Winnipeggers hope to dispel myths with 'Meet a Muslim Family' campaign
Ahmadiyya Muslims invite fellow Canadians into their homes as part of 2-week awareness campaign
A Muslim organization is hoping a little hospitality will go a long way toward breaking down stereotypes and quelling fears about the religion.
For the next two weeks, Ahmadiyya Muslims across Canada — including in Winnipeg — are inviting fellow Canadians into their homes as part of the "Meet a Muslim Family" campaign.
People can register online to meet people living near them and chat, perhaps have some tea together, and ask questions.
"You do not know who's walking through your door … but we open our hearts," said Munir Ahmed, a Winnipegger who is taking part in the campaign along with his wife, Qamar Nisa.
"It could be a very small effort but, I mean, small efforts make a big impact."
Ahmed admitted it's a little nerve-wracking to open up their home to potential strangers, but they're happy to clear up any misconceptions about their faith.
"We want to discuss with them our values, our religion," Nisa said.
The couple say they want people to know just because they are Muslim, it doesn't mean they are significantly different from other Canadians.
They also want their fellow Canadians to know that extremist attacks perpetuated by groups like the Islamic State do not represent their religion.
"It really hurts me when I see that my faith has been hijacked by the terrorists," Ahmed said.
Said Nisa, "The ISIS thing is also scary for us, you know. It's very scary."
Relaxed environment
National campaign spokesperson Safwan Choudhry says the idea is to allow people to chat in a relaxed environment.
"It doesn't have to be in a mosque, where they listen to a lecture, but rather their neighbour — so people who live in their community — whom they can ask any question that they may have on their mind or simply just watch an NHL game together," he said.
Choudhry said hundreds of people across the country have signed up to date, including about two dozen people in Manitoba.
"We felt that the conversations were all around being surprised about how many things we have in common — things that don't divide us — which, unfortunately, is what a lot of these violent extremists group try to do … by stigmatizing and dividing people by fear," he said.