Belongingness to Canada: Synthesizing Canadianness and Muslimness among Newly Emergent Canadian Muslims
Article Sidebar
Published:
Sep 1, 2021
Keywords:
Canadianness, Muslimness, bilongingness
Main Article Content
Abstract
The recent statistic reveals the number of Canadian Muslims increases multifold in decades. It is predicted that the Canadian Muslim population will grow significantly. The demographic postures of varied Canadian Muslims offer several features requiring scholarly attention and action from all interested stakeholders to look into the situation. That is to evoke Canadianness among those newly emergent Canadian Muslims who came to Canada as immigrants or born here and grown-up as Muslim. When each boundary is negotiated, the spectrum of Muslimness and Canadian-ness is synthesized in the making. This ongoing situation demands particular action to nurture a sense of belongingness for newly emergent Canadian Muslims to protect and promote Canadian multicultural society amidst external and internal challenges such as Islamophobia and radicalism. Based on scoping reviews on selected pieces of literature, the idea of finding a new model or denomination of Islam in Canada is a convincing step to synthesize Canadianness and Muslimness, which reflect the empirical situation of newly emergent Muslims in Canada. The history of the first mosque built in Canada taught us how the synthesis can be practically applied, how flexible Islam can be genuinely promoted, and the lines of doctrine and cultural difference can be deliberately blurred. This ethos demonstrates compatibility with Canadian values of openness and respect for diversity.
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
Article Details
How to Cite
Haq, Muhammad Izzul. “Belongingness to Canada: Synthesizing Canadianness and Muslimness Among Newly Emergent Canadian Muslims”. Islamica: Jurnal Studi Keislaman 16, no. 1 (September 1, 2021): 30-57. Accessed April 29, 2024. https://islamica.uinsby.ac.id/index.php/islamica/article/view/875.
Section
Articles
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
References
Abuelezz, Muhammad. “A Survey of American Imams: Duties, Qualifications and Challenges. A Quantitative and Religious Analysis.” M.A. Thesis--The University of Georgia, 2001), available at .
Abu-Ras, Wahiba et al. “The Imam’s Role in Mental Health Promotion: A Study at 22 Mosques in New York City’s Muslim Community,” Journal of Muslim Mental Health, Vol. 3, No. 2, 2008.
Adams, Michael. “Muslims and Multiculturalism in Canada,” 2007, available at.
Ali, Osman et al. “The Imam’s Role in Meeting the Counseling Needs of Muslim Communities in the United States,” Psychiatric Services, Vol. 56, No. 2, 2005.
Alibhai, M.A. “The Future of Islam in North America,” in Nurjehan Aziz (ed.), The Relevance of Islamic Identity in Canada: Culture, Politics, and Self. Toronto, Ontario: Mawenzi House Publishers Ltd., 2015.
Allen, Kelly-Ann. The Psychology of Belonging, First Edition. N.p.: Routledge, 2020.
Bagby, Ihsan. “Imams and Mosque Organization in the United States: A Study of Mosque Leadership and Organizational Structure in American Mosques,” in Muslims in the United States. Washington D.C.: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 2003.
-----. “The American Mosque in Transition: Assimilation, Acculturation and Isolation,” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Vol. 35, No. 3, March 2009.
Baumeister, Roy F. and Mark R. Leary. “The Need to Belong: Desire for Interpersonal Attachments as a Fundamental Human Motivation,” Psychological Bulletin, Vol. 117, No. 3, 1995.
Belthessazar, A. and B. Abednego. The Mosque and Its Role in Society. Canberra: Pilcow Press, 2006.
Beyer, Peter and Rubina Ramji (eds.). Growing Up Canadian: Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2013, available at.
Beyer, Peter. “Growing Up Canadian: Systemic and Lived Religion,” in Peter Beyer and Rubina Ramji (eds.), Growing Up Canadian: Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists. McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2013.
Bullock, K. Support Mosques to Assist in Muslim Integration in Canada: Policy Brief. N.p.: The Tessellate Institute, 2010.
CJPME. “2018 Survey: Islamophobia in Canada, Still A Grace Problem,” 2018, available at; Azeezah Kanji, “Islamophobia in Canada: Submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief,” November 30, 2020, available at .
Clyne, Michael and James Jupp. Multiculturalism and Integration (N.p.: ANU Press, 2011), available at accessed on May 6, 2021.
