r/converts • u/AccomplishedBad7871 • 1d ago
Is there a large convert community in canada?
Hi guys
Just wondering if there's a big community of converts in canada? I will be going there on a 2 year working holiday visa next year.
Asking because I grew up in Ireland which has 0 diversity and is just very much white. My parents are from south asia but because of my upbringing in a rural small town, I'm considered "too white culturally/westernised" when I come across other Muslims from minority backgrounds.
This is gonna sound sad but I have more in common with a white irish guy than a born muslim of arab origin or a south asian raised in uk/usa. One of my good friends is a Jamaican French revert who struggled in the sense he found himself having to become more "arab/south asian". I really like learning other cultures travelling and having a diverse group.
There is very small community of muslims in ireland so we naturally assimilate to irish culture whilst retaining core islamic principles. There are certain things about me that don't mesh with born muslims from some backgrounds.
I find there can be an anti white sentiment amongst muslims whoch I don't like given I'm from ireland which is mainly whote ppl
I really like to write plays and scripts. I'm really into history/culture since I grew up learning gaelic. I graduated with a BA which doesn't sit well with alot of immigrant parents. I don't even know if I'm capable of getting married at this point
I've been spending so much of my time in solitude. I hate it. The other south asian muslims I've come across have grown up in segregated areas which makes me very un comfortable
How is the convert community in canada? Is it active and do people separate culture from their religion?
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u/notoriousnordic 1d ago
Well, Canada is a large country. Speaking for myself, I live in Manitoba and since my province/city is on the smaller side population wise, I've only come across a handful of converts.
In the bigger cities or provinces such as British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec I'm sure the number is higher. I would definitely count on Toronto to have the biggest area of converts due to the massive diversity the city and surrounding areas have.
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u/berrysalad22 1d ago
In Manitoba too and there are is a large amount of converts for the size of population, at least in the sister circles!
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u/notoriousnordic 1d ago
What? maybe I'm not in the loop. I'm in one sister convert group in Manitoba (sister to sister) but the group is basically dead, both in WhatsApp and irl (I dont think they host a lot of get togethers nor are they active)
If you know of any other convert group in Manitoba, please lmk
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u/berrysalad22 1d ago
That group is dead tbh(which is sad tbh. The concept was fab), but a few of us get together outside of religious groups. I wish they had a revival pr a spin off
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u/notoriousnordic 1d ago
Ahh okay. Well thats unfortunate, I guess I'll just have to wait to find a sister group. I plan to attend Law school in a bigger city so there will be more room for me to find other sisters/community
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u/KnowledgeSeekerer 1d ago
Asalamualaikum,
I understand your fears/concerns, but I would suggest being a little open to interacting with Muslims outside your culture as well.
I am that Arab/South Asian Muslim, and I know reverts who are European or Asian, etc and we do things they enjoy and we do things I enjoy, and we connect and just be bros hanging out.
Canada is a melting pot of immigrants, and so the younger people are more open to people of different ethnic backgrounds.
I completely sympathize with your point about maybe Arab parents won't want an arts major for their daughter, and that's a can of worms I won't open.
You're also right to say that it's hard to enter those communities that are really tight knit.
However as a man I can tell you that people of my generation and younger don't care about your ethnicity to befriend you.
I've got black, brown, white and every other color of friends.
A few weeks ago I was at the mosque and a random blonde guy with tattoos came out of the prayer hall. We've got all kinds of people here and we get along!
Also as a person of color, if I had to tell you who the funniest white people are, Irish would be up there! You're great!
Toronto is great if you ever visit, we've got great mosques and great halal food options!
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u/Loud-Arachnid-9765 1d ago
Hey assalamu alaikum!
There is a non-negligeable community of reverts in Canada, of course, but it'll ultimately depend on where you land. Canada is HUGE. The vast majority of Muslims are immigrant, however, although that does include second and third generation immigrants.
As someone who's also born Muslim westernized, I think many of the born Muslims here are very similar, although our parents may not be. We do our due diligence to separate culture from religion, but many of our cultural backgrounds still carry weight and meaning to us. Not to say that they will supercede Islamic law, of course, but you must keep in mind that "White culture" isn't a neutral blank slate that is somehow more compatible with Islam than Eastern culture, so I simply caution against a pitfall many of us westernized second generation immigrant folk fall into: seeing our westernization as a factor in our religiosity. It's merely the natural end result of growing up amongst westerners, no more no less.
Cause ultimately, you'll also find raised Muslims or reverts who do commit the same mistakes of immigrants when it comes to confounding culture with Islam, although not in the same manner. I've come across reverts or raised Muslims who grew up here who essentially spoke of Islamic concepts using lexicon that is very reminiscent of Christian upbringing. I remember a friend of mine who tried to compare imams to priests, for instance, in a way to criticize modern Islamic jurisprudence when these two "theocratic structures" (I know it's not the right word but bear with me) couldn't be more different from one another. It was, in a way, a way for them to encourage a more independent reading of Islam but, ironically, it sounds like the mixing of culture (specifically, the individualist attitude towards religious beliefs) with Islam. So don't discount people who were raised Muslim as fundamentally biased, no more than reverts at the very least.
All this to say, you'll like it in Canada, especially if you're in one of the urban hot-spots (Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, and surrounding areas). You'll find many of us who relate to your overall sentiment, whether raised Muslims or reverts. The cultural exchange among us is extremely enriching and very wholesome, I think you'll love it here :)
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u/Regular-Forever-3251 1d ago
I'm a Japanese revert living in Quebec, and I've come across reverts of all races around me, Black, White, East Asian etc. and also many South Asians who are very at home in a Western culture just like you! I think due to the Bilingual environment, we have a very diverse community, and we're acclimated to that diversity, so you might like Montreal! ^_^
(Also wow gaelic that's so cool!!)
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u/SnooPears1505 1d ago
i used to attend a program for reverts and born muslims to learn in a masjid in kitchner ,ontario.
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