Nurjehan mawani biography of christopher columbus

The first Muslim in North America was the Chinese Admiral Zheng He.

Recent scholarship indicates that Zheng He, the Chinese Admiral of the Ming Emperor Zhu Di and a devout Muslim, made a voyage of exploration to the Americas in when he circumnavigated the world. He predates Christopher Columbus to the Americas by 70 years.

In , 13 years before Confederation, the first Muslim, James Love, named after his father, was born in Ontario to Agnes, of Scottish descent. The Loves went on to have seven additional children, the youngest, Alexander, born in , one year after Confederation.

Similarly, another couple, Martha and John Simon, described in government documents as Mahometans, settled in Ontario in , coming from the United States.

The first National Census in counted 13 Muslims in Canada. The majority of the early Muslim settlers Anglicized their first names or changed them altogether.

Kassam, Karim-Aly. &#;Muslim Presence in Alberta: Contribution and Challenges.&#;
Remembering Chinook Country. Detselig Enterprises Ltd. Calgary.

Citation preview

The Institute of Ismaili Studies

The Institute of Ismaili Studies was established in with the object of promoting scholarship and learning on Islam, in the historical as well as contemporary contexts, and a better understanding of its relationship with other societies and faiths. The Institute’s programmes encourage a perspective which is not confined to the theological and religious heritage of Islam, but seeks to explore the relationship of religious ideas to broader dimensions of society and culture. The programmes thus encourage an interdisciplinary approach to the materials of Islamic history and thought. Particular attention is also given to issues of modernity that arise as Muslims seek to relate their heritage to the contemporary situation. Within the Islamic tradition, the Institute’s programmes seek to promote research on those areas which have, to date, received relatively little attention from scholars. These include the intellectual and literary expressions of Shiʽism in general, and Ismailism in particular. In the context of Islamic societies, the Institute’s programmes are informed by the full range and diversity of cultures in which Islam is practised today, from the Middle East, South and Central Asia, and Africa to the industrialized societies of the West, thus taking into consideration the variety of contexts which shape the ideals, beliefs and practices of the faith. These objectives are realized through concrete programmes and activities organized and implemented by various departments of the Institute. The Institute also collaborates ­periodically, on a programme-specific basis, with other institutions of learning in the United Kingdom and abroad. v

vi

A Modern History of the Ismailis

The Institute’s academic publications fall into several distinct and interrelated categories: 1. Occasional papers or essays addressing broad themes

The first words to pass between Europeans and Americans (one-sided and confusing as they must have been) were in the sacred language of Islam. Christopher Columbus had hoped to sail to Asia and had prepared to communicate at its great courts in one of the major languages of Eurasian commerce. So when Columbus’s interpreter, a Spanish Jew, spoke to the Taíno of Hispaniola, he did so in Arabic. Not just the language of Islam, but the religion itself likely arrived in America in , more than 20 years before Martin Luther nailed his theses to the door, igniting the Protestant reformation.

Moors – African and Arab Muslims – had conquered much of the Iberian peninsula in , establishing a Muslim culture that lasted nearly eight centuries. By early , the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella completed the Reconquista, defeating the last of the Muslim kingdoms, Granada. By the end of the century, the Inquisition, which had begun a century earlier, had coerced between , and , Muslims (and probably at least 70, Jews) to convert to Christianity. Spanish Catholics often suspected these Moriscos or conversos of practising Islam (or Judaism) in secret, and the Inquisition pursued and persecuted them. Some, almost certainly, sailed in Columbus’s crew, carrying Islam in their hearts and minds.

Read more of this fascinating essay written by Sam Haselby (senior editor at Aeon) at the source:

Watch how a portrait of an African muslim came to hang side-by-side with the founding fathers in one of America&#;s earliest museums.

Today&#;s guest blog comes from Nurjehan Mawani, reflecting on her experiences as an immigrant to Canada from Kenya, the importance of diversity and inclusion, and her thoughts on what effective action against racism looks like:

Nurjehan Mawani is the former Chair of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada and Commissioner of the Federal Public Service Commission.

She has recently returned home to Vancouver having served in Central Asia and Afghanistan as the Diplomatic Representative of the Aga Khan Development Network.

Nurjehan mawani biography of christopher columbus

She is a recipient of the Order of Canada.

Like many Canadians, I have been grappling with the recent events of racism that have taken place here at home and south of the border. These manifestations— ranging from microaggressions to fatal acts of violence— have forced us to pause and be introspective, encouraging each one of us to take stock of our values and reaffirm the inclusive and pluralistic Canada in which we want to live.

There has been an o