Institute of Islamic Studies

Alumni

Faculty of Information

Islam

As an archivist on the Muslims in Canada Archives (MiCA) project, Moska Rokay doesn't just preserve the past – she unearths it.

Moska Rokay

Rokay, a graduate of the University of Toronto's master of information program in the Faculty of Information, speaks to Canadians across the country to collect stories, documents and images that bring the rich history of Muslims in Canada to life.

“For instance, many people I have spoken to recall attending a co-ed Muslim youth summer camp in the 1980s and 90s, pre 9/11,” she says. “It’s been fascinating to speak to so many different people who each have fond memories of this time, like playing sports, learning how to canoe, doing arts and crafts, and, of course, participating in lectures on Islam.”

Although it's changed names and locations over the years, the camp still exists as Ontario's Camp Deen. Rokay has spoken to many Muslims across Ontario who has attended what's now known as Camp Deen, as first step toward piecing together the camp's history.

That's just one example of the kinds of stories in the MiCA project that illuminates how Muslim Canadians fit within Canada's broader historical narrative, says Institute of Islamic Studies Director Anver Emon.

“Muslims have been in Canada since Confederation, but their stories are not robustly told anywhere,” says Emon, who is also a professor in the Faculty of Law and department of history in the Faculty of Arts & Science, and Canada Research Chair in Islamic Law and History. “Not much is known about the early history of Muslims in Canada, or the current history they make each day alongside other communities.”

The archive is also helping to recalibrate present-day conversations about Islam and Muslims. “Canadian Muslims have too often been subject to stereotypes, prejudice and creeping Islamophobia,” Emon explains. “These biased representations will not go away overnight, which is where MiCA comes in – by speaking back to an Islamophobic narrative, one story at a time.”

Sadia Zaman, CEO of the Inspirit Foundation and one of MiCA’s partners, says that collaborating with organizations from different sectors is important because the dominant narrative in public discourse is very powerful: “It requires us all to work together to create a different one,” she says.

“The participatory nature of this archive is crucial to help tell the complex, multifaceted and nuanced story of Muslim presence in Canada. And its academic rigour is needed to help build the foundation for those stories so that they can be disseminated and made accessible.”

Supported by the Canadian government, the archive plans to expand its scope from Ontario, Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador to the rest of the country (photo by Emily Moran)

In a 2019 environmental scan of Canadian archives, Rokay found that Muslims were not only underrepresented, they were often categorized using ethnic groupings but not also religion.

In the report, Rokay says: “[A]t best, the ‘Muslim’ experience can only be inferred. At worst, this erases minority religious groups from Canada’s archival holdings at a time when religious identity has become a very public and political touchstone in recent elections.

Anver Emon (photo by Diana Tyszko)

“From Quebec’s attack on the headscarf to right-wing extremism that resulted in the terrorist attack at a Quebec City mosque, being Muslim is often associated with a national security and threat narrative that dehumanizes a portion of Canada’s citizenry.”

Documenting the voices of marginalized communities is key to supporting an inclusive, multicultural Canada, says journalist and editor Haroon Siddiqui, chair of the IIS advisory board and a senior fellow at Massey College, an independent graduate college affiliated with �Թϱ��.

"A great achievement of contemporary Canada has been to bestow equality and equal dignity on all demographic groups. Our next challenge is to extend equal dignity of portrayal,” Siddiqui explains. "With a digital archive like MiCA, Muslims across Canada can now follow in the tradition of other Canadian communities who’ve enriched us all with their stories.”

The Canadian government recently pledged $4 million in funding to MiCA and the project members' goal to document the history of Canada's diverse Muslim communities.

Emon says the funding will enable MiCA to expand its scope from eastern and central Canada (Ontario, Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador) to the rest of the country. It will also support the latest stage of the project: making the vibrant history of Muslims in Canada accessible to the public, using a curated digital storytelling portal.

“When watching the news, it’s hard not to notice that from rural communities to small towns to Canada’s major cities, we are all contending with how an increasingly diverse demographic can share their lives, their stories, and all the while remain in political community,” Emon says.

“To tell stories together – whatever your race, creed, ethnicity or culture – requires the ‘stuff’ with which we tell stories. As grade-school students, we used this ‘stuff’ when we shared with our classmates in show-and-tell. Historians use this ‘stuff’ called primary sources to empirically ground their research. Artists might find inspiration in this ‘stuff’ to write a poem, compose a musical score or paint a canvas.

