[doogiehoussi]

I found a disappointing piece of information about the Muslims in Canada. They
do not get good jobs easily. As a result, a city of wives has appeared !! The author of
the article has pointed out this.

http://www.mediamonitors.net/tahir1.html

Engineers and computer-programmers face similar problems. Many of those who acquired immigration to Canada were careful not to resign their jobs in the Middle East. Thus, after spending a few frustrating months in Canada looking for a job, they have left their families and themselves returned to continue to work in the Middle East. Over the years, a pattern has emerged. People have a tendency to congregate with those they are familiar with. Some of these “Middle Eastern” families settled in apartment buildings in Mississauga, a western suburb of Toronto. Others followed suit. Now there is an entire locality in Mississauga where buildings are literally full of wives and children but no husbands or fathers. The locality has been appropriately dubbed “Begumpura”! (City of Wives).



Can anyone tell us more about the situation of Muslim immigrants in Canada ? is discrimination widespread ?Any discrimination in salary ? Attitude of host population towards Muslims ?

[bZEUWO4F]

my uncle, an MBA and HR manager at a leading company here in UAE did the same thing. he spent a few months in canada looking for job, and then returned to join the same company he had left, leaving his children and wife in canada. according to him, its easier for people with 'technical' skills to find jobs rather than managers.

[doogiehoussi]

my uncle, an MBA and HR manager at a leading company here in UAE did the same thing. he spent a few months in canada looking for job, and then returned to join the same company he had left, leaving his children and wife in canada. according to him, its easier for people with 'technical' skills to find jobs rather than managers.

How much easy is it for those tech guys ? I am wondering if they face discrimination during job interviews.

[doogiehoussi]

Canada job market is hit badly. So am not surprised. this should be lesson as muslim, we should not rely on others and need to be self sufficient.

Since you are living in UAE , you may povide more info about the condition of education in Gulf states.
The author of the article , as shown below , claims that poor quality of school education is one big motivation for settling in Canada. How is the situation now ? Any improvement ? Or, still a mess ?
------------------------------
http://www.mediamonitors.net/tahir1.html

At the other end of the scale, the professionals are also beginning to find the going tough. As their children grow up, there is pressure to find proper educational institutions. Although the oil-producing countries were awash with petro-dollars, they paid little attention to education. The few universities established there cannot cater to the needs of even the locals; the expatriates naturally have to wait. This has led to many expatriate professionals seeking opportunities elsewhere. Canada has become a favorite destination for many from the Middle East.
------------------------

[duminyricky]

I live in UAE and I will give my 2 cents.
Universities are actually available now as opposed to 10 years back, when I entered university, there was hardly any good university. There were 1 or 2 but were extremely expensive.
Now in UAE at least there are some universities, but quality ranges from good to horrible, and if you want to study Medicine, there is no real option out there.

In other Gulf countries, there is almost no option (particularly in Oman, Kuwait or Bahrain), Qatar has 1 or 2 and I am not aware of the situation in Saudi Arabia.

So in a nutshell, there are a number of options in the UAE unless someone is planning to study medicine, or cannot afford the comparatively high fees or would want to study in a stellar university.

[lodsemelf]

the main problem in UAE is the lack of islamic schools. Most schools are run by kuffar or mushrikeen. The one's run by muslims hardly emphasise on islam. I have found that the islamic schools in the UK are of a much higher standard. Both in a deeni and dunyawi perspective.

[papadopul]

Assalamu aliakum,

In Canada foreign trained professionals will not be able to find a job regardless or education and experience. If someone does, it is rare.

However foreign experience will be given credence and taken into account if the person retrains in Canadian institution and then works at the bottom of the ladder for a couple of years.

However in my opinion job market is not good.

Most of the money is in technical work/trades, or high end professionals (some accountants, top lawyers, etc.). Doing work in construction (manual labour) is also very highly paid.

But no one should come to Canada for better jobs. U.S.A. is much better choice. Even though I spent most of my life here I want to leave this place ASAP. I know many guys who are born and brought up here who have left for the middle east, because the job market dynamics works in such a stupid way.

However in terms of Islamic environment Toronto is probably the best in North America, along with Chicago. I think Chicago is a good choice too in North America. Engineers who cannot find job in Toronto can find them in Chicago. I know of at least one person who moved to Chicago and then found a job.

