Islamic Relief Canada's Statement on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

It also falls on jummah, which naturally for us Muslims is a day of reflection and of renewing our intentions on upholding Islamic values into our daily lives.

As Muslims, in addition to caring for orphans and widows and those in need, we have an obligation entrusted to us by Allah (SWT) to stand up for justice.

“O ye who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to God, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for God can best protect both…” (Quran 4: 135)

As settlers living on stolen Indigenous lands, we must come to understand the truth of the injustices that have been dealt to Indigenous peoples in the past and continue to be perpetuated in our present. As Muslim treaty-people, we must do our best to right the wrongs of the past, working toward reconciliation and relationships built on respect, recognition and reciprocity.

In our day-to-day lives, this means learning and unlearning, doing our best to understand our shared history, and getting to know the communities, cultures and traditions of the lands we are living on. It means actively speaking truth to power and standing up for justice for our Indigenous brothers and sisters when they ask us to amplify their voices.

This jummah, we are asking our Muslim brothers and sisters across Turtle Island (Canada) to reflect upon how we can be better allies and work together to ensure truth is known, acknowledged, and actioned so that justice and reconciliation may flourish Insha’Allah.

“The reward of an evil deed is its equivalent. But whoever pardons and seeks reconciliation, then their reward is with God. He certainly does not like the wrongdoers.” (Quran 42:40)

To view Islamic Relief Canada's Commitment to Truth and Reconciliation, click here