Cockshaw, Wendell David and Ian Shochet. “The Link between Belongingness and Depressive Symptoms: An Exploration in the Workplace Interpersonal Context,” Australian Psychologist, Vol. 45, No. 4, December 2010.
D’Addario, Silvia and CERIS. “Finding Home: Exploring Muslim Settlement in the Toronto,” working paper No. 68. Toronto, Ont.: CERIS-the Ontario Metropolis Centre, 2008, available at.
D’Haenens, Leen. Images of Canadianness: Visions on Canada’s Politics, Culture, and Economics. N.p.: University of Ottawa Press, 1998.
Dayrit, Flordeliza and Michael Milo. “A New Life in a New Land: The Muslim Experience in Canada,” 2015, available at
Ebaugh, H.R. “Religion and the New Immigrants,” in Michele Dillon (ed.), Handbook of the Sociology of Religion. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003.
Environics Institute. “Survey of Muslims in Canada 2016: Final Report,” April 30, 2016, available at.
Erin, G.M.D. “Muslims in Canada: Collective Identities, Attitudes of Otherment and Canadian Muslim Perspectives on Radicalism,” Islamophobia Studies Journal, Vol. 3, No. 1, 2015.
Foner, Nancy and Richard Alba. “Immigrant Religion in the U.S. and Western Europe: Bridge or Barrier to Inclusion?,” International Migration Review, Vol. 42, No. 2, 2008.
Haghbin, Reihaneh. “The Problem of Muslimness: Reconsidering the Theology of Inclusion-Exclusion in Muslim Thought.” N.p.: Middlesex University, 2016, available at.
Hamdani, Daood. “Canadian Muslims: A Statistical Review,” The Canadian Dawn Foundation, 2015, available at.
Hassen, Yasmin. “Making Muslims: The Politics of Religious Identity Construction and Victoria’s Islamic Schools,” Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations, Vol. 24, No. 4, October 2013.
Helie, Anissa. “Introduction: Policing Gender, Sexuality and ‘Muslimness,’” in Sexuality in Muslim Contexts-Restrictions and Resistance. N.p.: Zed Books, 2012.
Hirschman, Charles. “The Role of Religion in the Origins and Adaptation of Immigrant Groups in the United States,” International Migration Review, Vol. 38, No. 3, February, 2006.
Hopkins, Vered Kahani and Nick Hopkins. “‘Representing’ British Muslims: The Strategic Dimension to Identity Construction,” Ethnic and Racial Studies, Vol. 25, No. 2, January, 2002.
Houtsma, M. Th (ed.). E.J. Brill’s First Encyclopaedia of Islam, 1913-1936. Leiden; New York: E.J. Brill, 1987.
Kahera, Akel Ismail. “Urban Enclaves, Muslim Identity and the Urban Mosque in America,” Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, Vol. 22, No. 2, October 2002.
Kawser, Ahmed. “Radicalism Leading to Violent Extremism in Canada: A Multilevel Analysis of Muslim Community and University-Based Student Leaders’ Perceptions and Experiences,” Journal for Deradicalization, No. 6, 2016.
Krenawi (al), Alean. “The Role of the Mosque and Its Relevance to Social Work,” International Social Work, Vol. 59, No. 3, May 2016.
Kymlicka, Will. “Being Canadian,” Government and Opposition, Vol. 38, No. 3, 2003.
Lucas, M. Hélie. “What Is Your Tribe? Women’s Struggles and the Construction of Muslimness,” in Annisa Helie and Homa Hoodfar (eds.), Women Living Under Muslim Laws. London; New York: Zed Books, 2004.
Magocsi, Paul R. (ed.). Encyclopedia of Canada’s Peoples. Toronto; Buffalo: University of Toronto Press, 1999.
Maslow, Abraham H. Toward a Psychology of Being, Second Edition, New York: D. Van Nostrand Company, 1968.
Muhammad, O.B. The Role of the Mosque. London: Al-Muhajiroon Publications, 1996.
Mutalib, Mahazan A. and A.G. Abdullah. “A Model of Imam’s Leadership and Mosque Performance in Malaysia,” Global Journal Al-Thaqafah, Vol. 3, No. 2, 2013.
