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I have never before encountered anyone from any country who suggested that Canadian women would be okay with being abducted for the sex trade industry. I don't see that as a stereotype, but rather as a belief that is consistent with ISIS indoctrination.
I question how well travelled you are then. As a women I am not asking you ... I am telling you I have had many men in Europe, in Central, South America, the Caribbean, Turkey and North Africa make comments to that effect. Ex When North American girls are travelling they like sleeping around. We are more aggressive and assertive sexually ... and blah blah blah. I have heard it and had to address it as a woman.
Also just a reminder ISIS was not around for that long and sexual exploitation happens ALL over the world and it is never okay. You met one idiot ... and that is not fair to make him the poster boy for Muslims all over the world.
Devout Muslim Men and well as devout religious men from many other conservative backgrounds don't mix with women unless related. As a women who has travelled to Muslim countries the cultural and level of conservative behaviour varies from places to place even in the country. Social norms are not consistent. These differences can also be found within North America... ex I am pretty sure people in Los Vegas a lot less conservative then in Utah.
Disrespect towards women is not unique to Muslims. Many fundamentalist Christians have very traditional views of what is a woman's 'place.' And the sex trade has long existed in Canada. The notion of women having authority over their own bodies is relatively recent in the western world. There are creeps in every religion and ethnicity.
Sorry ... as a women/ person I just don't want anyone telling what I need to wear. When I speak with Muslim women from conservative places and they look at all the stuff that western women do ... they feel sorry for us because they don't get the way we choose to dress either. Some of them see it as a burden and don't see it as liberating.
I am pro people being able to choose how they can dress even if I would not choose to wear what they are wearing.
To the OPs question about cities in Canada with the highest muslim population ... I am surprised no one seems to have mentioned Calgary Alberta. With at least 3 Muslim schools, at least 23 mosques, and whole communities that appear populated with muslims now, it has to be on the list. Calgary also seems to be where we have seen some terrorist activity originating from - and kids seem to leave there for overseas training a fair bit from what I have read. (And .. no .. that does not mean that Calgary is a haven or breeding ground for terrorism but they have had some issues in that regard and they have the largest mosque in Canada still I believe).
Toronto and Montreal probably have the highest concentration still (in 2011 7.7% in Toronto, and 6.6% in Montreal) of course but I suspect that Vancouver and Ottawa don't come far behind these days - at least on a percentage of the local population basis. I haven't been to YVR in quite a while (but I know there are a significant number of muslims there these days) and parts of the west side of Ottawa have certainly changed their demographics in recent years.
And yes there have been churches converted to mosques in Canada. Here are just 2 .. I am sure there are more:
And then we come to garb .. other than dressing modestly, the Qur'an as far as I know says nothing about wearing the hijab or burka. I don't care really what anyone chooses to wear - for religious or any other reason - but many of those who are not muslim are uncomfortable with those who wear a burka because anyone could be hiding under one (and frankly, I can understand their worries there). I don't think that any kind of face covering garment should be worn by anyone in public (and of course that is the only place it usually IS worn) and certainly not in government offices.
And religion in schools - do what you want again but no (public school) classroom should have to stop and wait while anyone observes any religious ritual nor be disrupted by that. If a child must leave the classroom to pray several times a day that is fine - please use the hallways or the bathrooms maybe - but the world should not stop for that so they may have to make up whatever they missed. Choices always have consequences.
As for the longstanding Canadian TRADITION of observing things like Christmas and Easter .. I think we should not add to or change the 'traditions' there - they are still valid no matter who lives in Canada these days. Even with changing demographics I think we make a very big mistake if we do not respect and preserve the past as much as the present, if not more. The Christmas season is just that to me and always will be - not just a winter holiday or festivus or Kwanzaa or Ramadan or whatever it is to others - and I would hope others would always respect that for me - just as I respect their holidays .. I will always be polite to EVERYONE around me if they treat me the same way. I will say Happy Hanukkah to Jewish people, and Happy Chinese New Year to someone who celebrates that, etc. even if I don't celebrate those myself. I wish everyone well but I don't take kindly to that kind of what looks to be railroading (where traditions of the past and for many, still those in the present are given 2nd rate status in deference to those which are newer in the country) no matter who the authors are or their reasons.
I think we are confusing things here....
Being Muslim does not really spell out how one practices their faith.
Each person does not always practice the same way. Some people are more conservative then others.
This is the same for any other religion. Ex Do you know any Jehova Witnesses that go around wishing people a Merry Christmas? Some people are just more up tight then others about these things. I am not religious so if there is party ... I am pretty okay with taking part !
I am know many Muslims in Toronto and they do not all practice their faith the same way so people need to stop just making these stupid assumptions.
Some Muslims don't pray ...some do.
Some fast... and some don't...
Some like hockey ... some don't ...
They are just like everyone else .... unique and with varied opinions.
The way people talk is like they all hold hand and make daily decisions together. Totally ridiculous.
