Cleaning Montreal, 28-05-2005

2006-06-22T11:07:00.000-07:00

Montreal Muslim association Friday :weather forcast , 60 % risk of shower---->Many people who had the willingness to join us didn't. Saturday:the weather is sunny..no rain..SubhanAllah. We were about 20 boys and girls, divided into 3 or 4 groups each of them was responsible to clean an area in the downtown.Our objectve wasn't only to clean the city but also to show that we- Muslim youth- are concerned with the cleanness of Montreal, and that we want to show our integration and belongs to this city where we live (even if temporarily). The reaction of the street was very positive.They were asking who are you? why are you doing this? are you paid?So we were answering that we are volounteers, and we clean Montreal because we love it and we want it clean.People were impressed by our action...Some of the comments was: "Thank you, you are doing a great job"."you deserve a medal..." .."Can you come to clean my house?!!..". Many people in their cars were stopping to talk with us...the garbage collecters were very impressed with our help. In Montreal and Cairo Eventhough it is a one day project, and although we are sure that some people will litter again anyways( specially in Cairo), the motivation for these kind of projects is to feel positive..to act, to work in a team who share the same objective...trying to change even one person from every 20 . In Cairo, many people promised us to not litter anymore, many stores promised to put baskets in front of their stores...In Montreal, we deliver an image of enthousiastic commited muslim youth who took the initiative to clean the streets to reflect its belief in cleanness as a part of Muslim caracter (al nadafa men al Iman or cleanness is a part of faith)..their willingness to better off .. to build not to destroy as it is stereotyped.When I was going back home,I felt a deep change in the look of people at me ...in the morning they were looking at us with appreciationa and respect ..just because we were doing something useful to the society...but now I'm just an ordinary person walking in the street, so they weren't even looking at me...or even some people gave me a racist look as I wear hijab and muslims are sometimes contempted by non Muslims

mydays

Cleaning Montreal, 28-05-2005