Give us your “elevator speech” – a snapshot of who you are, what you do, and how we should “know” you. Please tell us about the path you took to get where you are today: So instead of an elevator speech I’ll give you my twitter speech! Executive Director of the Banff Forum, one of Canada’s pre-eminent public policy forums in which a diverse group of young Canadian leaders come together to debate key issues to build a stronger and better Canada. Proud mom, wife and outdoor enthusiast. City builder. Living on Treaty 6 land. Besides your daily work, what are you passionate about? My daughters, spending time with family, contributing to creating a better civil society, and city building. What does being a “Canadian Muslim woman mean to you? I think these 2 identities are fluid for me. I don’t separate being a Muslim from being a Canadian- the values imparted in each are synonymous with who I am and how I try and lead my life. As a Muslim women born and raised in Canada I feel I have a duty to use my skills and knowledge to help ensure that everyone in our great country can benefit from what it has to offer and conversely, and as a Canadian woman I feel it’s my responsibility to live my life in an ethical way that is rooted in my Muslim upbringing. I feel strongly that as Muslims in Canada we need to have an understanding of both the rights and responsibilities that come with being in this great country. Case in point- I’ve taught my 3 year old how to sing the Canadian anthem! For young Muslim women growing up in North America what 1 – 3 things are most critical for them to be aware of? What advice would you give to other young Muslim women? 1. Don’t sell yourself short- you are capable of great things if you are willing to put in the work and effort. And start this at a young age! I’m a big believer in using your 20’s to lay the foundation for the rest of your life. 2. Relationships matter- I’ve had the opportunity to live in over 8 cities and although the world seems big it’s actually quite small. Be nice to people and the world will return that back to you! 3. Think outside of the box- people who know me wouldn’t describe me as a conformist and I take this as a compliment. Colour outside the lines of what is expected of you and take some time to really think about what you expect of yourself. Challenge yourself and take risks. They usually end up being worth it (and if not, you’ll at least have a good story to tell). Please share 1 – 3 dreams/ goals you hope to achieve in the future. What can be changed to make the world a better place? How can we contribute? a) Create a world where violence against women is eradicated. I know this is a lofty goal but it’s a necessary one. To live in fear of violence is one of the worst things a person could go through, leaving behind psychological, emotional and physical scars. I’ve recently joined the board of WIN House, a non-profit agency operating three shelters in Edmonton, with the goal to hopefully make a dent in this issue at the local level. The work that the national board of CCMW has done on this issue over the year is to be commended and we need more voices, particularly at the political level, not only saying this is wrong but dedicating resources to help solve the issue. b) Youth poverty- there is something fundamentally wrong with children living in poverty. I hope that during the course of my lifetime I can do something to help eradicate this. I am currently leading a program with the Edmonton Public Library where 100% of the proceeds go towards their Welcome Baby program, which provides families with early literacy resources, one of the key indicators of alleviating poverty. The first word of the Qur’an revealed to the Prophet PBUH was ‘read’ and as a Canadian Muslim this is one example of how my 2 identities come together for the betterment of society. What “rules” do you live by? What is your personal motto or mission statement? These are less rules and more core values but everything I do- personal and professional- needs to align with these 6 things: authenticity, impact, self-care, connectedness, gratitude, and personal power. How do you get balance in your life? Turn off my phone, take an afternoon off and spend it with my kids. There’s really nothing like spending some time with a 3 year old and 17 month old to bring back perspective. I also exercise- a bike ride, a walk, whatever gets you out and moving. If you were stranded on an island, what three things would you want with you? OR What is your secret indulgence? (Serious responses are not expected!) My Netflix account! I can totally binge watch anything slightly political or with good character development: House of Cards, The Good Wife, , etc….
