Mid 20th century migration (1962-2001)
Muslim Identity as National and Transnational
Muslims of South Asian descent came to British Columbia from many
different places, mainly because their pasts were connected to Empire
and Empire was global. In other words, South Asian Muslims were part of
a layered migration history which means that their identity is both
national (connected to countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri
Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan) as well as Transnational (connected to multiple
waves of migration that connect them to South Asia, but also connect
their ancestral story to places in the Carribbean and Africa). Some
scholars use the term “double diaspora” to refer to communities that
have experienced multiple migration stages, leading to identities that
merge influences from different regions.
Many South Asian Muslim in British Columbia trace their roots to Punjab, Gujarat, Fiji or other parts of South Asia, but their migration to Canada did not happen in a linear fashion. For instance, Gujarati Muslims who had a long history of being involved in trading networks were a global community. Scholars have pointed out how Muslim traders across the Indian Ocean developed different ideas of a transnational identity which became more important than their country of birth. Many of these links were subsequently disrupted by the emergence of European colonialism in the Indian Ocean. In the interviews conducted for this project, one of the respondents pointed toward their family sharing such an identity rooted in their business and trade links. See X
Simultaneously, other groups of South Asian Muslims were sent with other South Asian workers to British colonies in East Africa like Uganda to work on the railways that the British Empire was building. Those who went to Uganda would be displaced again in 1972 when Idi Amin expelled Asians from the country (see 1972 in Historical Timeline). The rise of the use of Asians as indentured workers in colonies closely followed the end of abolition of slavery and so these workers were, in some cases, replacing African slave labour. The experiences of Fijian Muslims was similar, as they arrived in the Pacific as indentured laborers under British colonial rule and went on to form tightly knit religion and cultural communities before a second wave of migration Canda took place in the later 20th century.
These “double diaspora” Muslims came to British Columbia carrying a combination of religious, social and cultural traditions that meshed the multiple journeys that were part of their life history. So their Islamic identity was not just South Asian, but influenced by East African or Fijian experiences resulting in unique local expressions of Islam in Canada.
Once they arrived in British Columbia, many of these Muslims became part of various organizations and associations. Some of these were regionally specific while others were organized around a particular Islamic sect. These organizations began to appear in BC from the 1960s onward and, alongside local mosques provide religious education, marriage services and so on.
Muslim identity continues to be both deeply rooted in their local practices and yet connected to international events and organizations. For instance, conflicts in Palestine, Kashmir or Afghanistan that directly influence Muslims deeply impact the local Muslim community which organizes to support the global Muslim ummah (or the global Islamic community). Religious networks and scholarly exchanges also take place. Some of these are more formal, for instance through orgnizations like the cosmopolitan Ismaili community while others are more informal for instance how young people are exposed to global Islamic discourse through their consumption of online information and media.
Global cultural festivals amongst the Muslim community such as Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Azha are celebrated in British Columbia in ways that blend South Asian, African and Canadian traditions.
As a result, the South Asian Muslim experience in British Columbia is both national and transnational. Rather than a monolithic “Canadian Islam”, what emerges is a pluralistic Muslim identity that negotiates between regional traditions, religious doctrines, and what it means to be Canadian.
Many South Asian Muslim in British Columbia trace their roots to Punjab, Gujarat, Fiji or other parts of South Asia, but their migration to Canada did not happen in a linear fashion. For instance, Gujarati Muslims who had a long history of being involved in trading networks were a global community. Scholars have pointed out how Muslim traders across the Indian Ocean developed different ideas of a transnational identity which became more important than their country of birth. Many of these links were subsequently disrupted by the emergence of European colonialism in the Indian Ocean. In the interviews conducted for this project, one of the respondents pointed toward their family sharing such an identity rooted in their business and trade links. See X
Simultaneously, other groups of South Asian Muslims were sent with other South Asian workers to British colonies in East Africa like Uganda to work on the railways that the British Empire was building. Those who went to Uganda would be displaced again in 1972 when Idi Amin expelled Asians from the country (see 1972 in Historical Timeline). The rise of the use of Asians as indentured workers in colonies closely followed the end of abolition of slavery and so these workers were, in some cases, replacing African slave labour. The experiences of Fijian Muslims was similar, as they arrived in the Pacific as indentured laborers under British colonial rule and went on to form tightly knit religion and cultural communities before a second wave of migration Canda took place in the later 20th century.
These “double diaspora” Muslims came to British Columbia carrying a combination of religious, social and cultural traditions that meshed the multiple journeys that were part of their life history. So their Islamic identity was not just South Asian, but influenced by East African or Fijian experiences resulting in unique local expressions of Islam in Canada.
Once they arrived in British Columbia, many of these Muslims became part of various organizations and associations. Some of these were regionally specific while others were organized around a particular Islamic sect. These organizations began to appear in BC from the 1960s onward and, alongside local mosques provide religious education, marriage services and so on.
Muslim identity continues to be both deeply rooted in their local practices and yet connected to international events and organizations. For instance, conflicts in Palestine, Kashmir or Afghanistan that directly influence Muslims deeply impact the local Muslim community which organizes to support the global Muslim ummah (or the global Islamic community). Religious networks and scholarly exchanges also take place. Some of these are more formal, for instance through orgnizations like the cosmopolitan Ismaili community while others are more informal for instance how young people are exposed to global Islamic discourse through their consumption of online information and media.
Global cultural festivals amongst the Muslim community such as Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Azha are celebrated in British Columbia in ways that blend South Asian, African and Canadian traditions.
As a result, the South Asian Muslim experience in British Columbia is both national and transnational. Rather than a monolithic “Canadian Islam”, what emerges is a pluralistic Muslim identity that negotiates between regional traditions, religious doctrines, and what it means to be Canadian.