Also there is a really funny episode of Little Mosque on the Parries that hits on this ... I think it is a Christmas/Holiday episode.
These show is actually excellent. I really encourage anyone who is trying to understand some of the quirks of being Muslim outside of a Muslim country should watch this.
I really really hope my city and country does not change from being a place of inclusion. I think we can all live peacefully and tolerantly. Maybe Canada and cities like Toronto need to explain to the world what we are so far doing right.
Around 5 years ago I was at a Canadian Citizenship ceremony in Scarborough and it was one of those moments when I really really felt proud to be Canadian. I was in a room full of people from all over the world who where now becoming officially Canadian. What impressed me the most was the judge's speech. In his speech he emphasised how important it was to continue to embrace both where you are from and where you are now as both cultures are important and their culture and traditions being brought to our country and city help to make Canada a great country. He emphasized that they did not need to forget who they are to be Canadian as being Canadian is about embracing our differences and celebrating them together. He also emphasized it did not matter is your family had been in Canada for 100 years or if they were new citizens as we all have the same rights in this Country regardless of how long our ancestors have been in this country.
All those people out there spreading hate ... keep the poison to yourself and stop trying to contaminate my city and my country. My Canada is all about inclusion and celebrating diversity together. Any one who has a beef with that is welcome to leave... I would be happy to direct you to the nearest Airport.
Mississauga, and especially the Erin Mills and Meadowvale neighbourhoods have seen a very large influx of newcomers from the Gulf and Middle East during the past decade or so. It is not at all uncommon to see younger women wearing hijab with more Western clothing and older women wearing abayas and more traditional garments. Churchill Meadows is a new suburban neighbourhood between Erin Mills and Meadowvale that has a very high % of recent immigrants from the Gulf and ME.
Working for a non-profit that has services for newcomers and especially for the hundreds of Syrian refugees that have settled in the area, I am happy to call these newcomers neighbours and friends.
Being Muslim does not really spell out how one practices their faith.
Each person does not always practice the same way. Some people are more conservative then others.
This is the same for any other religion. Ex Do you know any Jehova Witnesses that go around wishing people a Merry Christmas? Some people are just more up tight then others about these things. I am not religious so if there is party ... I am pretty okay with taking part !
I am know many Muslims in Toronto and they do not all practice their faith the same way so people need to stop just making these stupid assumptions.
Some Muslims don't pray ...some do.
Some fast... and some don't...
Some like hockey ... some don't ...
They are just like everyone else .... unique and with varied opinions.
The way people talk is like they all hold hand and make daily decisions together. Totally ridiculous.
Also there is a really funny episode of Little Mosque on the Parries that hits on this ... I think it is a Christmas/Holiday episode.
These show is actually excellent. I really encourage anyone who is trying to understand some of the quirks of being Muslim outside of a Muslim country should watch this.
I really really hope my city and country does not change from being a place of inclusion. I think we can all live peacefully and tolerantly. Maybe Canada and cities like Toronto need to explain to the world what we are so far doing right.
Around 5 years ago I was at a Canadian Citizenship ceremony in Scarborough and it was one of those moments when I really really felt proud to be Canadian. I was in a room full of people from all over the world who where now becoming officially Canadian. What impressed me the most was the judge's speech. In his speech he emphasised how important it was to continue to embrace both where you are from and where you are now as both cultures are important and their culture and traditions being brought to our country and city help to make Canada a great country. He emphasized that they did not need to forget who they are to be Canadian as being Canadian is about embracing our differences and celebrating them together. He also emphasized it did not matter is your family had been in Canada for 100 years or if they were new citizens as we all have the same rights in this Country regardless of how long our ancestors have been in this country.
All those people out there spreading hate ... keep the poison to yourself and stop trying to contaminate my city and my country. My Canada is all about inclusion and celebrating diversity together. Any one who has a beef with that is welcome to leave... I would be happy to direct you to the nearest Airport.
Maybe I am weird but I actually find the final part of your post to be extremely intolerant. People are allowed to have different views in Canada - even ones that you don't like to hear. As long as they don't break the law, people are entitled to have them and share them. This whole thing of "think like me (or us) or GTFO of Canada" is totally abhorrent to me. We're not a multicultural version of North Korea, people.
To the OPs question about cities in Canada with the highest muslim population ... I am surprised no one seems to have mentioned Calgary Alberta. With at least 3 Muslim schools, at least 23 mosques, and whole communities that appear populated with muslims now, it has to be on the list. Calgary also seems to be where we have seen some terrorist activity originating from - and kids seem to leave there for overseas training a fair bit from what I have read. (And .. no .. that does not mean that Calgary is a haven or breeding ground for terrorism but they have had some issues in that regard and they have the largest mosque in Canada still I believe).
