All too frequently the media depicts a narrow, standardized image of Muslims which robs them of their individuality. This particular stereotype also serves to reinforce a negative portrayal of Muslims. Recently, another Sister and I had the opportunity to visit London’s Muslim Resource Centre for Social Support and Integration. This centre, commonly called MRCSSI, exists to develop more culturally appropriate supports and services among agencies and within society as a whole. The purpose of our visit was to present a donation on behalf of my religious community in support of their creative Reclaim Honour project.
The MRCSSI website points out that the Reclaim Honour project is an engagement and awareness project supported by the Status of Women Canada that works to promote honour and prevent violence against girls and women through community support. Reclaim Honour is a grassroots approach to fostering a more complex understanding of the issue of gender based violence. The project’s twenty-two young women are working with several of their male counterparts empowering civic community members by creating opportunities for dialogue and positive action.
As part of our time together we had the opportunity to view the video, “A Tapestry of Voices”
This presentation is a collective spoken word piece collaboratively written at a workshop held by Reclaim Honour with young Muslim women in London. Each line represents facets of the collective as well as a unique voice of a Muslim woman, a Muslimah. This powerful video presentation celebrates the many strengths, vibrant diversity and dynamic identities of Muslim women. It dramatically underscores the unfair burden we place on individuals when we hold stereotypes.
Muslims quickly became individuals as we had the opportunity to chat and share with the project’s young animators as well as the centre’s Executive Director and Project Manager. This experience reinforced for me the absolute need to find other opportunities to meet Muslims as individuals.
Nancy Wales CSJ