“As one step in systemic change, MiCA stewards that ‘stuff’ with the conviction that whatever it may be, it is rich with storytelling possibilities – ones that empower Muslims in Canada to speak for themselves.”

‘A win for everyone’: �Թϱ�� receives green light to proceed with Centre for Civilizations, Cultures & Cities

rahul.kalvapalle — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 14:44:52 +0000

‘A win for everyone’: �Թϱ�� receives green light to proceed with Centre for Civilizations, Cultures & Cities

rahul.kalvapalle Tue, 09/07/2021 - 10:44

Cutline

A fifth-floor recital hall in the proposed Centre for Civilizations, Cultures & Cities building at 90 Queen's Park will include stunning views of the downtown skyline (Images courtesy of Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with architects-Alliance)

Rahul Kalvapalle

Topic

City & Culture

Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies

School of Cities

Cities

Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations

Faculty of Music

History

St. George

The University of Toronto is welcoming the outcome of a formal mediation process led by the Ontario Land Tribunal that has resulted in the approval of a revised rezoning envelope for the new Centre for Civilizations, Cultures & Cities (CCC) building located at 90 Queen’s Park on the St. George campus.

Once constructed, the building will house �Թϱ��’s School of Cities, department of history, department of Near and Middle Eastern civilizations, Institute of Islamic Studies and an arm of the Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies – all in the Faculty of Arts & Science. It will also include spaces for the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Music, including a world-class music recital hall.

“We are pleased with the result of this settlement hearing process, which saw all parties make compromises in the interest of achieving a positive resolution. That’s a win for the university, the community and the city,” said Christine Burke, �Թϱ��’s assistant vice-president, university planning.

The 90 Queen’s Park site was acquired by �Թϱ�� in 2009. Located near the intersection of Bloor Street and Queen’s Park, the site acts as a key gateway to the St. George campus while linking iconic buildings and structures in the area such as the Royal Ontario Museum, Edward Johnson Building, Falconer Hall and Flavelle House.

Although City Planning and Heritage Preservation Services staff reports supportive of and recommending approval of the project at both the Heritage Preservation Board and at Community Council, members of the community expressed concerns with the proposal and the project was ultimately deferred at the meeting of the Toronto and East York Community Council on Oct. 15, 2020 pending completion of a future Queen's Park cultural heritage landscape study. The university appealed to the Ontario Lands Tribunal in October 2020.

The parties involved – the university, city and Queen’s Park Heritage Precinct Coalition, a non-profit that represents several local resident associations – agreed to engage in formal mediation earlier this year.

The result is a revised building envelope that redistributes the building’s massing to respond to community concerns about the way the building interfaces with its surroundings, while still offering the same amount of collaborative space for �Թϱ�� students and researchers, civic leaders and members of the public interested in city-building and diversity.

Among the adjustments made to the building design were setting its average height to 33.6 metres across its three roofs, a reduction of more than five metres from the original proposal. The tallest portion of the building to the north of the site will now have a height of 35 metres, with the shortest north-east portion standing at 18 metres tall to sync with the ROM’s east wing.

The revised massing design was accepted by city council and approved by the Ontario Land Tribunal with the consent of all parties, clearing the way for the project to proceed.

“Thanks to this positive outcome, we can now kickstart the detailed design of 90 Queen’s Park and ask our architects to get back to the drawing board, so that we can move into construction as soon as possible,” Burke said. “The need for this space is critical to meet the space demands of the faculty and the university.”

Evelyn Casquenette, senior planner at �Թϱ��, said that it was important that the revised design continue to conserve the 19^th-century Falconer Hall building. While the westernmost wing of Falconer Hall will be removed, “one of the many positives with the new design is that more breathing room has been provided around Falconer Hall, so there will be more space between the CCC and Falconer,” Casquenette said.

She added the proposal will also make for more prominent framing of Falconer Hall from along Queen’s Park, while the building’s restored heritage west wall will be visible from inside the CCC building lobby to the south and from a new courtyard space between the two buildings on the north.

Casquenette noted that the revised massing did not alter the fifth-floor music recital hall’s stunning views of the downtown skyline – calling it a “spectacular space” for the community at large to enjoy once the building is constructed. There is another event space on the eighth floor that will be linked to a green roof terrace that will similarly showcase views of the city and �Թϱ��.