Toronto and Montreal probably have the highest concentration still (in 2011 7.7% in Toronto, and 6.6% in Montreal) of course but I suspect that Vancouver and Ottawa don't come far behind these days - at least on a percentage of the local population basis. I haven't been to YVR in quite a while (but I know there are a significant number of muslims there these days) and parts of the west side of Ottawa have certainly changed their demographics in recent years.
And yes there have been churches converted to mosques in Canada. Here are just 2 .. I am sure there are more:
And then we come to garb .. other than dressing modestly, the Qur'an as far as I know says nothing about wearing the hijab or burka. I don't care really what anyone chooses to wear - for religious or any other reason - but many of those who are not muslim are uncomfortable with those who wear a burka because anyone could be hiding under one (and frankly, I can understand their worries there). I don't think that any kind of face covering garment should be worn by anyone in public (and of course that is the only place it usually IS worn) and certainly not in government offices.
And religion in schools - do what you want again but no (public school) classroom should have to stop and wait while anyone observes any religious ritual nor be disrupted by that. If a child must leave the classroom to pray several times a day that is fine - please use the hallways or the bathrooms maybe - but the world should not stop for that so they may have to make up whatever they missed. Choices always have consequences.
As for the longstanding Canadian TRADITION of observing things like Christmas and Easter .. I think we should not add to or change the 'traditions' there - they are still valid no matter who lives in Canada these days. Even with changing demographics I think we make a very big mistake if we do not respect and preserve the past as much as the present, if not more. The Christmas season is just that to me and always will be - not just a winter holiday or festivus or Kwanzaa or Ramadan or whatever it is to others - and I would hope others would always respect that for me - just as I respect their holidays .. I will always be polite to EVERYONE around me if they treat me the same way. I will say Happy Hanukkah to Jewish people, and Happy Chinese New Year to someone who celebrates that, etc. even if I don't celebrate those myself. I wish everyone well but I don't take kindly to that kind of what looks to be railroading (where traditions of the past and for many, still those in the present are given 2nd rate status in deference to those which are newer in the country) no matter who the authors are or their reasons.
People don't really think about Calgary, because as I understand it, a large proportion of Calgary's Muslims are Ahmadi, rather than Sunni or Shia. Ahmadiyya are a minority group that are all about interfaith harmony and aren't into political Islam, so no one really thinks of them as "problem" Muslims.
I question how well travelled you are then. As a women I am not asking you ... I am telling you I have had many men in Europe, in Central, South America, the Caribbean, Turkey and North Africa make comments to that effect. Ex When North American girls are travelling they like sleeping around. We are more aggressive and assertive sexually ... and blah blah blah. I have heard it and had to address it as a woman.
Also just a reminder ISIS was not around for that long and sexual exploitation happens ALL over the world and it is never okay. You met one idiot ... and that is not fair to make him the poster boy for Muslims all over the world.
Devout Muslim Men and well as devout religious men from many other conservative backgrounds don't mix with women unless related. As a women who has travelled to Muslim countries the cultural and level of conservative behaviour varies from places to place even in the country. Social norms are not consistent. These differences can also be found within North America... ex I am pretty sure people in Los Vegas a lot less conservative then in Utah.
It seems I'm too young, too naive, too uneducated, and too little-travelled to have much to offer. What if I told you that I crossed an ocean for summer vacation every second year throughout my childhood and began traveling in Europe alone at the age of 14. You probably wouldn't believe me. If I told you that I traveled alone in Communist Russia, was detained in Communist Poland, nearly kidnapped in Greece, and learned early to listen to a sixth sense, you probably wouldn't believe that either. Perhaps I have nothing to say, but if I did have something to say, it would be that I've never before in all my non-travels encountered a perception that Canadian or North American women would be okay with being held in the sex trade. That's a new one for me, but I have read this perspective in books about ISIS.
Maybe I am weird but I actually find the final part of your post to be extremely intolerant. People are allowed to have different views in Canada - even ones that you don't like to hear. As long as they don't break the law, people are entitled to have them and share them. This whole thing of "think like me (or us) or GTFO of Canada" is totally abhorrent to me. We're not a multicultural version of North Korea, people.
Mmmmm ... I guess you are wired then ........ its cool though I tolerate most weird non threatening people .
People don't really think about Calgary, because as I understand it, a large proportion of Calgary's Muslims are Ahmadi, rather than Sunni or Shia. Ahmadiyya are a minority group that are all about interfaith harmony and aren't into political Islam, so no one really thinks of them as "problem" Muslims.
.....
Like most people even know the difference. I remember after 9-11 even Indian people were being targeted for hate crimes more often.
Sorry ... as a women/ person I just don't want anyone telling what I need to wear. When I speak with Muslim women from conservative places and they look at all the stuff that western women do ... they feel sorry for us because they don't get the way we choose to dress either. Some of them see it as a burden and don't see it as liberating.
I am pro people being able to choose how they can dress even if I would not choose to wear what they are wearing.
.??? What does this have to do with anything I said?
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Exactly ....
!
........ its cool though I tolerate most weird non threatening people 
.....
