Muslim Festival Is Part Of My Own Multicultural Diversity Training

#diversity #multicultural #muslim #islamic #mississauga

Here in my hometown of Mississauga (beside Toronto) is yet another festival this weekend.  There has been different festivals every weekend here this summer.  For this weekend, it’s the MuslimFest which showcases arts and culture from the Muslim community here.  I will be catching a part of it for my own multicultural diversity training.

Here in North America, the Muslim or Islamic cultures are among the most misunderstood because of the media and international events that too place in recent years.  There have already been some Muslim groups like that private high school I spoke at a few months ago who are trying to reach out to the rest of the community.

I think that’s great and it’s up to the rest of us to do our part and learn more about them.  After all, ignorance is how troubles start between different cultures.  Diversity involves learning about each other to eliminate ignorance.  And what better way to learn about different cultures than a fun festival?

I’m willing to bet that there won’t be too many Asians like myself showing up at the MuslimFest this weekend but that’s too bad.  Other cultures like the Asian groups (and everyone else) should be attending each other’s festivals to learn about each other.  Ignorance in diversity is not just among white groups as it can also exist among ethnic and visible minority groups as well.

Diversity training is for everyone no matter what race or culture.  This is why I always try to get exposed to different cultures especially via multicultural festivals whenever possible for my own education.  And then I try to help other groups through my diversity talks to try and help them integrate into our communities successsfully.

In case you missed that Mississauga television news segment where they showed part of my visit to that private Muslim high school, here it is again below.  If you have any comments, please share below as well.