Ad Deen Al Islam

On Being Muslim in a Multicultural World

I live in the city of Toronto in Canada, where people of many different races, ethnicities, and religions live together. And it is my good fortune that, because of this, I have also been able to better understand my identity as a “Muslim.” In the sight of Allah, a Muslim is the one who brings peace and safety to the world, no matter what race or ethnicity they belong to, whichever religion they come from, whichever language they speak, or whichever country they live in. In the eyes of the Creator of this universe, such a person will be considered Muslim, because they bring peace and safety to His creation through their very being. That is why I also call myself a Muslim, and I try that whoever is around me may receive peace and safety from me.

Toronto is called a multicultural society, and this is indeed very true! Because of this, I have interacted with many people from different countries and with different beliefs. When you speak with people of different religions, you find that they all share the concept of “one God.” All of them believe that good actions bring good results and bad actions bring bad results. Their religious teachings are more or less similar. When you talk to them, there is one point on which everyone agrees: moral values are very important. People who are good share a common way of thinking — that we should all live together in this world with peace and harmony.

So then, who creates these conflicts of race and color, these fights in the name of religion, these so-called “campaigns for peace” that turn into invasions? In those countries where conflicts or wars have taken place, many refugees have also come and settled in Toronto. They all say the same thing: we used to live together in harmony, we respected one another’s religions, and we met one another on our different religious festivals. We don’t know who sowed the seeds of hatred in our regions. Where did this sapling of division take root, and how did it grow into such a huge tree that it separated all of us from one another?

For quite some time now, wars have been taking place in different countries around the world. Innocent people are being massacred, the honor and dignity of women are being violated, and innocent children are being subjected to ruthless brutality in a way that entire generations are being wiped out. Humanity has become scarce, and people are becoming increasingly numb and indifferent. Perhaps this is exactly the “mission” of those who are obsessed with power. It seems they no longer have any need for human beings!

There was a time when, together with religious leaders, there were restrictions on abortion, and the world’s population was being increased so that their businesses could prosper and their rule over the world could be established. Then, as the population gradually grew and it became difficult to manage, they began adulterating food and drink. As a result, not only did the pharmaceutical industry expand, but all kinds of diseases were introduced to the world, and the rates of illness and death increased. In the name of curbing nuclear weapons, on the one hand, countries were set against one another in wars, and on the other hand, the arms trade was firmly established.

In this entire maze, the only one who is crushed is the ordinary human being, no matter what race, ethnicity, or religion they belong to. This campaign to bring about the extinction of the human race is extremely dangerous! And it is not only through wars; human beings are also being destroyed through social media. The children and young people of today, who spend most of their time on social media, are suffering from various kinds of mental illnesses. They are becoming neurologically weak. Their capacity to endure difficulties is decreasing. They are unable to face challenging situations, and so they fall into depression or despair. Because of a lack of patience and tolerance, they want everything to be available instantly.

This is a very alarming situation, because in the end, it all leads to the same result: the destruction of human beings and of humanity itself. And why is this happening? Whose hands are behind all these factors?

People like Haman and Qarun, whose god is “power” — that is, establishing their own chosen rule and dominion over this world. For this, at first, they needed human beings, so they increased the population. Now they no longer need people, because machines like AI and robots are available for every kind of work. So they want to reduce the number of human beings, because there is neither enough space nor resources to manage them.

But, in their intoxication with power, they have forgotten that there is only one true God, the Creator of this universe. And one of the laws of this God is that when a nation, drunk on its own strength, begins to see itself as a god and brings its own desired laws into the system of this world, destruction becomes its destiny. The fate of many great nations of the past is right before our eyes.

The one who truly has faith is the one who believes in a single God (the Creator and Master of the entire universe) and in the fact that every good and bad deed will have its result (the Hereafter). As a believer, I understand that one day I will have to leave this world. Death is a reality. So why should we not live together in harmony and make this world a cradle of peace? Because we will receive the reward or consequence of our good and bad actions in this very world as well!

Indeed, no one has seen tomorrow. But for those who are to come after us, we must make our today better. This will only be possible when we abandon selfishness and bring peace and safety to others. If today you do good for someone else, then have faith in that Being who is the Master of all: He will surely grant you from where you could not even have imagined!