“Even though there are so many Indians in the city and in Canada, Indian Muslims share a slightly different culture. Those subtle differences make a huge impact on people when they’re trying to connect with somebody.”
— Ali Nizami
The Canadian Indian Muslims Association is helping new immigrants integrate into Canadian society. Ali Nizami moved from India to Canada 26 years ago. As a new immigrant, he struggled to find his belonging in a new country as an Indian Muslim, reported cbc.ca.
“Even though there are so many Indians in the city and in Canada, Indian Muslims share a slightly different culture. Those subtle differences make a huge impact on people when they’re trying to connect with somebody,” said Nizami.
He co-founded the Canadian Indian Muslims Association two years ago in Calgary. Since then, it has grown to nearly 300 members across the country, but mostly in Calgary. The goal of the organization is to bring the often underrepresented and neglected community together so it is easier for Indian Muslims to integrate into the bigger bubbles of Canadian society.
“There’s no voice, there’s no platform. That’s what we’re trying to change. That’s the gap we’re trying to close,” said Nizami.
“The Canadian Indian Muslims Association is also planning a food bank drive and a blood drive. Everyone is welcome to those events.”
Nizami said the community is a strong entity in India, and they want to bring that to Canada. The organization provides career mentorship and support for new immigrants. Nizami said the services and events were not only for Indian Muslims — they’re there to help anyone who need it.
Saima Jamal, co-founder of the Calgary Immigrant Support Society, said the community was getting increasingly marginalized in India because of their religion, and that was now spreading to Canada. “The Indian Muslims that are here in Calgary, they have been facing it. They’ve been feeling it,” said Jamal.
Moving forward, Nizami said the organization is also planning a food bank drive and a blood drive. Everyone is welcome to those events, he said.
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