In a show of solidarity with the victims and in the name of free expression, various newspapers, including French-Canadian papers and McGill’s own Le Délit, have published one or some of Charlie Hebdo’s Muhammad cartoons. They did so, according to them, so as not to give in to fear, irrespective of the content of any particular cartoon. No matter how crass and inaccurate the portrayal, the argument goes, as citizens endowed with basic freedoms, our decisions must never be dictated by our fear of extremists.

It goes without saying that while many Muslims, especially political and community leaders, took a vocal and public stance, countless other millions have done so silently in their hearts as they go about their daily lives.

As Muslims, we are doubly troubled and distressed by the tragedy that has unfolded. First, we are deeply disturbed by this callous loss of innocent life and the sheer horror of the crime. No amount of words or consolation can undo the psychological trauma and deep wounds that the victims’ loved ones and the French people must endure in the immediate aftermath of such an atrocity, and for years to come. Second, such events done in the name of our faith only serve to further misinform the public, as well as to stigmatize and alienate Muslims living in the West, contributing to the general frenzy of Islamophobia, and a rise in hate crimes targeting Muslims and their places of worship. So let us hope and pray that an event like is a cause for our societies to reflect on how to make this world a better place for all, in honour of the victims’ lives.

While no cartoon or form of self-expression can possibly justify the taking of a human life, it is very clear why some newspapers and media broadcasters such as the CBC have refused to publish or air the cartoons. The fact is that Charlie Hebdo is a deeply racist and xenophobic magazine. To be clear, criticizing religion on the merit of its ideas (after accurately portraying the inevitable complexity of its doctrines, of course) is certainly a very valid exercise in free expression and ought to be encouraged. However, as a friend recently reflected, there is a very fine line between freedom of thought and freedom from thought, where insightful and reasoned reflection is shunned for cheap sensationalism and outright bigotry. These cartoons are far from innocent satire, and reflect the most crass of orientalist tropes when it comes to Islam.

I would argue that to honour such work is to suspend our ability to engage in more meaningful and civil dialogue that is based on higher ideals in favour of cheap and racist stereotyping. For instance, the magazine has been criticized for its anti-semitism in the past. In 2008, cartoonist Maurice Sinet published an anti-semitic article satirizing the French president’s son for his conversion to Judaism, and after he refused to apologize, he was immediately fired. One must ask: why then the double-standard when it comes to Islam, given that some of the cartoons over the magazine’s history have clearly linked Islam, and Muslims more generally, to the vile actions of terrorists?

There is a very fine line between freedom of thought and freedom from thought, where insightful and reasoned reflection is shunned for cheap sensationalism and outright bigotry.

Indeed, one need only look at the menacing and ugly features of the depicted Prophet to concretize the magazine’s underlying racism – a very far cry from his handsome and gentle countenance, with his unceasingly radiant smile that is likened to the splendour of the full moon by the Muslim sources. But on a more serious note, such images and portrayals are diametrically opposed to everything our Prophet, peace be upon him, ever stood for as a spiritual guide, which is why they are deeply insulting, and why the crime committed in his name is particularly heinous in the eyes of Muslims.

One need only reflect upon how the Prophet, peace be upon him, responded to his own opponents in the Qurʾān, who were vehemently opposed to his revolutionary message, and sought to persecute him and his followers with tremendous rage and cruelty. Indeed, the Islamophobia of today pales in significance when contrasted with what he had to face as a daily recurrence. To his enemies, he was a liar, a sorcerer, and a mad man who had to be exterminated. Despite this, the Qurʾān urges him, “And have patience with whatever they say, and leave them be with noble (dignity)” [73:10]; “Repel evil with that which is best [of noble conduct]: We are well acquainted with the things they say” [23:96]. And lest the demagogues have you believe that this was Muhammad’s policy when the Muslims were still vulnerable to attack in Mecca and that this all changed upon his migration to Medina, where he was far less militarily vulnerable, the Quranic revelation continues to exhort him and the believers with the same message in Medina: “Verily you will be tried with respect to your wealth and in your lives, and you will hear much hurtful insult from those who were given the Scripture before you, and from the idolaters. But if you persevere and remain God conscious, then that is of the steadfast heart of things” [3:186].

As Muslims, we can thus only hope and pray that events such as the recent tragedy can cause us to reflect a little more deeply and to renew our struggle against the perennial forces of ignorance and hate that seek to divide and misinform.

One would think that after facing years of severe persecution and hostility against him and his community by the people of Mecca, such a man would have had every right to triumphantly enter Mecca upon its conquest, parading his glorious victory for all to see. Instead, we know that he chose to completely forgive and release from blame all his former enemies. The images drawn from his biography depict a man re-entering the beloved city of his birth with his head bowed so low in a state of utter humility and gratitude toward his Creator that after all these years, his message of peace and love had prevailed over the forces of ignorance (Jahiliyyah) and hate. This is the Muhammad that I know; this is the Muhammad that peace-loving Muslims the world over know. As Muslims, we can thus only hope and pray that events such as the recent tragedy can cause us to reflect a little more deeply and to renew our struggle against the perennial forces of ignorance and hate that seek to divide and misinform.