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1. Give us your “elevator speech” – a snapshot of who you are, what you do, and how we should “know” you. Please tell us about the path you took to get where you are today My Name is Fatema Dada - My friends call me Phatty :) Born and raised in good ole Kitchener Waterloo, I attended school in Waterloo, Windsor, and Boston. I am currently a lawyer at the Ministry of the Attorney General at the Crown Law Office - Civil, representing various government ministries at all levels of court. My path was simple: hard work and a great support network. My friends and family are my backbone and without them I would not be where I am today. My parents pushed my sisters and I hard, and my dad never set lower goals for us because we were girls -- ‘put your mind to something and you can get it done’. He also taught us the importance of giving back. As a child we would watch him fill the van with toys on eid, drive to the local mosque and then help him give out the gifts to other children. There was never anything left for us - something I think he did on purpose. Not once do I remember being upset about not having a gift. What I remember is the look of joy on all the kids’ faces when I handed them their gifts. It’s a memory that I believe has pushed helping others to the centre of my life. 2. Besides your daily work, what are you passionate about? It sounds cliche, but I’m passionate about helping others. It could be as simple as agreeing to help take pictures at a friends wedding to volunteering my time to assist the community. Seeing something that I do make an impact on another person’s life is incredibly rewarding. One of my favorite projects is SMILE (www.smilecanada.org) an organization dedicated to supporting children with different abilities. The look of pure joy when you see one of our SMILE kids having fun painting with our volunteers, playing sports and winning prizes at SMILE’s annual Recfest, or doing yoga at one of our free therapy programs is an incredible feeling. 3. What does being a “Canadian Muslim woman" mean to you? In today’s environment, where so many Muslim women are fighting for their rights to practice their religion freely, happily, and without intimidation, being a Canadian Muslim means two things to me. The first is being comfortable in my own skin--I am a Canadian, a woman, and a Muslim, but also of Tanzanian parentage, a Katchi and Swahili speaker, and a lover of cupcakes! All of those things make me who I am, and I don’t feel the need to apologize to anyone about any of them. But with that freedom comes responsibility: I know that when I identify myself as a Muslim lawyer, others will watch a little more closely--both Muslim and non-Muslim. That can be a tricky balance: being totally confident in who you are, but also being aware of the need to watch the example you set. It’s a balance we each struggle with day-to-day in our own ways. Every woman has to strike that balance for herself. Mine probably has more cupcakes than others. 4. For young Muslim women growing up in North America what 1 – 3 things are most critical for them to be aware of? What advice would you give to other young Muslim women? It is critical that young Muslim women understand that they are in control. If you want something, go for it. If you want a particular career, work for it. If you have something to say, say it. The other point is patience. Young women should understand that in today’s economy, your dream job can take time. That doesn’t mean you should take it easy, but it does mean that you should be flexible with your timeline. Set goals and plan--but go with the flow when life throws curveballs at you. And enjoy yourself in the meantime. 5. Please share 1 – 3 dreams/ goals you hope to achieve in the future. What can be changed to make the world a better place? How can we contribute? My main goal is to encourage more cooperation in the community. There are some great organizations in our community - instead of all trying to get to the top of the ladder and reinventing the wheel, I wish we would all work together to help achieve each other’s goals. Case in point - SMILE put on a Gala a few weeks ago and CCMW, Muppies, Canadian Muslim Vote, and Project Ramadan all came out to support the cause. We worked together to spread awareness about the needs of children living with disabilities. There were 800 attendees and over 20 organizations and together we were able to raise enough money to keep SMILE going this year. If we work together, we will bring about change. Please choose 1 – 3 questions that appeal to you from the following list: 1. What leadership qualities do you most admire? - someone who is willing to listen when needed, can take charge when necessary, and, at the end of the day, has their team’s best interest at heart 2. Fun Question! If you were stranded on an island, what three things would you want with you? - My Soon to be hubby inshallah :) - Chocolate - internet! 