Mississauga’s diverse Muslim communities are coming to the end of Ramadan celebrations and will soon celebrate Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan. In the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Muslims worldwide fast, pray and reflect. As one of the five pillars of Islam, Ramadan represents a means to become closer to Allah and the teachings of the Quran, as well as connect with community members. For many Mississauga residents, faith is a source of strength, love and understanding. This is the case with Mississauga resident, activist and community supporter Rabia Khedr.

Rabia Khedr (b. 1969) immigrated to Mississauga from Pakistan at four years old. Rabia grew up with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a condition that caused her vision to gradually deteriorate until she was left blind. Her parents held her back from going to school for fear that the education system would reject her. When she entered the school system at the age of eight, many of her teachers did not understand her vision loss and believed she had a learning disability. However, her teacher at Briarwood Public School observed her and finally understood her disability. She was put into regular classes as one of the only South Asian girls at her school. It was difficult enough to make out the English words on the page, but when she entered an Islamic Sunday School in Mississauga and was asked to read the scrolling Arabic words in the Quran, it was even more difficult.

However, a 10-week trip to visit her family back in Pakistan is stuck in her mind as a pivotal moment in her faith journey. Rabia learned from her family about her heritage and culture and was able to hear the call to prayer five times a day wherever she went. People learn in many ways and for Rabia, she learned by listening. Back in Mississauga, she found community in her masjid and found her faith all around her. Having vision impairment, every time she walks outside not knowing what may lie ahead or what obstacles she may encounter, she must take a leap of faith- quite literally. She realized that her ability to carry her faith with her was a skill she had possessed all along. In this way, her disability did not limit her. It helped her trust and develop her spiritual faith.

Allah says, "Take one step towards me, I will take ten steps towards you. Walk towards me, I will run towards you." Rabia believes that if you look towards your faith, it will find you. As she became a young adult, she attended the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) and earned her degree in Political Science and Industrial Relations. Later in 2013, she completed her Master of Arts degree in Critical Disability Studies at York University. During her undergrad, she took up various extracurricular activities, including joining the Muslim Students Association. Here, she found a community of like-minded individuals. At a Muslim Student Association conference she organized, she met her future husband whom she later married in Malton. It was also during this time, now 30 years ago, that she began her journey wearing the hijab. At the time, there was so much politics and divisiveness swirling in the air regarding Islam and the hijab that she felt so compelled to make this decision for herself. It became her badge of honour, a way to say, “Here I am!" It was the beginning of a lifelong search for justice and equality for people of different faiths, backgrounds and abilities.

Throughout her 30-year career, Rabia Khedr has worked tirelessly for social justice causes at all levels of government. As a passionate advocate for involving people with disabilities, especially those of diverse backgrounds, in planning and policies, she started the Canadian Association of Muslims with Disabilities (CAM-D) where she acted as Executive Director helping to break down barriers to worship, access services, and more. She also founded diversityworX, which offers inclusive training and consulting services. She also co-founded Race and Disability Canada (RADC) to advocate for racialized people with disabilities. Khedr previously served on the Ontario Human Rights Commission where she gained a deep understanding of our rights as Canadians. She served as chair of Mississauga’s Accessibility Advisory Committee, Executive Director of The Muslim Council of Peel and board member of the Federation of Muslim Women. She is currently the National Director of Disability Without Poverty, a grassroots national movement advocating for the Canada Disability Benefit to help end disability poverty in Canada and the Chief Executive Officer of DEEN Support Services. DEEN is a disability support organization created by Muslim Canadians that supports people in Ontario based here in Mississauga. During the Covid-19 pandemic, she co-chaired the Canadian-Muslim Covid Task Force. She helped connect the faith community to doctors, urged residents to quarantine and did all she could to ensure marginalized communities did not slip through the cracks. She was astounded by the coming together of so many faith groups to help in one of the world’s - and Mississauga's - most vulnerable times.

In 2012, she was honoured in the book Extraordinary Lives: Inspiring Women of Peel, which featured Rabia Khedr, the youngest of 36 other inspiring women in Peel’s history. Among numerous awards, she was nominated by former Lieutenant Governor David C. Onley, and received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for her outstanding disability advocacy in 2012 and The Daniel G. Hill Human Rights Award for distinguished service. Today, she loves her home in Mississauga and is dedicated to improving the lives of its residents of different faiths, backgrounds, and abilities. She even ran for Mississauga’s City Council in 2014 for Ward 6 and in 2015 for Ward 4. She owes much of her success to her own experiences. While life can be challenging at times, Rabia believes that “every obstacle is an opportunity to do something different”.

Rabia’s story is one of triumph, but at the heart of her story is the development of her own religious identity, which has been a driving force in her life here in Mississauga. Faith gives Rabia strength and community, which can be felt during Ramadan. Mississauga buzzes with activity! Masjids bustle with worshipers. Restaurants are hopping with families and friends breaking bread during Iftar after a long day of fasting. It reminds her that we should not wait until Ramadan or Eid to meet. Feeling included and connected to a community, whether that be your neighbourhood, local school, place of worship or otherwise, is a powerful feeling. In urban landscapes, we walk by so many people and resist checking in on one another. In reality, we all need each other to know we are not alone. This is, ultimately, what Ramadan means to Rabia. It is a time to fast and pray, but it is also a shared experience that allows us to connect with each other and be part of a larger community. And what better place to experience this community than in our beautiful home of Mississauga?

On behalf of Heritage Mississauga, a very happy Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr to everyone! Ramadan Kareem and Eid Mubarak!

Here at Heritage Mississauga, we support the gathering of stories that record and celebrate the cultural fabric of our city. Digital platform islamophobia.io collects everyday stories of Muslim communities and allies in a collective pursuit to bridge understanding and counter prejudice. Currently, Ramadan reflections are being collected. Have one? All are welcome: islamophobia.io/ramadan/tell