Moderate new Muslim group aims to broaden dialogue beyond certain ‘politically charged issues’

The Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa is pictured in this file photo. Photo by HYUNGCHEOL PARK /Postmedia

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There are roughly two million Muslims in Canada. But they don’t see themselves in conversations being held in their name in Ottawa, says a leader of the new Muslim Policy Institute (MPI).

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The MPI, launched this month, is dedicated to including Canadian Muslims in the dialogue that shapes policy about how they live.

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“The questions MPI cares about most, like belonging, opportunity, the pressures families are facing, and what Muslim Canadians actually prioritize, are often overlooked. Meanwhile, the national conversation keeps circling one or two politically charged issues,” said Nika Jabiyeva, the institute’s managing director of operations and partnerships, told National Post.

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Jabiyeva said research last year revealed that although Islamophobia was a concern for the community, bigger concerns for Muslim Canadians, like most Canadians in general, were the cost of living and housing.

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MPI “doesn’t claim to represent two million people,” she said. The group’s purpose is to learn “what shapes Muslim Canadian life and identity, from youth and professionals to women in leadership and elders, and bringing that to the public and into policy.”

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There are many Muslim advocacy groups already that have “predetermined points of view and opinions,” she said. What MPI aims to do is provide research and evidence about what the community wants to prioritize.

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In a recent move, nearly 1,000 prayer rooms, or “quiet” rooms, were added to federal buildings, the Toronto Sun and Blacklock’s Reporter reported, despite only two per cent of employees self-identifying as Muslim.

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While Jabiyeva said that representation matters, the way the government responds to a community’s needs can “often come off as performative, and that’s what ends up dominating the conversation.”

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“What actually changes the well-being of our communities are things like economic opportunity, housing, education, and real investment in cohesion between communities,” she said.

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“None of these are quick wins, so it’s easier to invest in something that makes a quick news story. That’s where MPI’s work comes in: finding out what Muslim Canadians need most, and bringing that evidence to policymakers.”

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The institute undertakes studies on a wide variety of topics — health, safety and how foreign influence can impact Muslims — and other projects, including one committed to protecting Muslims from radicalization.

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“Either all Muslims get painted with the same brush, or some of the loudest voices dismiss all discussion of it as Islamophobia. Neither is true, and that’s how we end up with the public discourse we have today,” said Jabiyeva.

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In a description of the project online, it says that Muslim communities are disproportionately affected by radicalization as targets of extremist recruitment and as victims of social and political fallout when radicalization leads to violence. The project develops tools, resources and early intervention frameworks, it says.