Seeing Religion: Muslim and Christian Interfaith Dialogue (Fredericton, Canada)
In the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election and amidst rising Islamophobia in North America, Interfaith Photovoice was founded to strengthen ties and pursue change among members of different religious affiliations living in the same local communities. Funded by the Louisville Institute and launched in 2018, the first Interfaith Photovoice projects involved Christians and Muslims in three initial regional communities across North America: Grand Rapids, Michigan (USA); Richmond, Virginia (USA); Fredericton, New Brunswick (Canada).
My clothes are not preventing me from the joy of swimming outside and being in nature.
— Salsabel
The way we care for animals and the unconditional love they give us in return reminds me of God’s love in our lives.
— Emma
There are no boundaries for the hijabi girl to learn new skills and practice sports.
— Widad
My workplace is my church, which has allowed me to see the daily workings of a church.
— Brandon
Part of living my faith as a Christian is speaking truth to power and standing with marginalized people.
— Emma
Breaking bread is an important symbol in the Christian tradition, with bread representing the body of Christ in the ritual of communion. Breaking bread together is a metaphor for the call to build relationships and community both inside and outside the church walls.
— Emma
Wearing the hijab in a non-Muslim country is very challenging but even with that, I have joy in my life and trust in myself.
— Salsabel
Muslim youth can interact with a new culture while keeping their own.
— Widad
This moment, from an event at a friend’s church, reminds me of the joy and freedom I find in my faith.
— Emma
It is important to connect youth to their culture and being proud of it.
— Widad
Simple things, like sunlight in my room, remind me of God’s presence in my life.
— Emma
This is the mosque in my home country. It’s a public and a peaceful place.
— Salsabel
This is my church. If you look at the bottom right you’ll see a paper airplane – a reminder of new life in an old, traditional space.
— Emma
When I host, I feel like I’m not only serving my guests, but serving God as well. I connect with God in the moments of peace once it’s all over.
— Emma
The Muslims in Fredericton need a bigger mosque in which to pray in a special way.
— Abeer
This is Fredericton’s mosque. There are plans for a bigger mosque and community centre.
— Salsabel
The Qur’an is very important to Muslims. It is important to have one in every home.
— Abeer
The sky is my sacred space under which I pray to God for the things I want.
— Abeer
Despite having screens and lights, contemporary church is still a sacred and special place to meet with God.
— Brandon
Everyday in my life I see religion in my clothes.
— Abeer
There is a growing demand in grocery stores for a variety of halal meat at reasonable prices.
— Widad
I was not able to find a copy of the Qur’an in the UNB library.
— Ahmad
If we had stores for Muslim women then it would be easier for us to find the kind of clothes that our religion wants us to wear.
— Abeer
There needs to be more opportunities like conferences and workshops in order to discuss religion with other students.
— Ahmad
It would be helpful to have a religion class at UNB to help students understand the religions of the world.
— Abeer
My father bought me clothes from another country but I didn’t like their style.
— Salsabel
There is a generation gap between Muslim parents and their children who are growing up in the West.
— Widad
Finding alternatives in order to enjoy swimming without breaking the Muslim dress code.
— Widad
Some people think that Western society is more cultured than Arab society because of the Muslim religion. Muslim women are well-educated.
— Abeer
Christians currently enjoy religious freedom, however at any time we could lose this freedom as we saw with federal summer grants. It is scary to know of the power that the government has to remove that freedom.
— Brandon
While Christians are very privileged in Canadian society, people still treat me differently when I wear a religious symbol or share my faith.
— Emma
I believe we are called by God to steward the earth. It’s frustrating that Fredericton has limited recycling services and a lack of eco-friendly options.
— Emma
This tree has the same roots but two branches growing in different directions. Secular and Christian institutions face similar issues and should work together instead of growing apart.
— Brandon
Many Christian communities are not welcoming spaces for LGBT+ people.
— Emma
There are many different Christian denominations and sometimes it’s hard to cross the divide.
— Emma
I do not consider my church to be racist. We recently celebrated the 27 nationalities represented in our church.
— Brandon