3. Share your favorite quote Even after all this time, the sun never says to the earth 'you owe me'. Look what happens with a love like that, it lights up the whole sky - Hafiz Give us your “elevator speech” – a snapshot of who you are, what you do, and how we should “know” you. Please tell us about the path you took to get where you are today I was born and brought up in Karachi, and pursued my undergraduate degree in London, England in finance and management. Having chosen a degree in finance, the natural path for me back in Pakistan was to work in the safe, cushy environment as a financial analyst in a large multinational, and I pursued that path relentlessly! I started studying for the CFA designation, worked for a large mutual fund, followed by a stint as an oil & gas equity analyst at a brokerage house, and realized after 5 years in the race that something was seriously amiss. The idea of using my skills in a profession which simply enables the wealthy to amass even more wealth, without having any positive impact on society just didn’t sit well with me. So I took a leap of faith and got an amazing opportunity to work as a health & education consultant with Acumen Fund, an organization that raises charitable donations to invest in companies, leaders, and ideas that are changing the way poverty is tackled in selected countries, including Pakistan. This is where my journey working with social enterprises started. For those of you who may not have heard of this term before, a social enterprise is a venture, either for profit or not-for-profit, that sells goods or services for the blended purpose of generating income and achieving social, cultural, and/or environmental benefit. Having migrated to Canada less than 3 years ago, I was extremely fortunate to be able to continue working with social enterprises in a variety of sectors including education, the aboriginal economy, real estate, social justice and sustainable food - so no shortage of variety and learning experiences there! I am now working alongside my husband on a non-profit we founded in Dec 2014 called 141schools.org. Our mission is to build 141 schools in Pakistan; each school will be dedicated to the more than 141 children and teachers who lost their life in the terrorist attack on a school in Peshawar on December 16, 2014. Besides your daily work, what are you passionate about? Living in Canada, I’ve become far more aware of how simple, everyday actions play a critical role in benefiting people and the planet. Whether its through the businesses I support, the produce I consume, the clothes I wear, the people I choose to interact with, the kind of organization I work for/with - all of these action have a cumulative positive or negative effect on my life. As you can see, I find it hard to pin down the one or two things I’m passionate about and tend to look at things holistically. If there is a ‘hobby’ that I have to identify, I’d say conjuring up wonderful Pakistani dishes would be top of the list! What does being a “Canadian Muslim woman mean to you? I have a huge appreciation for what Canada has to offer to people from diverse backgrounds, religions, cultures. Having lived here for a few years now, I strongly believe being truly Canadian means being integrated. I feel fortunate to live here - in a society that is harmonious, and its multi-cultural qualities are embraced rather than seen as a barrier to progress. Many of us have migrated to Canada from far less tolerant, and very male-centric communities, and we should embrace & leverage the fact we have the opportunity to pursue our passion, and excel in whatever field we desire - the sky is truly the limit! Please share 1 – 3 dreams/ goals you hope to achieve in the future. What can be changed to make the world a better place? How can we contribute? My foremost goal is to see that the mission of 141schools, the non-profit I co-founded, fulfilled - As a Canadian not-for-profit, we’ve partnered with The Citizens Foundation (TCF), one of the largest education-based non-profits in Pakistan, on their global initiative “141 Schools for Peace" - and together we have a shared mission to build 141 TCF school units across Pakistan, in memory of the children and teachers who perished in the Peshawar tragedy. Our hope is that our efforts today will serve as a beacon of light resisting the advance of extremism in our society and help in the fight to educate the children of Pakistan. The community in Toronto has been amazingly supportive, and after a few months in Pakistan, we are focused on activating the community here to get involved and support the mission in various ways. CCMW's Toronto chapter is an network of amazing women who are leaders in their community. If you’d like to get involved in any way and support the mission, please do reach out! What “rules” do you live by? What is your personal motto or mission statement? - Waste not, want not - probably the most ‘un-glamorous’ motto to live by, but I am a stickler for ridding my life of excess (except when it comes to food :) ! I would never want to be weighed down by the ‘things’ I own, rather I aim to fill my life with experiences rather then possessions. - Progress, evolution, expansion is inevitable, that is the law of the universe - so embrace change, grow with it, aim to constantly become a better person than you were the day before. To me, that is the core of being a true Muslim. Fun Question! If you were stranded on an island, what three things would you want with you? (Serious responses are not expected!) - My precious box of desi masalas - that way I’d never have to risk starvation since I’d be able to make anything taste delicious - Can my husband, Zaki, be a considered a ‘thing’? If so, I’d definitely make sure he’s stranded right alongside me! - Some form of comedic entertainment (perhaps that’s where Zaki can serve a dual purpose!), since a good laugh can truly drown any and every sorrow Share your favorite quote: Most fitting quote for my life at the moment: ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.’ Margaret Mead Give us your "elevator speech" - a snapshot of who you are, what you do, and how we should know you. Please tell us about the path you took to get you where you are today. I’m 26 years old and a bit of a global nomad. Although originally from Pakistan, I was born in Luxembourg and also lived in Bahrain, the UAE and then moved to Canada when I was 18 for university. My path from university until now has been an uncertain and interesting one. I graduated from the Schulich School of Business and then worked in the world of advertising for over three years. Halfway through the three years, I started night school for a 2-year diploma in Applied Holistic Nutrition. In December 2013, I quit my job to focus on it full-time. Today I am a Certified Nutritional Practitioner, or otherwise known as a Holistic Nutritionist. I work with clients to educate them on how to heal their body and achieve optimal health through food, lifestyle and natural supplements (i.e. vitamins, minerals, herbs). I work part-time as a Natural Health Advisor at Nutrition House and am also in the planning stages of launching my own business, so keep your eyes peeled for that over the next few months! Besides your daily work, what are you passionate about? Tricky, because everything nearly everything I’m passionate about has to do with health and wellness! I would say on a personal level, my next love after my career is writing and travelling. On a more universal scale, I feel passionate about the power of education, which is probably what drew me to the field of holistic nutrition. Outside of my career I would love to be a part of a movement or project that helps to improve literacy rates and shape young minds at an early stage in Pakistan. Improving the education system would have a huge ripple effect on so many other issues that Pakistan (and other developing countries) face such as women’s rights, income inequality, poverty and religious extremism What does being a Canadian Muslim woman mean to you? We are fortunate to live in a welcoming, peaceful country where we have the opportunity to excel and achieve our dreams without fear or repercussion. I think it is our responsibility as Canadian Muslim women who have been blessed with a high quality of life, to do two things: 1) reach for the stars and excel at what we do to be positive role models for other young Muslim women; 2) give back to those who are in less fortunate circumstances to bring them closer to a better quality of life. For young Muslim women growing up in North America, what are 3 things that are most critical for them to be aware of? What advice would you give to young Muslim women? I would like to tell young Muslim women living in North America the following three things a) Stay true to your beliefs, morals and values, but don’t make the mistake of isolating yourself from people of different ethnic backgrounds. Embrace and enjoy your friendships with people of all different cultures and learn from them. Your religion is a good foundation and value-system to live by, but it’s not your identity. b) Your parents are pretty smart. You won’t appreciate all their rules when you’re younger, but when you look back on it you admire their wisdom. Cut them some slack. c) BUT…remember that while your parents always want the best for you, sometimes they don’t know what’s best for you. And that’s when you have to learn to trust your gut. My parents thought that a life in the world of banking and finance was best for me. I wheedled my way into a marketing major, and then worked in advertising… until I left it all to become a Holistic Nutritionist/Entrepreneur. It took a lot of reassuring at my end, but they eventually came around. I know this path isn’t going to be easy, but my gut keeps telling me I’m doing the right thing and I’ve never been happie Please share 3 dreams you hope to achieve in the future. What can be changed to make the world a better place? How can we contribute? I dream of a world where processed food giants like Coca Cola and McDonalds downsize, go bankrupt, or completely redo their product line. Yes, oddly enough that is my wildest dream. The number of chronic illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity have skyrocketed in the past few decades and it’s because we’re overfed (on nutrient-depleted, processed food in boxes and cans), undernourished and overmedicated. Lack of awareness and education is one part of the problem, but the other is the constant bombardment of advertising and marketing by big food giants that mislead consumers into eating so-called “healthy” food. At the end of the day, every consumer votes with his or her dollar. For example, more and more supermarkets are now carrying organic produce and healthier snack options. My goal is to encourage people to continue to vote for their health until we reshape what we see in supermarkets, in kitchen cupboards, and start to see a reversing trend in Canadian health statistics. Share you favorite quote. “Give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he’ll eat for a lifetime.” – Chinese Proverb If you were stranded on a deserted island, what three things would you want with you? If I were stranded on an island, I would want a knife (dual purpose – chopping up food and protecting myself from crazy animals/people that want to kill me), some photos of the people I love, and a pillow (because resting your head on a rock would just suck). What rules do you live by?
