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Muslims currently serving or aspiring to serve in the Canadian Armed Forces: Cadet Cpl. Mujahid Shaikh, Master Corporal Melissa Rawlyk, Capt (Imam) Ryan Carter, Capt (Imam) Suleyman Demiray, and Master Corporal Noufel Ouali Muslims currently serving or aspiring to serve in the Canadian Armed Forces: Cadet Cpl. Mujahid Shaikh, Master Corporal Melissa Rawlyk, Capt (Imam) Ryan Carter, Capt (Imam) Suleyman Demiray, and Master Corporal Noufel Ouali Courtesy of Imam Taylor
11
Nov
2016

Muslims Remember: Muslims Hold Remembrance Day Service in Toronto

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Published in News

Royal Canadian Military College Chaplain, Captain (Imam) Ryan Carter, and Ontario Regional Chaplain for Correctional Services Canada, Imam Michael Taylor, worked together to organize a special Muslim Remembrance Day Service on November 6th, to commemorate the service of Muslims in the Canadian military in times of peace and conflict.

The event was held at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 22 in Toronto.

The event was attended by some local Muslim men and women currently serving in the Canadian Armed Forces, including a cadet, members of their families, provincial political representatives, and local community organizers.

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The National Council of Canadian Muslims, Canadian Muslim Vote, and the Canadian Council of Imams also sponsored the event.

The Muslim Remembrance Day service followed the format of a traditional Remembrance Day ceremony, with Muslim symbols and readings from the Qur’an included.

According to Imam Michael Taylor, Captain (Padre) Ryan Carter’s reflection highlighted the contribution of Muslims in the previous World Wars and the fact that Muslims in the present continue to contribute to the Canadian Armed Forces and thus like all Canadians, are part of the historical narrative of Remembrance Day. Captain Carter emphasized the human element of loss and why commemorating the fallen must be a collective ritual which transcends religious differences and thus bonds Canadians together as a nation.

Capt. Ryan Carter, originally from Toronto, graduated from Hartford Seminary's Masters Program in Muslim-Christian Relations. Capt. Carter began working as a Chaplain in the Canadian Armed Forces in 2012, posted first to Edmonton and then the Royal Military College of Canada in 2015. As a chaplain, he offers spiritual, moral, and ethical support to members of the Canadian Armed Forces and their families. As a Muslim Imam, he also offers religious support to Muslim members of the Canadian Armed Forces and runs jummah prayer services for those attending the RMCC.

Local Muslims currently serving or aspiring to serve in the Canadian Armed Forces were honored at the ceremony, including Master Corporal Melissa Rawlyk with the Second Irish Regiment based in Sudbury, and Master Corporal Noufel Ouali. Last year, M. Cpl. Ouali was honoured with the Canadian Forces Decoration (CD) for 12 years of service to the Canadian Armed Forces. One of the youngest participants was Cadet Cpl. Mujahid Shaikh who is a member of a Toronto Cadet corps and plans to join the Canadian Armed Forces when he is older.

Also honored at the service was Captain (Imam) Suleyman Demiray, who in 2003 became the first Muslim Chaplain in the history of the Canadian Armed Forces. During his time as a chaplain, he served with the Canadian Armed Forces in Kandahar, Afghanistan in 2006. He is currently posted to Bordon, Ontario on the Canadian Armed Forces base there.

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Imam Taylor hopes that this Remembrance Day event becomes an annual event in Muslim communities across Canada.

This article was produced exclusively for Muslim Link and should not be copied without prior permission from the site. For permission, please write to info@muslimlink.ca.

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Chelby Daigle

Chelby Marie Daigle is Muslim Link’s Editor in Chief and Coordinator. Under her direction, Muslim Link adopted its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policy so that the website strives to reflect the complexity of Muslim communities in Canada. She knows that she fails to do justice to this complexity every day but she will continue to try to improve as she recognizes the frustration of being both marginalized in the mainstream and also marginalized in Muslim communities. As Coordinator, she works to build relationships with Muslim and mainstream organizations and manages the website's social media, event listings, and directories. She organizes regular Muslim Link gatherings. She also works closely with the Publisher to find ways to keep Muslim Link sustainable. Find her on Twitter @ChelbyDaigle