Raza spoke Saturday night at Park Street United Church.

Followers of the faith are not all radical extremists and suicide bombers, as the majority are more interested in being  model citizens, she said.

“There are stereotypes that Muslims are all terrorists and fundamentalists, which they’re not. It’s maybe less than 0.1 per cent that are, but unfortunately they speak louder than the rest of us,”  Raza said in an interview with The Chatham Daily News.

She said the common perception of Muslim women is suppression and oppression in their homelands.

The belief that Islam propagates violence is unfairly connected to those acts by the media, she added.

“Every faith has had people at various times who have done acts of violence but we don’t associate them with the faith,” Raza said. “Unfortunately in the case of Islam and Muslims, they seem to be under a microscope and every time there is a violent act it’s associated with the faith.”

She said similar uneducated beliefs damage the reputation of the Islamic faith, especially for Muslims living in North America.

Raza enjoys speaking in communities where the knowledge and understanding of Islam is not as widespread. She regularly speaks out against television media who in her opinion present only a skewed view of the Islamic faith.

“People in Canada, especially those in small towns like Chatham, who are not exposed to Muslims on a day-to-day level, learn their Islam, unfortunately, from things like CNN.”

She said television media like to focus on the downside of society as they present the negative view which makes for good news.

“Tell me when have you last seen the image of an educated Muslim woman. The images you mostly see are dark and dreary, you see images of terrorists. You very rarely see progressive upper-class people on media.”

Ultimately, what Canadian Muslims are looking for is acceptance in their adoptive Canada, while being free to follow traditional Muslim teachings.

“The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is not at odds with our Muslim teachings,” Raza said. “Islam teaches us to be good human beings, to be kind, to be civically conscience, to be involved in social work, to look after our neighbours.”

She said it is important and empowering to be good citizens and Canadians, and therefore good Muslims.

Raza outlines the similarities between Islam and the Jewish and Christian faiths, because “we are from the same roots.

“I think that we have more in common than we have differences but unfortunately there are people — politicians, clergy — who prefer to divide us rather than unite us.”

Raza talks about those qualities which connect people as 
human beings.

“I build bridges between not only the faiths, but between the 
cultures as well.”