Integrating Religion And Identity Through Art

As of February 2012 I have been working with a non profit organization called the WesternMuslim Initiative. The idea behind the Western Muslim initiative was to create a sense of community and identity for all different kinds of Muslims among Calgary.

Sometimes main stream media can give us a very distorted and inaccurate image of what Muslims are like and what Islam is. I understand that many people do not hold the same stereotypical understanding of Muslims, although sometimes these messages can subconsciously affect us. For years I wasn’t a practicing Muslim because I always had this idea in my head that being a practicing Muslim would change my sense of identity. I always thought it would be to hard to balance being a Muslim and every other part of my identity. A lot of Muslim youth today are pushed away from their religion because practicing  may seem too hard. Muslim youth in the west sometimes find it hard to balance the Islamic way of life to the typical western teenager’s way of life. Trying to live both ways of life perfectly is almost impossible; yet it is possible to be able to create a balance between the two. 

I  really apprietiate the Western Muslim Initiative because it helps bring people closer to Islam by showing you can still be your self, as well as Muslim and integrate that with a westernized  lifestyle. Along with helping Calgarian Muslims with different platforms to integrate their Muslim and western idenity, they also help Muslims and people of other faiths oppritunities come together through different events and common interests.  The project I am working on now is called the Muslim Art Movement.

The Muslim Art Movement (MAM III) is a project very near and dear to my heart because through participating with the project I have been able to embrace my artistic identity as well as my Islamic identity. MAM III is made up of three different yet connected components: discussing art; creating art; and sharing art. The purpose of the project is to provide Muslims of Calgary as well as  well as people other faiths numerous platforms where they can meet to discuss art in its many forms. The unique feature of MAM III is that it contributes to and strengthens the artistic heritage of Calgary,  encouraging Calgarians to engage in the diverse tradition of Muslim art.

This year’s MAM will have three distinct parts to it:

1.      Women’s Art Workshop, where women will create pieces of art and learn how to connect with Islamic artistic heritage

2.      Film and Book Club, where men and women will discuss films and books that explore different types of ways of expressing thoughts.

3.      Muslim Art Movement will be a culmination of the work done in the art and film workshops and also combining it with other artists, poets, photographers and filmmakers who want to participate.

With a population of around 70, 000 people, the Muslim community makes up a huge portion of Calgary’s population. MAM III  provides the Calgary Muslim community from around the world with a number of different opportunities which will help foster their artistic abilities while also allowing them to be able to share what they learn with other Calgarians. The programs MAM III entails will not only enable Muslims to broaden and deepen their knowledge of Islamic art, but also to engage members of other communities and faiths to do so as well. By encouraging people of Calgary to come together in celebration of art and self expression. As a result the Western Muslim Initiative is hoping that MAM III will really help to positively contribute to Calgary’s strong artistic and cultural heritage.

Picture thanks to Jacqueline Nahirney

As the program organizer for the Western Art Movement show on November 10th 2012, I am currently collecting a formalized foster of artists. Whether you are Muslim or not, if you or someone you know is interested in participating in this project please comment below!