بِسْمِ ٱللَّٰهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate

The political adhan has been heard

With the 2025 Federal Election underway, Muslims leaders in Canada are rallying their communities to mobilize the Muslim vote. A lot can be said about the benefits and drawbacks of encouraging Muslims to vote a certain way, if that ends up being the case. Leaving that debate aside, I do see value in educating Muslims about their options as opposed to endorsing or suggesting a particular party/candidate.

This post outlines a few alternative, perhaps even counter-intuitive, ways of looking at political decision-making. The ideas here extend and apply two concepts I’ve written about previously: working on multiple time horizons and accounting for a wide scan of environmental forces.

This approach focuses on the long-term* by looking at changes in the overall social climate in Canada rather than focusing on the 7-day forecast. It requires clear-sighted honesty about seeing reality as it is, not as we wish it to be. When we shift our perspective this way, alternative pathways become visible that may help us achieve our objectives more effectively.

*The timeframe of “long-term” here means beyond the next political cycle or two, at least. I can understand why some Muslims may see it as more important to operate on the shorter-term in this election. I respect that. I only offer these considerations below as I think it’s critical we work on both time-horizons at the same time, and I see very few leaders working on the long-term in this way.

Strategic Consideration #1: Use the trend of positive nationalism to reduce Canada’s meddling in foreign nations, which harms Muslims around the world.

• Upstream issue: Canada’s approach to foreign/international affairs is, for the most part, coordinated with other Western nations. Together, the way these alliances approach international affairs amounts to what many Muslims see as unnecessary and problematic involvement in foreign nations. This includes interference within Muslim-majority countries, many of which are the home countries of Muslims in Canada.

• Existing approach taken by Muslims in Canada: Influence Canada’s foreign policy. Move it to be more oriented towards peace, justice, human-rights, respect for sovereignty, etc.

• The long-term trajectory: A Canadian flavour of deglobalization. Increasing number of citizens who wish to see Canada detach itself from meddling in the affairs of foreign nations. The dominance of a “Canadian-first” mindset that puts the interests and wellbeing of Canadians first.

• Core insight/philosophy: Nationalism was once an expansive force. Now it’s a containing force.

• Mindset shift for Muslims to consider: Consider that Canada currently does not exercise a strong degree of control over its foreign policy. Consider that most mainstream political parties do not favour a reconfiguration of foreign affairs. Consider that the present efforts to shape foreign policy towards a peace-oriented approach that suits Canadian Muslims will be marginally successful, but largely unsuccessful so long as it is in lock-step with Western allies.

• Alternative political consideration: Support reducing Canada’s involvement in foreign alliances, foreign wars, etc. Support efforts that nudge Canada to restore ownership over its foreign policy, one that is based more on pragmatic interests (economics, trade, etc.), and less on ideologies.

• Benefits to Canadian Muslims: A Canada that is no longer problematically involved in foreign nations, including Muslim-majority countries. Additionally, when Muslims in Canada are the ones promoting the prioritization of Canadians, then there’s an opportunity to shape Canada’s latest version of “positive nationalism” to the benefit of Muslims and thwart any scape-goat harms.

Strategic Consideration #2: Stabilize the rapid growth of Canadian Muslim communities through reduced immigration.

• Upstream issue: Immigration is a growing concern for many Canadians. In the last few years, the Federal Government greatly overshot capacity (yes, I acknowledge the nuance of temporary foreign workers and international students). The Muslim population has most likely grown in proportion to the immigration, or at least they make up a notable portion of newcomers. It’s also likely that anti-Muslim sentiment may be intersecting with growing anti-immigration sentiment, which together are entangled in declining quality of life that many Canadians are experiencing.

• Existing approach taken by Muslims in Canada: Implied support. I don’t see many major Muslim communities wading into the immigration debate, at least publicly. Muslim communities do however advocate for greater resources and support for integrating newcomers, aiding in their settlement, career support, etc. Which can be seen as implied support, or perceived as dependency on immigration for Muslim community flourishing.

• The long-term trajectory: Social consensus around immigration is weakening (rapidly). A growing number of Canadians are not in favour of uncontrolled immigration, or immigration that relies too heavily on low-wage, temporary foreign workers. The debate is still ongoing but this shift is a profound one since immigration is seen to be part of the Canadian national identity.

• Core insight/philosophy: Quality over quantity

• Mindset shift for Muslims to consider: Consider the benefits of having fewer Muslims come to Canada. Be content with the community size as it is. Time to make the shift to thinking about quality over quantity. Consider that the overall situation in Canada (at this time) doesn’t allow it to deliver on its promise to newcomers (with exceptions). Yes, this may include your fellow Muslims abroad who may be thinking of coming. (See Benefit #1 to understand the causal relationship between less foreign interventions and less refugee or migration crisis.)

• Alternative political consideration: Support the rebalancing of Canada’s immigration system. As Muslim leaders, consider being better attuned to the negative outcomes of immigration overdrive, including the impact on your own community. Consider supporting those who seek to improve Canada’s immigration system and the quality of life that it produces as an outcome for all, as oppose to valuing the increased head count at Friday prayers.

• Benefits to Canadian Muslims: Stability. A much needed breather for Muslim community leaders to get a handle on things. Update your provisions, your structure, even your governance to better serve your community’s new size. You can’t do that when it’s in constant overflow. You can ultimately come out better and improved thanks to stability.

Strategic Consideration #3: Take advantage of an even social field where Muslims can be heard and attended to without the heavy-hand of divisive politics.

• Upstream issue: The paradox of Canadian diversity, sees political officials engaging with many Canadians on the basis of their religion, cultural background, etc.