The redesign also maintains original plans for a sizeable north plaza and outdoor café to welcome members of the public.

Construction on the project, which is expected to take approximately three years, is scheduled to begin in early 2023.

“90 Queen’s Park is such an important project for �Թϱ��, so we’re delighted to be able to move ahead and work hard to create a special place on campus where the university and city connect and interact,” Burke said.

“We look forward to sharing the designs of the project as it evolves and takes shape.”

Islam in the City: �Թϱ�� literary magazine shares students' stories

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 09 Sep 2020 15:36:44 +0000

Islam in the City: �Թϱ�� literary magazine shares students' stories

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 09/09/2020 - 11:36

Cutline

Published by �Թϱ��'s Institute of Islamic Studies, Islam in the City gives students a forum to explore the complexities and nuances of all things Islamic (photo via the Institute of Islamic Studies)

Michael McKinnon

Topic

City & Culture

Cities

A new University of Toronto literary magazine is empowering students to share their stories of what it means to be Muslim in Toronto – everything from takes on casual streetwear and evening shifts at local coffee houses to Islam among the city’s bubble tea shops and sports bars.

Published by the Institute of Islamic Studies in the Faculty of Arts & Science, Islam in the City  gives students a forum to explore the complexities and nuances of everything that falls under the broad term “Islamic.”

“We want to showcase that Muslims don’t just experience life as Muslims in the mosque, [but] that we’re just as likely to find Muslims and Islamic moments at the CN Tower, a cafe or the movie theatre,” explains Andrew Mackin, Islam in the City’s editor-in-chief. “We want to challenge the dominant narrative of what Islam is.”

Mackin earned an honours bachelor’s degree in history and religion in 2018 as a member of Trinity College, and is now a master’s student in contemporary Middle Eastern, Arabic and Islamic studies. He helped create the e-magazine to provide an outlet for all students, regardless of whether they are affiliated with the Institute of Islamic Studies.

“I saw how the institute excels at the research and academic aspect of Islamic studies – and that’s great – but I started wondering if there was a way for Muslim students who aren’t in Islamic studies to still see themselves represented,” Mackin says. “This magazine is a place through which Muslim students – first at �Թϱ�� but now expanding to other schools across the GTA – can share their stories, have their voices heard and see themselves represented in the work the institute does.

“We wanted to create a space where the students themselves are their own authority to tell the kind of stories they want to tell.”

Andrew Mackin (left) and Anver Emon (right) created Islam in the City in hopes of helping Muslim students across Toronto feel connected (photo courtesy of Andrew Mackin)

The first issue, “A Love Letter,” features five stories. some feature traditional images of Muslim students in the GTA, while others share less common experiences. “Stillness in the City” sees prayer and meditation wedged in between subway rides, criminology classes and evening coffee shop shifts, while “Salaam” describes grabbing chicken from the butcher shop and using a mobile app reminder for prayer.

“We were really happy with the writers who submitted their work; it’s a great sample of the student body,” Mackin says.

Alina Butt earned her honours bachelor of arts degree in criminology and sociolegal studies and English from �Թϱ�� in 2018 as a member of Woodsworth College. Her story, “A New Love,” playfully explores her own troubled “romance” with Islam, beginning with the juxtaposition of the Toronto Islamic Centre for many years sitting next to Seduction, one of Toronto’s largest adult stores.

“My piece was an exercise in reflecting upon what I thought of myself, which was a good reminder of the ways I have grown and still can,” says Butt. “At the same time, picking the right words to convey exactly what I wanted to was painstaking, largely in relation to what I was comfortable with sharing – in particular with my family.

“We are not the most intimate or personal with each other, so I wanted to respect our relationship while also accurately portraying my difficulties, especially since it is really important to me to see depictions of being Muslim that are different from what is expected within our communities. That includes doubt, difficulty and even change over time.”

As a newcomer to Toronto, she says the city ultimately helped her better connect with Islam.

“When I moved here, the city played a big part in helping me refigure my relationship to my roots; it still does,” she says. “I think the many different Muslim communities can benefit from hearing stories about each of our experiences to learn, relate and reflect. By doing so, we can see what has shaped us and how we can continue to shape our relationships to ourselves and each other.”

