WHEN we came to Canada decades ago we used to ask my cousin Tahir Ali Khan in Bhopal, India the cost of sacrificing a goat. We remitted the money and he did all the sacrifices for my family in Bhopal, giving the meat and the hides to the Tajul Masajid, one of India's largest mosques, which runs a school and helps orphans and poor children get their education. At that time, we had no choice. There were very few Muslims in Ottawa. We couldn't even get halal meat. We bought kosher meat from a Jewish shop. Gradually, this changed. Today, to serve Ottawa's estimated 65,000 Muslims, there are numerous halal meat shops, and you can also do the sacrifice at government-inspected farms. You can also have the sacrifice done through Human Concern International, Mercy International, the Islamic Council of North America or some other agency. You can get the sacrifice done in Bosnia, India, Pakistan, Lebanon, Palestine or elsewhere to treat the poor to a meal normally beyond their reach. But we have stuck to our original arrangement. Tahir Mian is happy to do us this favor every year. Ottawa now has its own hungry people and food banks to help them. We assist our fellow Ottawans but the orphans in Bhopal, I think, need the aid more desperately. Eid-Al-Adha celebrations in Ottawa, though not as vibrant as those for Eid-Al-Fitr, bring the city's diverse Muslims together. This city now has several enlightened and highly learned and respected Imams. Their sermons whisk us back to the times of the Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him), who left his wife in a scorching desert where she had to fend for herself and her infant son with no visible support. Later, the Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) bowed to Allah's orders and prepared to slaughter his son Ismail (pbuh), who unhesitatingly agreed to be so sacrificed. This poignant story of sacrifice, hardships and obedience to the Creator, remains an inspiring testimony to the majestic power of faith. Human beings no longer get direct commands from Allah, as the prophets (peace be upon them) did. But we do have clear orders from Him in the Holy Qur'an and in the sayings, teachings and example of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). At both Eids, there is much feasting and mingling of relatives, friends and Muslim and non-Muslim neighbors in Ottawa. But it seems that God's commands are not taken as seriously by Muslims in Canada and around the world. Allah isn't asking Muslims to do something as horrifying as slaughtering their children. His orders to us are much milder, but they are still commands and are very clear. He reminds us also, again and again, that all living beings will return to Him and that we will be accountable for our deeds. We see this all the time as elders, relatives, friends and acquaintances depart one by one and become just memories. Our turn has to come one day. Allah's commands are relatively simple. Apart from the prescribed prayers, fasting, alms and the pilgrimage, we are guided on how to conduct ourselves in the way we treat parents, spouses, children, relatives, neighbors, orphans, widows, travelers, fellow human beings and other living creatures. We are also given a code of ethics and told to be truthful, kind, honest, caring, pleasant, good-mannered, clean, compassionate, hard working, seekers of knowledge and the vice-regents of God Almighty himself on earth. We are commanded to respect the rights, and religious beliefs, of fellow human beings as well as their freedom to express their views. We are also told to show the same kindness to animals and care to the environment. We are commanded to shun greed, cruelty, oppression, vulgarity, lies, bigotry, racism, injustice, hate and pride. Muslims in Canada and the United States are probably among the most privileged in the world. Despite 9/11 and the resultant Islamophobia, occasional attacks on Muslims and on mosques remain the exception. More so than in Europe and most Muslim countries, Muslims here live in safety and harmony without racism, bigotry, threats and violence. They enjoy the same rules, and have the same obligations, as other citizens. Many of us are also appreciated and respected if we seek to earn that respect. It's the situation in some Muslim countries that Muslims here find most distressing. We read about suicide bombs, robberies, killings or persecution of people of other sects or religions, oppression of women, the poor and the powerless, rampant greed and corruption, injustices, civil wars, squandering of resources, killings of innocent people, and lawlessness in some countries. It is as though some people there had never heard of Islam or received its message. It is as though somehow they had been transported back to the age of jahiliya (ignorance) or savagery. Syria is the worst example, but there are others too. At solemn occasions in particular such as Eid, Muslims here offer thanks and rejoice. But they also hang their heads in shame, pray and weep.
— Mohammed Azhar Ali Khan is a retired Canadian journalist, civil servant and refugee judge. He has received the Order of Canada, the Order of Ontario and the Queen's Diamond and Golden Jubilee medals
