Association hopes library donation expands understanding of Islam

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This article was published 14/11/2020 (2139 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Public Library will soon have new books about the Prophet Muhammad, thanks to a donation from the Manitoba Islamic Association.

“We want to provide factual information about Islam,” said Philip Bravo, who is responsible for adult non-fiction for the library.

The offer of free books will “help us fulfil our mission of enriching the lives of all Winnipeggers,” he said, adding the books will be made available in all of the city’s branches.

The idea for donating books about Islam grew out the recent attacks in France following depictions of the prophet, said Idris Elbakri, MIA’s board chairman.

While emphatically condemning the attacks by Islamic extremists in that country, including the murder of a teacher who showed caricatures of the prophet, Elbakri said the continued depiction of Islam’s founder is “frustrating” for local Muslims.

“It’s very insulting for Muslims,” he said, adding “we don’t depict him or any prophet.”

Following the recent incident in France, local Muslims were looking for a way to express their frustration, including a rally, he said.

Holding a rally during a pandemic “was not a good idea,” he said, adding that association leaders decided to look for other ways to engage Manitobans.

Their solution was to raise funds to provide a set of books about the prophet and Islam for the library and schools, both public and private.

“We wanted to find a way to use the event to build bridges and help people understand more about the prophet and why Muslims feel that way about depictions of him,” he said.

The association wanted to raise $6,000 for the books, at $60 for a set of three, but very quickly $7,000 was donated.

After making the books available to the library, the association will offer them to Manitoba school divisions. Faith groups that would like the books for their congregational libraries can also request them, Elbakri said.

Among the books is Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources, a highly regarded English-language biography of the prophet by Martin Lings.

“We think this is a positive way to effect change,” he said, noting the books explain who the prophet is and what Muslims believe.

“It’s an opportunity for more people to understand things from the perspective of Muslims,” he said. “Anyone who wants to do so can learn more this way.”

Groups that would like to request books can do so at the Manitoba Islamic Association website at https://www.miaonline.org.

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