Alina Butt, a �Թϱ�� alumna, wrote a piece for for Islam in the City about how Toronto helped her reconnect with her faith (photo courtesy of Alina Butt)

The call for submissions has closed for Islam in the City’s next two issues, the first of which will be published this fall. The next issue will be COVID-19-themed, addressing how isolation and social distancing have impacted Muslim student life, faith and communities. The third issue will showcase the voices of Black Muslim students in response to recent violence and protests, especially in the United States. Both issues accepted submissions from Muslim students at universities across the GTA.

Anver Emon, director of the Institute of Islamic Studies and a professor in the Faculty of Law, says he is grateful Mackin recognized a gap in its programming that led to the creation of Islam in the City.

“Andrew’s effort has created a remarkable venue that adapts to our quickly changing world,” Emon says. “His educational trajectory gives him an appreciation of the nuanced development that undergrads go through as they grow and mature through their program – something that we older academics forget or don’t always appreciate. Islam in the City is perfectly calibrated to give voice to and nurture the expression of undergrads who have something to teach us all.”

90 Queen’s Park: ‘An incredible new gateway to the campus’

rahul.kalvapalle — Wed, 15 Jul 2020 00:08:13 +0000

90 Queen’s Park: ‘An incredible new gateway to the campus’

rahul.kalvapalle Tue, 07/14/2020 - 20:08

Cutline

(all renderings by Diller Scofidio + Renfro)

Rahul Kalvapalle

Topic

Our Community

Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies

School of Cities

Faculty of Art & Science

Near & Middle Eastern Civilizations

Faculty of Music

History

ROM

The University of Toronto and members of the public are taking part in a virtual community consultation organized by the City of Toronto for the new building planned for 90 Queen’s Park.

The site was acquired by �Թϱ�� in 2009 and is envisioned as a major centre of scholarship in urban issues, as well as a city landmark and key gateway to the St. George campus. Located on the site of Falconer Hall and the former McLaughlin Planetarium, it is adjacent to the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM).

The university hopes to obtain approval for the building in September and begin construction in the spring of 2021 on what would be a three-year project.

The building will be home to �Թϱ��’s new School of Cities as well as the departments of History, Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, the Institute of Islamic Studies and an arm of the Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies. It will include spaces for the Faculty of Music, Faculty of Law and the ROM. A public plaza, outdoor café and 250-seat recital hall are also among the designs for the building.

Since 2010, there have been many community meetings and workshops over �Թϱ��’s plans for the site, with resulting refinements and improvements. Ahead of the latest consultations, �Թϱ�� spoke to Assistant Vice-President, University Planning, Operations and Real Estate Partnerships Christine Burke, about the building, its envisioned impact on Toronto and the importance of the community engagement.

Tuesday’s virtual consultation follows over a decade of community meetings and consultations. Why has �Թϱ�� placed so much importance on consulting with the city and community members on this particular project?

We always consult broadly on our projects, but this one in particular has far exceeded what is typical for consultation on a project in the City of Toronto. At the university level, because this site has been in conception all the way since 1997 and then in our 2011 Campus Master Plan, there has been significant consultation both by the city as well as ourselves even before hiring architects.

There have been several �Թϱ��-hosted consultation meetings held in advance of making the secondary plan application for the St. George campus in 2016, over five city-hosted consultation meetings as well as five additional city-led meetings, including Community Council and Council in 2017-18 on the secondary plan for the St. George campus, and this is one of the development sites covered in the secondary plan. But more specifically on this project, we’ve had two Community Liaison Committee meetings in advance of submitting a development application in February 2019, a public, joint city and �Թϱ�� design review panel meeting and the city has hosted a community consultation.

We’ve also had four additional working group meetings led by the local city councillor, and those included resident associations and other members of the public that are outside the typical radius reached during consultations.

So this project in particular has had a significant amount of consultation, and we think that’s important at this gateway location. We have modified our plans significantly through this engagement, and we are pleased with how the design of the building and its significant public realm component has evolved. Tuesday’s further consultation is an opportunity for us to present all the changes and once again participate in public dialogue and clear up any misinformation.

Does this project involve a heritage district and are there plans for demolition of any heritage buildings?

There has been some community discussion about an existing Queen’s Park heritage district, but there is no such district. This site is not located within a heritage conservation district.

However, we acknowledge that the site is critical given its proximity to key open spaces like Philosopher’s Walk as well as many heritage buildings like Falconer Hall, the ROM and being across the street from the buildings at Victoria University.

We have heritage consultants who are working closely with us to ensure that the approach to the site is appropriate. One of the ways we’ve done that is, for example, the proposed building exposes the southern façade of the east wing of the ROM and allows the ROM heritage façade to remain clearly visible.