Besides your daily work, what are you passionate about?
As I said, I'm passionate about following a route which will lead to equality between genders and LIFE in general. What does being a Canadian Muslim woman mean to you? Being a Canadian Muslim woman means MANY things to me. As I have the privilege of being Canadian, one of the many things that comes to mind right away, is that I can be of more service to humanity because I can raise my voice against injustice. In other countries this is not possible, especially in Muslim countries. Here in Canada we have many ways of helping Humanity and that is what makes me happy. I can use my vote to create change in Society. For young Muslim women growing up in North America, what are 3 things that are most critical for them to be aware of? What advice would you give to young Muslim women? The advice I would give young Muslim women growing up in Canada would be: a) Know your rights (religious and constitutional) and fight for them if need be. b) Educate yourself (since knowledge is power) c) Want for others what you would want for yourself. Please share 3 dreams you hope to achieve in the future. What can be changed to make the world a better place? How can we contribute? My 3 goals are: 1) Achieving equal status in Society (at every level) for women. 2) Dialogue, Open Communication is what can change the world. 3) Compassionate listening, knowing the OTHER, having NO fear of the other should make the change. Getting rid of Power Hungry, Corrupt leaders of the world would help. Share you favorite quote. "Your perception of me, is a reflection of you. My reaction to you, is an awareness of me." (author unknown) If you can find who said this, I shall appreciate knowing it too. How do you get balance in your life? I wake up EARLY, say my prayers and ASK for balance...hence achieve it (as I believe PRAYER is programming yourself.) I take each moment as it comes and accept whatever my fate has for me (and I try to do it with a SMILE. Sometimes I win and sometimes I do not.) What leadership qualities do you most admire? The leadership quality I most admire is LEADING BY EXAMPLE. If you do not have those qualities of goodness, how do you expect to motivate people and expect them to follow? You have to SHOW them that YOU can do it (whatever you might be leading.) Thrilled as any girl would be to attend a self-defense class I was really excited to learn some kick-ass moves through our Wen-Do Self Defense Class on Feb 28th, 2014. Laura, our awesome instructor, started the session off in a circle asking each one of us the reasons of our presence and what we hoped to learn from the class. When my turn came I answered quite frankly that as a young woman who considers herself a feminist, who works out, considers herself as strong as any man –I often feel like being “macho” is a ‘front’ I put up because deep down I’m scared to walk alone in the dark, of being attacked, and being vulnerable in a situation where my attacker may be a man, one who is twice my size and may have double the strength. Sharing this not-so-empowering truth was actually very self-healing because through it I admitted that like most of the girls in our session I too had fears, doubts and a past history of being exposed to the perpetuation of violence. Women often walk carrying a baggage of historical moments of violence, harassment, intimidation that remind them of their vulnerability –at all times. This is a truth which I am too good at dodging in my reality. However, recently watching a Lisa Nicholas talk I had a break through when she spoke about the fact that as women of power it is okay for us to live in a space of duality. It is okay to be strong and weak, productive and relaxed –that we don’t always have to be “super women.” I realized that we can have moments of both. We need to step out of our self-created binaries and except duality. And this is exactly what Laura taught us! Before the class started I excitedly asked if we can take a “strong” picture and remarked, “I don’t want to look feminine.” But, Alaya, a fellow Exec member, (thankfully!) questioned me: “Hey what’s wrong with looking feminine?” And, this is the question I ask myself and all of you: what is wrong with looking feminine? Must we always do things against our instincts (whatever that may be for each one of us)? Must we go out of our way and embrace an image of ourselves that someone else thinks is powerful? Definitely Not! Laura taught us very easy to learn yet very tactic life saving moves, for dangerous situations in various