Wahida Valiante

With Canadians being periodically subjected to ill-informed, ignorant, Islamophobic and downright racist rants by invited bigots to Canada who presume to lecture us on the evils of Islam, we should look instead to those with the intelligence and the moral fortitude to critically understand the message of Islam, a message whose core is about peace with justice and human equality.  

The Qur’an describes the family as “an abode of peace,” a system with non- linear dynamics based on the inherent equality of gender: “He created you of a single soul, put affection and mercy between your hearts.” (Qur'an 3:195)

Qur'anic teachings were designed to ensure the maximum welfare of all family members, so they do not create impossible situations by ignoring the human realities of conflict and divorce.

Although families have many roles and functions, their main value lies in the web of intricate relationships they weave, which are irreplaceable by any other social form or structure.