Nayel, Amina Alrasheed. Alternative Performativity of Muslimness. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2017, available at accessed on April 16, 2021.
Nemetz, Patricia L. and Sandra L. Christensen. “The Challenge of Cultural Diversity: Harnessing a Diversity of Views to Understand Multiculturalism,” The Academy of Management Review, Vol. 21, No. 2, April 1996.
O’Brien, Kelly K. et al. “Advancing Scoping Study Methodology: A Web-Based Survey and Consultation of Perceptions on Terminology, Definition and Methodological Steps,” BMC Health Services Research, Vol. 16, No. 1, December 2016.
Owen, D. Ethnic Minorities in Great Britain: Settlement Patterns, University of Warwick Statistical Papers No. 1. Coventry: Centre for Research in Ethnic Relations, 1992.
Ozyurt, Saba Şenses. “Bridge Builders or Boundary Markers? The Role of the Mosque in the Acculturation Process of Immigrant Muslim Women in the United States,” Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, Vol. 30, No. 3, September 2010.
Peterson, Jessica et al. “Understanding Scoping Reviews: Definition, Purpose, and Process,” Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, Vol. 29, No. 1, January 2017.
Qazzaz (al), Khaled. “Islamophobia Is on the Rise during COVID-19,” Policy Options, October 2020, available at
Ruiter, Jan Jaap De et al. Imams in Western Europe. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2018, available at.
Selby, Jennifer A. “‘Muslimness’ and Multiplicity in Qualitative Research and in Government Reports in Canada,” Critical Research on Religion, Vol. 4, No. 1, April 2016.
Statistics Canada. “2011 National Household Survey Profile-Census Metropolitan Area/Census Agglomeration,” May 8, 2011, available at
Steger, Michael F. and Todd B. Kashdan. “Depression and Everyday Social Activity, Belonging, and Well-Being,” Journal of Counseling Psychology, Vol. 56, No. 2, 2009.
Studin, Irvin. “What Is a Canadian?: Forty-Three Thought-Provoking Responses.” Toronto: M & S, 2006, available at.
Sulaiman, Mohammed. “Muslimness as a Political Formation: An Inquiry into Muslim Presence,” Social Identities, Vol. 26, No. 1, January 2020.
Tiflati, Hicham. “Muslim Youth Between Quebecness and Canadianness: Religiosity, Identity, Citizenship, and Belonging,” Canadian Ethnic Studies, Vol. 49, No. 1, 2017.
Wardak, Ali. “The Mosque and Social Control in Edinburgh’s Muslim Community,” Culture and Religion, Vol. 3, No. 2, 2002.
Waugh, Earle H. Al Rashid Mosque: Building Canadian Muslim Communities, First Edition. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada: Gutteridge Books, an imprint of The University of Alberta Press, 2018.
Wences, Isabel. “Quebec Interculturalism: A Version of Canadian Multiculturalism or a Model with an Institutional Structure?,” Convergencia, Vol. 23, No. 72, 2016.
Wohlin, C. “Guidelines for Snowballing in Systematic Literature Studies and a Replication in Software Engineering,” in Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Evaluation and Assessment in Software Engineering, Vol. 38, Citeseer, 2014.
Zaimeche, S. Education in Islam: The Role of the Mosque. Manchester: Foundation for Science Technology and Civilization, 2002.
Abu-Ras, Wahiba et al. “The Imam’s Role in Mental Health Promotion: A Study at 22 Mosques in New York City’s Muslim Community,” Journal of Muslim Mental Health, Vol. 3, No. 2, 2008.
Adams, Michael. “Muslims and Multiculturalism in Canada,” 2007, available at
Ali, Osman et al. “The Imam’s Role in Meeting the Counseling Needs of Muslim Communities in the United States,” Psychiatric Services, Vol. 56, No. 2, 2005.
Alibhai, M.A. “The Future of Islam in North America,” in Nurjehan Aziz (ed.), The Relevance of Islamic Identity in Canada: Culture, Politics, and Self. Toronto, Ontario: Mawenzi House Publishers Ltd., 2015.
Allen, Kelly-Ann. The Psychology of Belonging, First Edition. N.p.: Routledge, 2020.
Bagby, Ihsan. “Imams and Mosque Organization in the United States: A Study of Mosque Leadership and Organizational Structure in American Mosques,” in Muslims in the United States. Washington D.C.: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 2003.
