These Windsor teens say Islamic Heritage Month is a chance to get to know them

Students at the only Islamic high school in Windsor, Ont., hope people will take time this October during Islamic Heritage Month to get to know the religion and the damaging impact of Islamophobia on young people.

Sundus Hussein, a Grade 11 student, said the month is an opportunity to tackle negative stereotypes.

"I feel like not a lot of people are educated on Islam — there's not a lot of good sources to find out about it — so having this month puts it in a positive light to learn."

Anti-Muslim attacks rose by nine per cent across Canada in 2019, according to the latest report on hate-crimes by Statistics Canada. In June, the Afzaal family was killed when they were run down on a street in London, Ont., prompting an outcry across the country to combat Islamophobia. 

Grade 12 student Hamza Hamed believes Islam is not well represented around the world, and that's perpetuating racist stereotypes.

"There's a lot of people who have Islamophobia and xenophobia toward Muslims. I feel that in order for us to all become more educated and to learn more about Islam, it is important for us to have a month where people can learn and understand what Islam really is about."

Hamed is one of dozens of teenagers attending Windsor Islamic High School, which opened this past September in east Windsor. He and his peers were meeting this week to talk about Islamic Heritage Month for the school newsletter. 

Nada Elfakharni, 16, says she's directly impacted by stereotypes because she's visibly Muslim, wearing a hijab. She says she sometimes feels the negative stereotypes first hand. 

"I wish people would understand me for who I am and not judge me for my appearance first. I think my appearance, for some people, might be in a negative way. I think this month would help us be represented in a more positive way."

Lateefa Rabee, 17, also wears a hijab. She spoke about the importance and impact of positive representation in media for Muslimahs like her.

"When you really learn about us, our religion is about peace and being kind and having manners. A lot of the times, the way we are represented is very different from our perspectives of things."

According to a March 2021 report from Statistics Canada, Muslimahs are 15 per cent more likely to experience hate crimes than women and girls of other faiths.

Private high schools dedicated to Islamic studies are few and far in between. Windsor Islamic High School is the only one like it in the region, with the next nearest Islamic high school located in London.

Windsor Islamic students Yousef Iqbal and Abdalla Ismael said going to a school specialized in teaching Muslim students about their heritage has helped make them feel more at home.