We’re also cantilevering a very small portion over the rear part of Falconer Hall, which is one of our heritage buildings, so that it really maintains the prominence of Falconer Hall on Queen’s Park. The former Planetarium, which is not listed on the heritage register or designated, and determined to not be suitable for reuse, is being removed to make way for the large public plaza and new entrance/café.

It’s true that the site is a complex one and has a significant number of heritage structures in its vicinity. There has been a lot of discussion with city heritage staff along the way and there has been special care taken to make sure that this is done right and we are working hard to blend the old and new in a thoughtful design.

What measures are being taken to ensure that the building is in step with the surrounding neighbourhood from an aesthetic standpoint?

Design excellence is important to the University in all of its capital projects. We play a key role in Toronto in terms of being a city builder so we take design excellence to heart.

This is a prominent site in the city in the Bloor Street Cultural Corridor, so we felt that meant we needed to find the right architects for the project because it will be a landmark building. We engaged Diller Scofidio + Renfro, with Architects Alliance as the local firm, a firm of international renown, whose projects have included reimagining the High Line in New York City and several buildings at Columbia University.

For this project, because of its integration with heritage and contemporary architecture, we were really looking for a firm that would be able to provide a calibre of design that would be unexpected but beautiful, have a presence and perform, at this key gateway to the campus.

That doesn’t mean it would detract from its heritage context but rather try to find a design solution that would both engage the city as well as contextually fit in its very unique landscape. With this project we have integration of a historic building with a brand new building and a critical role to play along the street, to engage and welcome in the city.

How has the design of the building changed since the first proposal?

We have altered the design of the building significantly to both incorporate city and community feedback as well as ensure that aesthetic elements better respond to its surroundings.

The height of the building has been reduced significantly over the years in response to community and city feedback and meets the test in terms of protection of the Ontario Legislative Assembly, so that is definitely something we’ve been mindful of in terms of determining the height. The height and overall massing and siting also follow a number of important planning and urban design principles. More recently, in response to feedback, we have further reduced the height of the building to 38.7 metres (plus mechanical penthouse), increased the amount of Falconer Hall to be retained, reduced the overhang of our recital hall over our heritage building, and further reduced program size including classrooms to bring the overall size of the building down by approximately 20 per cent of the original building application.

As well, we have increased the amount of landscaped area. The building now has a very large courtyard and fully exposes the southern façade of the east wing of the ROM. This courtyard becomes the primary entrance to the building. The public realm will be enhanced – there’s going to be a lot of soft as well as hard landscaping, a café to draw people in and for the public and university community to co-mingle. In previous iterations, that realm was smaller.

What’s going to happen to the trees currently in the area?

There has been some concern raised that all the trees on the site are being removed, but that’s not accurate. There are four mature trees in front of Flavelle House and these are being protected in the plans. These include two of the largest mature oak trees near the site boundary that is being protected.

While some trees will need to be removed to facilitate construction, only two of these are mature and in good health. All others are either not mature and/or are diseased and infested, or stunted in their growth right next to the foundation wall of the historic house.

We are abiding by the city’s requirements for replacement trees that will be planted at a rate of 3:1, in fact we are exceeding this requirement with the addition of 31 new trees in total. As well, we have worked with a city arborist, and the tree proposal that we have in place has been approved by Toronto Urban Forestry, so we have their full support on the proposal.

Taking a step back, why did the university decide to demolish the McLaughlin Planetarium?

The planetarium hasn’t been operated as a planetarium since 1995 and it closed due to declining attendance and interest years before it was purchased by the university. While there has previously been private sector interest in redeveloping the site, the sale to the university was heralded at the time in anticipation of institutional use, and the opportunity to remain connected to the ROM. The university’s astrophysics group is now leading the effort to plan for a planetarium experience in the heart of the St. George campus.

In terms of the building’s removal, the university made a lot of effort to look at adaptively reusing the building. We reached out to external consultants for their opinions as well and concluded that there were technical difficulties in altering the structure for other purposes.

When you consider demolishing a building, there is interest from the city to consider whether it is a heritage building. Our heritage consultants – ERA Architects – conducted a heritage impact assessment as part of the application and concluded that the planetarium is not a significant cultural heritage resource and it is not appropriate for designation. Conserving Falconer Hall, and the heritage fabric around Flavelle House and the ROM has been at the forefront of the design thinking.