-----. “The American Mosque in Transition: Assimilation, Acculturation and Isolation,” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Vol. 35, No. 3, March 2009.
Baumeister, Roy F. and Mark R. Leary. “The Need to Belong: Desire for Interpersonal Attachments as a Fundamental Human Motivation,” Psychological Bulletin, Vol. 117, No. 3, 1995.
Belthessazar, A. and B. Abednego. The Mosque and Its Role in Society. Canberra: Pilcow Press, 2006.
Beyer, Peter and Rubina Ramji (eds.). Growing Up Canadian: Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2013, available at
Beyer, Peter. “Growing Up Canadian: Systemic and Lived Religion,” in Peter Beyer and Rubina Ramji (eds.), Growing Up Canadian: Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists. McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2013.
Bullock, K. Support Mosques to Assist in Muslim Integration in Canada: Policy Brief. N.p.: The Tessellate Institute, 2010.
CJPME. “2018 Survey: Islamophobia in Canada, Still A Grace Problem,” 2018, available at
Clyne, Michael and James Jupp. Multiculturalism and Integration (N.p.: ANU Press, 2011), available at
Cockshaw, Wendell David and Ian Shochet. “The Link between Belongingness and Depressive Symptoms: An Exploration in the Workplace Interpersonal Context,” Australian Psychologist, Vol. 45, No. 4, December 2010.
D’Addario, Silvia and CERIS. “Finding Home: Exploring Muslim Settlement in the Toronto,” working paper No. 68. Toronto, Ont.: CERIS-the Ontario Metropolis Centre, 2008, available at
D’Haenens, Leen. Images of Canadianness: Visions on Canada’s Politics, Culture, and Economics. N.p.: University of Ottawa Press, 1998.
Dayrit, Flordeliza and Michael Milo. “A New Life in a New Land: The Muslim Experience in Canada,” 2015, available at
Ebaugh, H.R. “Religion and the New Immigrants,” in Michele Dillon (ed.), Handbook of the Sociology of Religion. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003.
Environics Institute. “Survey of Muslims in Canada 2016: Final Report,” April 30, 2016, available at
Erin, G.M.D. “Muslims in Canada: Collective Identities, Attitudes of Otherment and Canadian Muslim Perspectives on Radicalism,” Islamophobia Studies Journal, Vol. 3, No. 1, 2015.
Foner, Nancy and Richard Alba. “Immigrant Religion in the U.S. and Western Europe: Bridge or Barrier to Inclusion?,” International Migration Review, Vol. 42, No. 2, 2008.
Haghbin, Reihaneh. “The Problem of Muslimness: Reconsidering the Theology of Inclusion-Exclusion in Muslim Thought.” N.p.: Middlesex University, 2016, available at
Hamdani, Daood. “Canadian Muslims: A Statistical Review,” The Canadian Dawn Foundation, 2015, available at
Hassen, Yasmin. “Making Muslims: The Politics of Religious Identity Construction and Victoria’s Islamic Schools,” Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations, Vol. 24, No. 4, October 2013.
Helie, Anissa. “Introduction: Policing Gender, Sexuality and ‘Muslimness,’” in Sexuality in Muslim Contexts-Restrictions and Resistance. N.p.: Zed Books, 2012.
Hirschman, Charles. “The Role of Religion in the Origins and Adaptation of Immigrant Groups in the United States,” International Migration Review, Vol. 38, No. 3, February, 2006.
Hopkins, Vered Kahani and Nick Hopkins. “‘Representing’ British Muslims: The Strategic Dimension to Identity Construction,” Ethnic and Racial Studies, Vol. 25, No. 2, January, 2002.
Houtsma, M. Th (ed.). E.J. Brill’s First Encyclopaedia of Islam, 1913-1936. Leiden; New York: E.J. Brill, 1987.
Kahera, Akel Ismail. “Urban Enclaves, Muslim Identity and the Urban Mosque in America,” Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, Vol. 22, No. 2, October 2002.
Kawser, Ahmed. “Radicalism Leading to Violent Extremism in Canada: A Multilevel Analysis of Muslim Community and University-Based Student Leaders’ Perceptions and Experiences,” Journal for Deradicalization, No. 6, 2016.
