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Retrospective
2-20-2019
In the spring of 2009, I reached out to alAmeen Post with a proposal about a column encouraging parents to read to their children. I called it “Are You Reading a Healthy Diet?” and used the metaphor of food to introduce different literary styles and themes. Br. Jafar Bhamji accepted my offer and I happily wrote about some of my favourite storybooks. Those who know me realize that I could write solely about the joys of children’s literature forever, but Br. Jafar wisely counselled that the readers might enjoy other topics. For the past 10 years, alAmeen Post has given me free reign to explore whatever topic I wished. In many ways, this adventure of writing nearly 250 columns maps my personal journey as I tried to make sense of the myself and the world around me.
As an educator, a lot of my topics centered around personal and social development. My first series focused on Derek Peterson’s Integrated Youth Development program (www.icar-us.com) and the Search Institute’s 40 Development Assets (www.search-institute.org). Az-Zahraa Islamic Academy, where I was principal at the time, had just brought Derek in to do a workshop. His message resonated with me. I wanted to tell the world about it – or at least the readers of alAmeen Post. This pattern repeated itself; whenever I discovered something that “felt right” it found its way into print. I wrote about Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s flow, Marshall Rosenberg’s nonviolent communication, Henry Cloud’s boundaries, Rob Inrig’s courage, Mary Gordon’s empathy, Edward de Bono’s thinking hats, Kieran Egan’s imaginative education, Gordon Neufeld’s attachment, and much more.
In 2012, an opportunity to hear Karen Armstrong speak about compassion (thank you Dr. Mithani for the ticket) led to series of interviews with community members titled “Compassion in Action.” I am indebted to the wonderful people who shared their stories: Umm Nura, author of the popular Jannah Jewels books (www.jannahjewels.com); Br. Kevin Liu, long-time martial arts instructor at the Jamea Mosque and interfaith advocate; Br. Mohammed Imraz Asin, BCMA funeral director; Sr. Fatima Benhatta, tireless fundraiser for Islamic Relief Canada; Br. Aamir Sherrif, co-organizer of “A Journey into Islam;” Br. Adnan and Sr. Amela Kapidžic, teachers of traditional Bosnian song and dance; Br. Azim Dahya, co-founder of the Muslim Food Bank; Br. Shawkat Hasan, United Nations media relations officer and prison Imam; Sr. Sadia Sameeulla, mental health counsellor; Br. Mohammed Yasin, certified general accountant and fellow alAmeen Post columnist; Sr. Farida Bano Ali, advisor to the Ministry of Children and Family Development; Dr. Hasnain and Sr. Fatemah Dewji, founders of “Global Kindness Foundation” travelling the world with a team offering free dentistry, optometry, and medical services; and Br. Mohamed Bhimji, school board member (forgive me if I have forgotten anyone). But, I owe my greatest appreciation to Br. Abbas Abdul (Charles) and Sr. Zahraa (Gail) Belcher, two amazing people who put their lives on hold and journeyed to Sri Lanka after the 2004 tsunami to offer counselling support to the people whose lives were completely destroyed. Their ability to discern the root cause of a problem instead of focusing on the symptoms, belief in the power of the process, and infectious laughter over the little follies hidden inside the biggest of troubles inspired me to go back to university and obtain a master’s degree in counselling. Their inspiration is truly lifechanging!
For many readers, the articles that made the greatest impression was the 2016-2017 series on First Nations People in Canada. It represented my early attempts to understand the people who have lived on this land since time immemorable. I tried to do justice to the immense body of knowledge First Nations People hold about how to live a good life even after experiencing immense injustices, including physical and cultural genocide. That series ended up playing a substantial role in my life as it was the impetus for my thesis on decolonizing the thinking of BC’s teachers.
When I started this adventure 10 years ago, I had no particular destination in mind. I just wanted an outlet to express some of my passions, literacy being the primary one. I’m thankful to Br. Jafar Bhamji and Shahzad Mansoory for giving me a format to do so. But it’s time for someone else to seize the pen and write their thoughts in the space my words used to fill. This is my final alAmeen Post column. I thank the readers and wish you all the best as you try to make sense of yourself and the world.
Zainab Dhanani can be reached at z_dhananai@yahoo.ca
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