[lodsemelf]

brother hope1 most people don't come to canada to find a job. Most people come due to the lax immigration system and to acquire the magical passport. Many of those who acquire the magical passport then come to the gulf and use this passport to get themselves in a good job. What is the situation of our arab brothers in canada? Are they deeni? Also canada is a lot more tolerant than the US? Am I right in assuming this

[papadopul]

brother hope1 most people don't come to canada to find a job. Most people come due to the lax immigration system and to acquire the magical passport. Many of those who acquire the magical passport then come to the gulf and use this passport to get themselves in a good job. What is the situation of our arab brothers in canada? Are they deeni? Also canada is a lot more tolerant than the US? Am I right in assuming this

It is true that a lot of the people in Canada come for the above purpose. There is some big debate in Canada and the Conservative government wants to eliminate dual citizenships because so many Canadian passport holders live abroad that it is a headache for them to provide security etc. This was brought to light during the Lebanon conflict. There is large Lebanese community who are Canadian citizens but live in Lebanon.

I don't blame these people in any way. If Canada cannot give them a good life then there is no point in them staying here. If Canada is giving their citizenship away to everyone then I also do not see someone taking advantage of this for their own benefit.

On the contrary many professionals do come expecting to find good jobs. It is not that they do not try. Only after failing do they move away. Also the people who are coming from Middle East can easily go back to ME, but those professionals who come from South Asia do not want to go back to South Asia.

The Arabs in Canada I think are the same as they are everywhere else in the west. The Salafis are more adherent but most of everyone else is not practicing at all. They do not have institutions (maktabs, madressahs, etc. and their mosques are mostly empty) - except for the Salafis (but they are not only Arabs, but a lot of Somalians, and other groups).

[lodsemelf]

May I ask you do the arab kids come to the deobandi makhtabs? How much % of the muslim populiation is arab? Has anyone managed to do any serious effort and make inroads in the arab community in canada? In the UK the arab population is relatively small and nowadays we have an increased iraqi influx but mostly iraqis seem very secular. The algerians are the most religious of the arab communities but once again there seems to be no focus on the basics like setting up a makhtab system. If at least the makhtab system was to be implemented there would be some progress.

[papadopul]

May I ask you do the arab kids come to the deobandi makhtabs? How much % of the muslim populiation is arab? Has anyone managed to do any serious effort and make inroads in the arab community in canada? In the UK the arab population is relatively small and nowadays we have an increased iraqi influx but mostly iraqis seem very secular. The algerians are the most religious of the arab communities but once again there seems to be no focus on the basics like setting up a makhtab system. If at least the makhtab system was to be implemented there would be some progress.

Assalamu alaikum,

Unlike England North America has much more Arabs. However Deobandis are not actively trying to win them over to their systematic approach of setting up institutions (as I am quite sure is the case in UK as well). However again the Salafis again are making inroads through Al-Maghrib, Al-Kauthar, etc. but then again these are one time events.

In certain areas Somalian children attend Deobandi maktabs on a large scale, just because a large population of Somalians happen to live in the general area of the mosque which is Deobandi. Otherwise there is no real effort. It seems to me Deobandis are not making too much effort to reach outside because there is so much to deal with inside (actual issues, and politics issues).

One exception is Montreal - which resembles France is many ways. Most of tabligh in Montreal are run by the Arabs (Algerians again) but again the maktabs are missing. And Montreal has very bad environment Islamically. Cities of large Arab population like London (in Ontario) are fully dead Islamically. The masjid is closed a large portion of the time (sometimes even in maghrib) and jamaats are not welcome. Jamaats do go there and make effort out of the houses of local brothers.

One will hear from many people that there are many Muslims in Mississauga (right outside Toronto - like connected to Toronto). But from my experience there this large population of usually semi-wealthy Muslims who have moved there to purchase houses are mainly Arabs and some Pakistanis. There are relatively few masjids which are empty, but many Islamic social "events" like MuslimFest, etc. are held there. Some of the past and present SunniPath teachers are from that side as well, including Sh. Faraz, Sh. Ramzy Ajem, Sh. Dhahir (Zahir not sure) Bachus live there now.

(P.S. Just in case anyone wondering how I can say all this about Arabs and non-Arabs, etc.: I have been in jamaat in most of Ontario and Montreal, as well as throughout Toronto and I know what is the situation in what masjid).

[lodsemelf]

the problem with schooling in the arab world is the lack of islamic education and morals and the international schools generally produce athetists or very westernized kids. The teachers are mostly western expats who see it as their duty to free the kids from the so-called tyranny of islam. It is a major problem. Freemixing and dating is the norm.

[doogiehoussi]

the problem with schooling in the arab world is the lack of islamic education and morals and the international schools generally produce athetists or very westernized kids. The teachers are mostly western expats who see it as their duty to free the kids from the so-called tyranny of islam. It is a major problem. Freemixing and dating is the norm.

Pathetic situation. Religious people should have far-sightedness and set up a trust to build up good schools where secular education is given in an Islamic environment. The problem with the religious people is that they spend money to beautify the mosques.