NURFARAHIN BINTI ZULKIFLI

From experience, we gained priceless knowledge

The

trip to Canada makes me

realise

something; we, the Muslims in Malaysia are pampered and sometimes because of this we always take things for granted.

From my trip, I learnt that sometimes the lives of Muslims in the non-Muslims country are more Islamic than Muslims in the Muslims country. The Muslims there have to fight for their right while us our government has provide every facilities and utilities needed for us, the Muslims.

During my trip, I am grateful and lucky to have the opportunity to meet well-known and great people in Canada. They are Shaikh Abdullah Hakim Quick, Shaikh Ahmad Kutty, and Imam Zijad Delic, Br. Abdalla Idris Ali (ISNA), Brother Taha Gyayyur (DawaNet), Lina Rahman (DawaNet), Arif Zia (DawaNet), Omar Zia (UIA), Br. Ashraf Baddar (Sayeda Khadija Centre) and many more.

The trip to Toronto also enables me to meet most of the Main Board of Muslim Student Association (MSA) in University of Toronto (Scarborough campus and St George Downtown). Meetings with them help me to understand more what MSA is all about, what are their functions in the university level and what kind of activities they usually held. MSA not only make collaboration with other Muslims Organization but also with the non-Muslim Organization which is quite impressive.

When we were at the St. George Campus, we had the opportunity to meet several Malaysian students and got the chance to exchange knowledge and experience with them.

Visit to Canada also had opened my eyes how great Islam and Muslims are. Even the Muslims in Canada are the minority, but they were able to open up quite a number of mosque and knowledge centre. Not only that the non-Muslims there also nice and friendly. Once when I was in the subway, an aunty approached me. She was very nice and the never once when we having conversation she had a negative thought towards Muslims. It is so true that Canada is a free religion country and the government always supported the Muslims directly or indirectly.

Canada also has many interesting places to visit. My favourite place would be the fascinating Niagara Falls. Subhanallah, the view is so beautiful. I can say that the view of the fall is the most beautiful one that I had ever seen on Earth! No words to describe how beautiful Niagara Falls is. You have to see them yourselves. Another place is the Eaton Centre. The atmosphere inside was very much alive and crowded with people. I really enjoy myself with the live performance and shopping there.

Last but not least, my lovely host family. My host family consists of a single mother with a 7 years old son; mom Bibi Nazeela Rashid and Zain. Both of them are very nice to me. Mom treats me as if Im her daughter and little Zain is happy to have me as his elder sister. They also politely ask me to live in their house as if it is my own house. All this make me feel grateful and thankful to them. I am very lucky to have them as my host family. On the last day of my stay, we went to a Malaysian Restaurant as they noticed I already missing Malaysian food. Not only that, they always pack food for me to bring out because they know how packed my schedule was every day. They were very thoughtful. Only Allah can repay their kindness to me during my stay there.

Besides that, there are so much experience that I gain and so many new friends that I make and all this happen because of this trip. I really hope that I can join this kind of programme in the future. Masyallah, the knowledge and experience that I gained from this trip is priceless.