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Muslim Identity and Representation Conference
2-07-2018
The event took place at Kwantlen Polytechnic University's Surrey Campus on Saturday November 25, 2017, it was the first ever Muslim Identity and Representation Conference (MIRC).
The event was hosted by Freed Education Academy as well as the Visual Media Workshop at KPU, its aim was to investigate how Muslims are represented in the media and how to go about self-representing Muslim identities.
The event was emceed by the founder and CEO of Freed Education, Aisha Amijee, as well as podcast host Abubakar Khan, also known as "The Chosen Khan". Together, the two of them commenced the day by delivering their keynote addresses and also spoke about the purpose and significance of the event. They both discussed how identity for Muslims has been incorrectly represented in contemporary society and the importance of taking back the narrative of your own identity and living a genuine life as your true authentic self.
Following this, was the presentation of The Sister's Project by award winning photographer, Alia Youssef. Her project showcased the incredible diversity of Muslim women all over Canada. Next, was the screening of two digital stories by Jaeda Malawiya and Zakiyah Shafique from the Digital Lens and Voices of Muslim Women programs which took place at KPU early 2017.
Following a short break for lunch, participants were given the option of attending one of four short workshops, namely The Chosen Khan with Abubakar Khan which focused on having meaningful conversations and forging a strong sense of self, literature with Bassam Abu Nadi, media with Itrath Syed and poetry with Efemeral and Noor Fadel. Each of the workshops allowed participants to actively learn and engage with the particular subject matter in an open and safe space.
The conference was brought to a close with a beautiful performance by aspiring singer, Jaeda Malawiya, as well as a powerful rap performance by "The CHAMP" Mohamed Ali who furthermore discussed the power of music both as an outlet for emotion and self expression and as a medium to help find your true self.
The first ever Muslim Identity and Representation Conference was an outstanding success, bringing together Muslims of all ages and backgrounds from all over the Lower Mainland to celebrate the diversity of Muslims and the power of each of their individually unique identities.
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