Krenawi (al), Alean. “The Role of the Mosque and Its Relevance to Social Work,” International Social Work, Vol. 59, No. 3, May 2016.
Kymlicka, Will. “Being Canadian,” Government and Opposition, Vol. 38, No. 3, 2003.
Lucas, M. Hélie. “What Is Your Tribe? Women’s Struggles and the Construction of Muslimness,” in Annisa Helie and Homa Hoodfar (eds.), Women Living Under Muslim Laws. London; New York: Zed Books, 2004.
Magocsi, Paul R. (ed.). Encyclopedia of Canada’s Peoples. Toronto; Buffalo: University of Toronto Press, 1999.
Maslow, Abraham H. Toward a Psychology of Being, Second Edition, New York: D. Van Nostrand Company, 1968.
Muhammad, O.B. The Role of the Mosque. London: Al-Muhajiroon Publications, 1996.
Mutalib, Mahazan A. and A.G. Abdullah. “A Model of Imam’s Leadership and Mosque Performance in Malaysia,” Global Journal Al-Thaqafah, Vol. 3, No. 2, 2013.
Nayel, Amina Alrasheed. Alternative Performativity of Muslimness. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2017, available at
Nemetz, Patricia L. and Sandra L. Christensen. “The Challenge of Cultural Diversity: Harnessing a Diversity of Views to Understand Multiculturalism,” The Academy of Management Review, Vol. 21, No. 2, April 1996.
O’Brien, Kelly K. et al. “Advancing Scoping Study Methodology: A Web-Based Survey and Consultation of Perceptions on Terminology, Definition and Methodological Steps,” BMC Health Services Research, Vol. 16, No. 1, December 2016.
Owen, D. Ethnic Minorities in Great Britain: Settlement Patterns, University of Warwick Statistical Papers No. 1. Coventry: Centre for Research in Ethnic Relations, 1992.
Ozyurt, Saba Şenses. “Bridge Builders or Boundary Markers? The Role of the Mosque in the Acculturation Process of Immigrant Muslim Women in the United States,” Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, Vol. 30, No. 3, September 2010.
Peterson, Jessica et al. “Understanding Scoping Reviews: Definition, Purpose, and Process,” Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, Vol. 29, No. 1, January 2017.
Qazzaz (al), Khaled. “Islamophobia Is on the Rise during COVID-19,” Policy Options, October 2020, available at
Ruiter, Jan Jaap De et al. Imams in Western Europe. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2018, available at
Selby, Jennifer A. “‘Muslimness’ and Multiplicity in Qualitative Research and in Government Reports in Canada,” Critical Research on Religion, Vol. 4, No. 1, April 2016.
Statistics Canada. “2011 National Household Survey Profile-Census Metropolitan Area/Census Agglomeration,” May 8, 2011, available at
Steger, Michael F. and Todd B. Kashdan. “Depression and Everyday Social Activity, Belonging, and Well-Being,” Journal of Counseling Psychology, Vol. 56, No. 2, 2009.
Studin, Irvin. “What Is a Canadian?: Forty-Three Thought-Provoking Responses.” Toronto: M & S, 2006, available at
Sulaiman, Mohammed. “Muslimness as a Political Formation: An Inquiry into Muslim Presence,” Social Identities, Vol. 26, No. 1, January 2020.
Tiflati, Hicham. “Muslim Youth Between Quebecness and Canadianness: Religiosity, Identity, Citizenship, and Belonging,” Canadian Ethnic Studies, Vol. 49, No. 1, 2017.
Wardak, Ali. “The Mosque and Social Control in Edinburgh’s Muslim Community,” Culture and Religion, Vol. 3, No. 2, 2002.
Waugh, Earle H. Al Rashid Mosque: Building Canadian Muslim Communities, First Edition. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada: Gutteridge Books, an imprint of The University of Alberta Press, 2018.
Wences, Isabel. “Quebec Interculturalism: A Version of Canadian Multiculturalism or a Model with an Institutional Structure?,” Convergencia, Vol. 23, No. 72, 2016.
Wohlin, C. “Guidelines for Snowballing in Systematic Literature Studies and a Replication in Software Engineering,” in Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Evaluation and Assessment in Software Engineering, Vol. 38, Citeseer, 2014.
Zaimeche, S. Education in Islam: The Role of the Mosque. Manchester: Foundation for Science Technology and Civilization, 2002.