Muslims in Canada Archives: Webinar Series

To introduce communities to the Muslims in Canada Archives (MiCA), project lead – Moska Rokay – will be hosting three virtual sessions from December 2020 through January 2021.

The sessions will be held on Zoom and will be recorded (in true archival fashion).

The need for a Muslim community archive
The chance to tell your story in your own words is power. For a very long time, Canadian Muslim communities have had their representations, stories, and identities shaped by mainstream media, overwhelmingly non-Muslim and burdened with narratives of terrorism, war, violence, Islamophobia, and extremism. To talk back to such narratives is to take back the reins of representation, and create the possibility of a more robust, diverse, and representative account of Muslims in Canada. As our environmental scan has already shown, the need for such an archive is paramount in Canada.

The time is now for Muslims in Canada to seize their narrative power.

The powerful stories “stuff” can tell
That’s why MiCA is interested in the stories that “stuff” can tell. From photographs, postcards, and family movies to collections amassed over time, an archive of records that’s made up of Canadian Muslim communities and individuals, has the potential to transform how people understand and appreciate the history of Muslims in Canada.

Webinar #1
THE VALUE OF ARCHIVES
Tuesday, December 8, 2020
7:00pm to 8:30pm (EST)
Register here

The first session will introduce people to the value of archives, present the Muslims in Canada Archives (MiCA), and celebrate the late Daood Hamdani’s significant contributions to understanding Muslim Canadian history and demographics.

Webinar #2
THE STORIES IN ARCHIVES
Tuesday, December 12, 2020
7:00pm to 8:30pm (EST)
Register here

The second session will explore how archival materials help us better understand the histories of Muslims in Canada past and present, as well as the long-term benefits for future generations. The session will also discuss opportunities for Muslim communities to exert their narrative power, how MiCA enables this, and will end with a conversation about MiCA’s future potentials/uses for community members.

Webinar #3
CONTRIBUTING TO THE MUSLIMS IN CANADA ARCHIVES
Tuesday, January 12, 2021
7:00pm to 8:30pm (EST)
Register here

The final session invites interested community members to participate in MiCA. The session will walk through the submission process, what the archival team does with your records, and how donors and funders can be involved to help make MiCA’s vision a reality.

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About MiCA

MiCA is a collaborative and participatory initiative at the Institute of Islamic Studies (IIS), that provides a platform to present the rich experiences of Muslims in Canada.

MiCA acquires, organizes, preserves, and makes accessible records of and about Canadian Muslim individuals and organizations that possess enduring value for the preservation of the history and documentary heritage of Muslims in Canada.