• Existing approach taken by Muslims in Canada: Opportunistic (and I don’t mean this as necessarily a bad thing). Muslim communities seek to maximize the benefits that they can gain from public officials’ interests in their communities. Additionally, Muslim Canadians have been the benefactors of society’s move towards displays of diversity. Muslim communities are responding to the society’s call for greater representation of diversity, supplying themselves to fill the Muslim quota and earn a share of the spotlight.

• The long-term trajectory: Identity politics have been gamed. The theatre of representation is more emphasized than any meaningful outcome. Tokenization and lip-service run rampant in this setting. It urges identity groups to make more noise, in an effort to get more attention. Canadians are increasingly exhausted by identity politics and how it’s been gamified. And so the representation just ends up attracting more backlash. Canadians don’t see the forced representation as equalizing, but as selective or preferential treatment. Achieving gains this way has become a liability more than an asset. Any gains you get are precarious, superficial, and shortly-lived, if at all.

• Core insight/philosophy: Overcoming adversity on your own – quietly and with dignity – attracts more people to you, than if you succeeded with outside help

• Mindset shift for Muslims to consider: Consider saying “no thanks” to situations where the Muslim identity is being used to advance someone else’s goal, that may not align with Muslim communities. Now extend that line of thought to a self-critical one: consider holding back on the urge to project your Muslim identity in topics where that identity is secondary. Help your communities understand that being a Muslim and being a model Canadian are one in the same. Don’t worry, your Muslim’ness won’t be lost on others, even if it’s not made explicit. There is a time and place to emphasize the Muslim, but discern when and where and do so with wisdom.

• Alternative political consideration: Support those who aim to wind down aggressive political catering based on religion, culture, or other identifying factors. Consider greater involvement in issues that demonstrate moral leadership, dignity, and virtue that is visibly led-by Muslims, but not explicitly framed as such.

• Benefits to Canadian Muslims: An opportunity to excel when the ground is even. If a Muslim is truly an outstanding Canadian, then when the ground is even, and no identity group gets preferential treatment, then the onus is on Muslims to live up to their claims. Will they? Can they? If no political treatment is given to any cultural or religious interest groups, then you’re forced to re-frame how the interests you’re advocating benefit Canadians, not just Muslims. Aha, and now you’re forced to create greater alliances that can improve overall social cohesion and better understanding of Islam and Muslims. Isn’t that a win-win?

Strategic Consideration #4: Undertake a more nuanced way of addressing “Islamophobia” through social cohesion and non-coerced education, as oppose to technocratic control.

• Upstream issue: Islamophobia has had many consequences on the Muslim communities in Canada, ranging from disenfranchisement, verbal abuse, vandalism, physical violence, and the worst of which have been tragically fatal.

• Existing approach taken by Muslims in Canada: Pursuing policy change as the highest leverage point. Muslim leaders in Canada put an overwhelming and disproportionate effort into addressing Islamophobia through a policy avenue. This is despite Canadians’ growing distrust in political institutions. So, when Muslims seek to make change through the political arena, the rhetoric (both for and against) result in an increase of Islamophobia, not a decrease. It results in driving Muslims and non-Muslim Canadians further apart, rather than bringing them closer together. Muslim communities have learned to, and are now incentivized to, perceive every potentially threatening issue through the lens of Islamophobia and then rely on political or rule-based procedures to have the potential threat neutralized.

• The long-term trajectory: Shedding victim identities. Islamophobia, like many of the identity-based grievances, is losing social credibility. Like the other identity-based grievances, the more it’s used disproportionately, the more it gets hollowed out. Many Canadians are increasingly seeing it as a way of demanding preferential treatment. They are no longer empathetic to the true impact of Islamophobia because, from their perception, they see it used as a tool to make changes in favour of Muslims’ interests at the expense of non-Muslim Canadians rights. At the top of these concerns are things like censorship, free speech, political capture, etc.

• Core insight/philosophy: (i) What you pay attention to grows. (ii) It’s harder to hate you once I know you.

• Mindset shift for Muslims to consider: Consider that you cannot legislate change in someone’s mind. You will not win the (inaccurately) described “battle” against Islamophobia through political, legal, or technological control. I acknowledge that there is a role for legal challenges, and I admit Muslim groups have taken up noble efforts in this regard. But when those legal avenues rely too much on the social sentiment, not only will you not win, but you will inevitably make the situation worse for everyone, including Muslims. Consider viewing Islamophobia as having a symbiotic and proportional relationship with Anti-Islamophobia. It’s a positive feedback loop: the more one grows, the more the other grows.

• Alternative political consideration: Support the deemphasis of identity politics. Reduce the use of law and policy to shape people’s attitudes towards Muslims. This approach is highly out of sync with Canadians’ preferences and overall skepticism and mistrust of institutions. Consider the abundant opportunities to create greater social cohesion with fellow non-Muslim Canadians which can act as a more preventative form of addressing downstream issues related to Islamophobia.

• Benefits to Canadian Muslims: Reducing the threat of Islamophobia (the forms that are not physically violent). With greater social cohesion – that comes from abandoning a victim based public identity – Muslims are more likely to benefit from the protection of positive public sentiment and neighbourly care. This sentiment can emerge when Muslims are seen to be more in sync and in harmony with their fellow citizens. An additional benefit is that Islamophobia gets used more rarely and more accurately, so it can be better addressed.

There may be other long-term trends and forces to tap into and benefits to derive, but these are four that I think live upstream to addressing many of the top concerns of Muslims in Canada.

So I offer these humbly and with recognition that there are watch-outs, concerns, and counter-points to each. But for the most part, from what I’ve seen, these strategic considerations are not top-of-mind for Muslim community leaders in Canada when they are examining the political landscape. So that’s why I wanted to give them a particular emphasis. I’m open to discussing them further and learning more as well.

Allah knows best

الله أعلم