contexts. My favorite move was the knife hand! But I also really enjoyed learning how to loosen someone’s grip from both my wrists simultaneously and releasing myself from a choking attack ---who knows when this skill can come in handy! Not only was Laura an expert teacher she was also very culturally sensitive and acknowledged the diverse issues women face unique to their cultural, religious and social belonging. She even suggested a counter move for Amani for her hijab! We all shared inspiring real-life stories of resistance and success in our discussions. And I had one of my most powerful moments of 2014 in Laura’s last activity called “I am.” Unfortunately it can’t be disclosed, as it is a special treat only for those that take Wen-Do. But, after the class I could feel the strength in the room. I personally felt like a superhero ready to take on anyone! But of course we have to practice these moves and remember that in a difficult situation we should follow our gut feeling always! I think all young girls should take a Wen-Do Self Defense class. In fact it should be a part of every elementary school curriculum! Many boys can benefit from it as well, specially those that are targeted by bullies. Laura showed us that women of all ages, shapes, and sizes, with and without disabilities are powerful. Most importantly Wen-Do taught me to embrace my girl power and it is power just because I added “girl” to it doesn’t make it any less credible! I was excited to attend my first CCMW event as a Program Executive, with my fellow team members Zain and Anika. We all got on the subway on the rainy morning, a start of a gloomy day which turned out to be a very inspiring afternoon. While most people are sleeping in on the weekends, many Muslim women and men gathered together at Novotel Hotel in Toronto to celebrate CCMW’s 31 years of Equity, Equality and Empowerment. My first AHA moment of the day came when I met Alia Hogben, the Executive Director of CCMW. I was meeting her for the first time, but she greeted me as though I was a lost acquaintance. Her bright blue sari was complimentary to her glowing smile and shining personality. Later that day, I met many more inspirational women, most of whom were visiting from other parts of Canada. The elder women of the community were particularly inspirational for me. I specifically remember one of my fellow team members whispering in my ear, “Hamna we have to have that much energy when we are at that age, but we are so drained now, how do they do it!” I still want to know their secret! The keynote note speaker, Professor Asma Barlas, especially caught my attention as she spoke about challenging violence against women from an Islamic perspective. Her presentation was complimented by Lynda Clarke, who spoke about Muslim women and the niqab, and Pamela Cross who advocated for health and justice for Canadian Muslim women. I have been a part of many discussions about Islam and gender within an academic environment at my university, but there was something particularly powerful about being in the presence of Muslim women, who despite facing challenges, continuously break negative stereotypes about Muslim femininity. Midway through the afternoon we all enjoyed a very luxurious brunch, with seconds for desserts of course! I met almost everybody for the first time that day but we clicked like old buddies and enjoyed moments of laughter. The vibe in the room was very positive and cheerful. I specially enjoyed being there with my CCMW Toronto team –Sahar, Fathima, Amra and Amani. After lunch the “Women Who Inspire Awards 2013” were awarded to: Almas Jiwani, Erum Afsar, Fanta Ongoiba, Fatima Sajan, Jamelie Hassan and Mumtaz Ebrahim. We sat through some very emotional speeches, tears, overjoyed laughs and empowering words from these women. Attending the CCMW annual luncheon was very refreshing for me, it really got me thinking about “making a difference.” I always wondered how significant does a “difference” really have to be? But, this conference made me realize that the difference is something to be judged by people whose lives you may be helping to improve. On the subway ride back, Anika, Zain and I, all feeling very pumped up after the event, talked about the things we want to do as conscious Canadian Muslim women, and jokingly told each other “you have to nominate me when the time is right! |
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July 2015
AuthorWe are CCMW members who would like to share our thoughts and experiences of being Muslim Canadian women. Categories |