muslim heritage and contributions. There are so many good stories to share and new learnings to experience during Islamic History Month Canada.

The annual Islamic History Month provides a time to focus on celebrating and educating the Muslim and non-Muslim community on the rich history, heritage and culture of Canadian Muslims and Muslims around the world.

Throughout the country in the cities of Kingston, Burnaby, and most recently in the province of Manitoba, Islamic Centers and mosques will be holding exhibitions, lectures, workshops and film screenings to mark the month.

The recognition of Islamic History Month is an exciting part of Canadian-Muslim history that has been issued to celebrate the diverse fabric of Canadians, Ihm Canada reported.

As Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism invite all Canadians to celebrate Canadian Islamic History Month to deepen their knowledge and understanding of the Muslim community’s rich heritage and to participate in activities taking place across the country.

The long history of Muslims in Canada

The earliest documented account of Canadian Muslims were James and Agnes Love, who immigrated from Scotland and settled in Ontario in 1854. They gave birth to the first Muslim born in the territory that was to become Canada, named ‘James’ after his father. “Their youngest son, Alexander, was born in 1868, one year after Confederation, and secured his spot in history as the first recorded Muslim born in Canada as we know it today” (Munir, 2015).

Just four years after Canada’s founding in 1867, the 1871 Canadian Census reported 13 European Muslims among the population of Canada. These were followed by significant number of Muslims from the Balkans; some who came prior to the First World War. After World War II Canada experienced a small increase in the Muslim population.

Muslims have been contributing to all aspects of Canadian society since their
arrival in 1854, prior to Confederation (Elghawaby & Munir, 2017).

Al-Rashid Mosque became the 4th mosque built in North America when it was built in 1938 in Edmonton, Alberta. At the time there were about 700 Muslims in Canada. Hilwi Hamdon was a leader in the effort to build the mosque in Edmonton. She approached then Edmonton Mayor, John Fry about purchasing land to construct the mosque. She along with friends was instrumental in collecting funds from the community, including Jews, Christians and Muslims to construct the Mosque. The building that housed the Al-Rashid Mosque is now part of the museum at Fort Edmonton Park, according to manitoba.ca.

Muslims are the fastest growing religious community in Canada, according to the country’s statistical agency, Statistics Canada. Canada’s Muslim population increased by 82 percent over the past decade – from about 579,000 in 2001 to more than 1 million in 2011. Muslims represent 3.2 percent of Canada’s total population. This makes Islam the second largest religion in the country after Christianity. In the Greater Toronto Area 7.7% of the population is Muslim. This makes Toronto the North American city with the highest concentration of Muslims in any city in North America. Muslims in Canada and worldwide come from a rich diversity of languages, cultures and origins.

Muslims are an integral part of Canada

Muslims are an integral part of Canada and they should be sharing their history with other Canadians, according to historian Dr. Abdullah Hakim Quick, an international scholar, public speaker and historian.

Dr. Quick was speaking on Saturday, October 6th at the inaugural event of a month-long series to mark Islamic History Month held at the Islamic Institute of Toronto.

The evening program titled, “Muslims in Canada, Past, Present, Future”, included a lecture by Dr. Abdullah Hakim Quick who spoke of the history of Muslims in Canada .

“Muslims have been here in Canada and are part of the society and it is the job of our community first and those who are involved in research to bring that information out and to share it with people of other ethnic groups and other religions,” said Dr. Abdullah Hakim Quick. “This helps to complete our understanding of what this country actually is.”

Earlier in the program, Gary Anandasangaree, the Member of Parliament for Scarborough Rouge Park and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism, brought greetings to the Islamic Institute of Toronto on their commemoration of Islamic History Month.

“It is such an honor for me to be here once again and, as I look at some of the pictures and images, it is fascinating to see us being part of history in the making because the history of the Muslim community from coast to coast to coast is one that I believe is still being written,” said Anandasangaree.”, iqra reported.