Omar Eidabat is a PhD candidate in Islamic Studies. To contact him, send an email to omar.eidabat@mail.mcgill.ca.

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Despite the presence of a sizeable number of Muslims on campus, the issue of prayer spaces has had a long and tortured history at McGill dating back to June 2005. Prior to that date, Muslim students used various premises temporarily; first the Birks and then Peterson Hall, both of which were more accommodating in terms of size. However, in 2005, McGill informed the MSA that it had to vacate the room it was using for prayer, as it was ostensibly required for academic purposes. Muslim students were thereafter advised by the administration of the possibility of worshipping in any appropriate space on campus, as long as it did not interfere in the university’s functioning as an academic institution or pose any safety concerns. This led to a long and unnecessary confrontation between the MSA and McGill’s administration at the time, with sit-ins and letter-writing campaigns organized. Muslim students were marginalized, feeling that their right to practice their faith in a dignified environment was being largely ignored. After a breakdown in negotiations between the MSA and McGill, the dispute over adequate prayer space on campus culminated in a case being brought before the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse (CDPDJ), a Quebec agency responsible for upholding human rights.

McGill denied that it needed to provide a dedicated prayer space for Muslims, arguing that as a secular school, it was under no obligation to offer prayer spaces to religious groups.

In 2005, McGill informed the MSA that it had to vacate the room it was using for prayer, as it was ostensibly required for academic purposes.

In the immediate aftermath, Muslim students had to face some serious disturbances to their daily routines, enduring the humiliation of having to pray in the odd corner or hallway, on the grass before the eyes of onlookers, in staircases, or in empty classrooms that could be visited by outsiders at any given moment. Given the serious rupture to Muslim students’ daily communal and spiritual life, and to their sense of dignity as a religious community, SSMU graciously stepped in to accommodate the MSA by offering it the space it currently occupies. Though the MSA was at the time very grateful for the offer, it nonetheless remains a temporary and inadequate solution.

The reality is that the nature of the Muslim prayer ritual requires Muslims to have a spiritual home of their own, just as any religious community would require. While the Catholic community has the Newman Centre and the Jewish community has Chabad House, the sizeable Muslim community has no permanent space good enough to call home. And while the McGill Office of Religious and Spiritual Life is always a welcoming place, its limited space is far from ideal for accommodating the dozens of Muslims who need access to a regular and easily accessible space for their prayers throughout the day.

Despite their number and the fundamental need for a space to guarantee their basic freedom of religion, Muslim students still lack proper prayer facilities.

A significant percentage of students (and staff too) are practicing Muslims who require a quiet space to perform their daily prayers as individuals or as congregrations. Prayer space goes a long way toward fostering a spiritual home for Muslim students and functions as an organic hub of communal gathering and spiritual well-being.

Despite their number and the fundamental need for a space to guarantee their basic freedom of religion, Muslim students still lack proper prayer facilities. Currently, there is a single prayer room, located in the basement of the SSMU building, that serves both as an MSA office and a prayer space, with a mere 13.7 square metres dedicated to prayer. This space is far from ideal for a number of reasons. First, it is simply too small to accommodate its Muslim congregants, particularly at certain times of the day, such as during the midday Zuhr prayer, when congestion requires that the prayer be performed in two shifts, delaying students who have to wait outside until the first round of prayers is completed. Another major issue is the absence of any dignified space for the pre-prayer ablution (wudu) ritual, which consists of washing the hands, face, and feet.

This continues to be an issue of unnecessary embarrassment and misunderstanding, as Muslim students have to wash their feet in public washrooms, occasionally having to explain their actions to curious onlookers.

This continues to be an issue of unnecessary embarrassment and misunderstanding, as Muslim students have to wash their feet in public washrooms, occasionally having to explain their actions to curious onlookers. It surely must also inconvenience other students, who must endure heavier-than-normal traffic at the sinks throughout the day. Finally, the location of this space, which is supposed to be a peaceful and safe space for prayer and meditation, is right across from the busy and often noisy Gerts bar – hardly an ideal setting.

This is a sad state of affairs for McGill, a university that supposedly prides itself on the diversity of its student body. The current arrangement falls far short of the practices adopted by other academic institutions across Canada. Other universities such as Carleton, the University of Toronto, or Concordia, all offer permanent prayer spaces with proper ablution facilities for their practicing Muslim students and staff. Such a gesture goes a long way in making Muslims feel welcome at their institutions as vital members of their respective academic communities. Given McGill’s past history on the issue, the administration should follow the examples of goodwill shown by other universities and step up to the plate.

Omar Eidabat is a PhD candidate in Islamic Studies. To contact him, please email omar.edaibat@mail.mcgill.ca.

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