Inclusivity At the WMI, we recognize one of the loneliest feelings is when you feel like you don’t belong. When you’re constantly scared of how people will react to your identity, your truth, your love. You wait with baited breath every time you open up to somebody because there’s a chance that they might turn away from you.

Guest post by: Ban Ihsan It is that time of year, again. I wake up to a new day, check the calendar, an event is coming up… Diwali, Valentine’s day, Halloween… As social invites and notifications come in, I dig up the box compartmentalized away, with the last time a similar decision had to be made.

The following guest post is by Sara Tirmizi, board member on the WMI. The post has been edited for stylistic consistency, with the author’s permission. As Mental Health Awareness Month draws to a close, I find myself—like many others—stuck between trepidation, hope, and defeat.

The WMI’s VDay series features anonymous submissions from writers sharing their perspectives on love, halal dating, and challenges for Muslims living in the West. Views expressed are not necessarily representative of the WMI. It’s incredible that we’re still celebrating Valentine’s Day this year, perhaps even more so than usual.

The WMI’s VDay series features anonymous submissions from writers sharing their perspectives on love, halal dating, and challenges for Muslims living in the West. Views expressed are not necessarily representative of the WMI. Like many others, I found myself downloading a Muslim dating app during this pandemic.

The WMI’s VDay series features anonymous submissions from writers sharing their perspectives on love, halal dating, and challenges for Muslims living in the West. Views expressed are not necessarily representative of the WMI. Step 1 of Muslim relationships: get to know the person (kind of). Step 2: get your parents involved, and pray to God that they approve.

The WMI’s VDay series features anonymous submissions from writers sharing their perspectives on love, halal dating, and challenges for Muslims living in the West. Views expressed are not necessarily representative of the WMI. “We should meet up sometime.” “I’m not really comfortable with that. I kind of only want to be around people in my socially distanced bubble. But we could video call?”…“…hello?”…“…well, bye then.”

The WMI’s VDay series features anonymous submissions from writers sharing their perspectives on love, halal dating, and challenges for Muslims living in the West. Views expressed are not necessarily representative of the WMI. It was a record-breaking cold December that year—so cold, that the city later warned people to stay home for New Year’s Eve.

The following guest post is by Sarah Ghani, a relatively recent addition to Calgary. The following post has been edited for stylistic consistency, with the author’s permission. Let me start by saying that being pregnant during a pandemic was not the plan. Funnily enough, both my pregnancy and this widespread disease require a merging of cells.

A second lockdown. An unexpected second Taylor Swift album. A pleasantly mild December. A quiet Christmas. A trepidatious New Year. We hold our breath every time our elected politicians come on the screen and tell us what we can and can’t do for the coming weeks.

Oh, the October deep freeze. As Albertans you’d think we would be used to it by now, but somehow every year we all feel the communal ache deep in our souls when that first snowflake hits the ground. Every autumn we trick ourselves into thinking, “This year might be different.”

There’s a lot going on in the world, and I think we’re all coming to varying levels of terms with what the last few months have felt like, and varying levels of anxiety of what the next few will hold. It seems like the sourdough and toilet paper phase of this pandemic was ages ago.

When planning things with my ethnic friends, I often have to calculate how late to show up for things. Weddings, as we all know, start an hour and a half later than they say they will; professional Muslim events will still plan for a 30 minute delay; hangouts with friends seem to be a window.