New year, new space: the third space
There’s a concept in sociology known as the third space: the first space being the home/family life, the second being work/school, and the third space being the recreational and social spaces where people can relax and truly be themselves. Coffee shops, lounges, parks, libraries, after-school clubs, even barber shops and nail salons can be these third spaces.
Some folks translated this concept to Muslim circles. Instead of the second space being the workplace where people often have to put on a certain image and conform to certain expectations, a third space could exist between home and the mosque, where some Muslims similarly feel they have to put on a front within the confines of often strict and judgmental religious practice.
It doesn’t take much reflection to think of a personal encounter we’ve all likely had a with an extremely nosy masjid aunty informing us what she’s heard, or being mansplained what we did wrong in Juma’a prayer by an uncle going off the authority of his bigger beard. It’s no wonder than many Muslims, especially new Muslims or those fighting with their ties to the faith, are pushed away from mosques altogether. It simply does not serve as a place to relax or be themselves.
A few scholars from the Ta’leef Collective, a California based institute, came to Edmonton when I lived there to teach a few of us about developing a third space for Muslims, and it felt radical to my circle of friends. You mean, you want us to create a space for Muslims where the rituals are not enforced, where there is no physical gender barrier, where we may interact with folks showing up with tattoos all over and people who blatantly disregard the requirement for zabiha halal meat?
A lot happened with Ta’leef that we read about afterwards, but one of the most important messages I took away a lot of lessons from these teachers, including Imam Zaid Shakir, was: come as you are, to Islam as it is. If we create spaces only where we expect those around us to practice the same way we do, we cannot be surprised when we are seeing only the same faces over and over–essentially, making no impact at all on the people we are hoping to welcome the most (or worse yet, making a negative impact with our impression of exclusivity).
We hope, God-willing, for the WMI to be a third space for Muslims in Calgary and across western Canada. We know this means being open to feedback and that we might not always get things right along the way. But we’re putting in a great deal of work into organizing, planning, and executing programming that is open and welcoming. We want to provide opportunities that make room for all: those who want to connect spiritually, or to get away from their thoughts, to meet a few friends, or find a life partner, or to lend a hand, or just feel connected to their community. Come join us.