In November, a group of five women from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association Chestermere, Ahmadiyya being a sect of Islam, volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House. The Ronald McDonald House is located in Southern Alberta and accommodates families that have children receiving treatment at the Alberta Children’s Hospital. The Ronald McDonald House is mostly run by volunteers, and they are always in the lookout for more help. Having been aware of this, these ladies thought it their responsibilities as citizens and as part of a larger Calgary and even larger Canadian community to lend their hands. These five women spent the day cooking food for a total of 40 people including all the families, workers and volunteers within the house, giving them a homelike feel with home cooked food.
Much has been written in the media about Islam and the negative events that occur when “followers” of the religion derail and twist the words of Islam to benefit their personal gain. But what of those who are following the true message, the message of peace, tolerance and humanity. Though in the larger scale of things, volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House for one day may seem like a small deed, it is these very small deeds that make for a better world. It’s time we started shedding light on the women who follow the true message of Islam and take their time out to give back to the community, to those women who do all this while still cloaked in dignity and Islamic values.