There are some interesting ideas happening around potentially having some kind of commemoration in the area where the planetarium sits today. But the benefits to the public realm that are happening with the building’s removal and opening up the plaza to the ROM and displaying the heritage of Falconer Hall and the ROM have also been key considerations.

What do you see as the future for the new building?

It’s a really fascinating juxtaposition of programs that are being planned for the building – as well as cultural elements such as the music recital hall to engage the city.

What’s so interesting is it will be a place that draws together researchers, students, journalists, city planners and civic leaders from the university and around the world and be a place to explore – with the School of Cities in particular – and think about cities. For example, we can look at how Toronto has drawn people from around the world and from different backgrounds, how we’ve worked together to address challenges and inspire the cities of tomorrow when it comes to city planning and cultural diversity.

So it’s not just about what’s happening inside the building. Its location right at the edge of where the campus meets the city and in the cultural corridor, adjacent to the ROM and near the provincial legislature, makes it an incredible new gateway to the campus.

As with other gateway projects at the edges of our campus, such as the Daniels School of Architecture and the Schwartz Reisman Innovation Centre, this is an opportunity to interact and connect with the city, and the design reflects that. We want this to be a building where the University and city connect with each other, and we will continue to work hard to ensure that we achieve that.

Note: Further changes have been made to the building’s envelope as part of formal mediation process

�Թϱ�� professor helps Canada Post create Eid stamp to mark Muslim holidays

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 08 May 2020 13:29:25 +0000

�Թϱ�� professor helps Canada Post create Eid stamp to mark Muslim holidays

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 05/08/2020 - 09:29

Cutline

A total of 1.3 million stamps began circulating on April 24 to commemorate the start of Ramadan (photo courtesy of Canada Post)

Sean McNeely

Topic

City & Culture

Anver Emon, a professor at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law and Faculty of Arts & Science, has helped create a Canadian tribute to Islam’s most important holidays.

The director of the Institute of Islamic Studies consulted with Canada Post after it commissioned a 2020 stamp in honour of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, which are celebrated by Muslims around the world, including more than one million Muslims in Canada.

“I think this stamp is a beautiful testament to the way in which Canada tries to position itself with diversity,” said Emon. “It’s small, both physically and as a gesture, but I think it also speaks volumes. It's an act of speech that I think we can all benefit from hearing these days.”

The stamp pays tribute to Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end to the holy month of Ramadan, during which many Muslims fast throughout the day. Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice, observes the end of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, the holiest site in Islam.

Often lasting several days, the celebrations include congregational prayers, communal feasts, family gatherings, gift offerings and charitable acts. This year, they begin May 23 and July 30, respectively.

Designed by Toronto’s Context Creative, the traditional greeting of Eid Mubarak – “have a blessed festival” – is written in Arabic calligraphy on a background of layered stars. A total of 1.3 million stamps began circulating on April 24 to commemorate the start of Ramadan. “I think it's gorgeous,” said Emon. “I’ve shared it on Facebook. I've shared it on my various social media accounts.

“What's important to me is that there's a certain level of historical accuracy there. The imagery, the background, the symmetry in design – those all have precedents in Islamic history. And, importantly, they are present in contemporary manifestations of this kind of art form.”

He was also moved by the passion of Canada Post to make this both visually appealing and significant in its underlying message.

“Everybody I interacted with was very serious about the stamp, very committed – and not just to this stamp, but to this whole genre of stamps that symbolize the inclusion of different communities of culture and religion and value,” he said.

“It was one of the most interesting things I've had the privilege to do. As a medieval historian, I focus on the textual tradition and the authors who have long been dead. So working with images, colors, and the committed professionals at Canada Post was a special treat.”

Canada Post issued its first Eid stamp in 2017.

�Թϱ��'s Institute of Islamic Studies captures stories and data to change the conversation on Muslims in Canada

noreen.rasbach — Wed, 25 Sep 2019 19:54:03 +0000

�Թϱ��'s Institute of Islamic Studies captures stories and data to change the conversation on Muslims in Canada

noreen.rasbach Wed, 09/25/2019 - 15:54

Cutline

Canadians hold a vigil at Toronto City Hall in March for victims of the Christchurch, New Zealand mosque shootings, which left 51 dead (photo by Creative Touch Imaging Ltd./NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Jovana Jankovic

Topic

Our Community

Diversity