By: Evelyn Zagula
The month of October is Canadian Islamic Heritage Month. It is so important to take the time to learn about the individuals who have contributed to the Islamic communities in Canada and listen to those who are sharing their stories by making them feel recognized and heard. One way of celebrating this month is by learning about the many notable Muslim Canadians who made a difference by inspiring others with what they do.
Rahma Rodaah is a Somali Canadian award-winning children’s storybook author, storyteller, and diversity advocate. Rahma’s first book, Muhiima’s Quest, tells the story of a young girl who tries to navigate the world where other children are doing things that are different from her. Inspired by her nine-year-old daughter, Rahma hoped to bring more diversity to the books she reads to her children by giving them characters which they could relate to. “It was important for me that my daughter starts to see herself in the books that she loves,” Rahma told CBC’s Radio Active.
In a TedTalk at the University of Alberta in 2019, Rahma Rodaah shared her heartening journey ever since she moved to Canada with her family from Somalia when she was only eight years old. Growing up as a Black Muslim immigrant in Canada, Rahma endured years of bullying. She attended a school in Quebec knowing no English at all. “I had to sit all day in a chair, listening to a teacher I did not understand... I felt deaf and mute” Rahma explained in her TedTalk. At the age of ten, Rahma began to read and she felt as if the world was opening up to her. However, she quickly noticed that there was little to no representation of little girls like her in the books she read, and if there was, they were written by white authors who filled the pages with stereotypical characters that left her questioning if this is really how the world sees her. Rahma felt underrepresented, even in the things that brought her the most joy; books. This was later her inspiration to begin to write, and create and publish stories that accurately reflected aspects of her faith and culture. Rahma was the first in her family to graduate from University, having mastered both English and French.
Today, Rahma Rodaah continues to advocate for diversity in the Muslim community and in the literary field so that no one feels invisible and depreciated like she did in her younger years. Her goal is for everyone to understand the importance of having someone to relate to and look up to as a child for self-confidence and standing up for their identity, and she inspires many to try to make a difference just as she has. Rahma encourages others to spread the message and share her books in their communities!
Check out Rahma’s official website here!!!: https://rahmarodaah.com/
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