This volume examines, from diverse perspectives, what it means to be a Muslim in Canada. Is it a public or a private identity, and as an identity is it compatible with a secular democracy such as Canada? What relation does it bear to historical, cultural, and ethnic identities? Is a total agnostic or an atheist a Muslim? Is a person who disavows being a Muslim still a Muslim? How do Muslims cope with anti-Muslim bigotry, especially when it goes “official”? What alterations in social and religious practice and what re-thinking of interpretation can one expect in its evolution?

These vital questions of faith, culture, and identity are addressed by prominent members of the Canadian cultural and intellectual community.

“These pieces are representative of a refreshing collection that does not present a singular, uniform Islamic identity. Rather, The Relevance of Islamic Identity in Canada sincerely vocalizes the tensions and challenges faced on a daily basis by Muslims living in Canada . . . What it reveals is that Islamic identity is a journey, one that every Muslim navigates by themself.”
—Herizons

“[A]n enlightening, unsettling, open-ended book, a testament to the resilience and candour of Canadian Muslims.”
–Carol Goar, The Toronto Star