Muslim women share smiles, sweets

WATERLOO REGION — The Coalition of Muslim Women of KW says it wants to counter Islamophobia by sharing greetings of peace by handing out cookies on Family Day.

“Hey, come and get to know me,” said Fauzia Baig, a coalition board member and one of the women who will be distributing homemade treats on Monday.

The “Salaams Canada” campaign — salaam means peace in Arabic and is used daily when Muslims greet each other — is intended to be a positive response to the shootings at a Quebec City mosque on Jan. 29.

Six Muslim men were killed as they prayed at the Islamic centre.

Alexandre Bissonnette, a 27-year-old Laval University student, faces six counts of first-degree murder and five counts of attempted murder.

Baig said the campaign, inspired by a similar one in Dartmouth, N.S., continues the fight against Islamophobia while building bridges with others.

“We want to get out and meet people and share greetings of peace,” said Baig.

“We want to remove barriers and get people connected and make the community stronger,” she said.

Baig said Islamophobia stems from people having the fear of the unknown.

“Let’s remove the unknown part,” she said.

Coalition members will be distributing sweet treats on Family Day between 12 and 2 p.m. They will be at three locations: The Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex, Waterloo Public Square and Carl Zehr Square at Kitchener City Hall.