Zijad Delic
Encyclopedia
Dr. Zijad Delić is a Bosnian
-Canadian Imam
, activist, teacher, scholar and public speaker. He is the former executive director of the Canadian Islamic Congress (CIC). He has also worked extensively as a consultant to all three levels of Government in Canada
, as well as to a number of non-governmental organizations.
from 1980 to 1984. After high school, he completed a year of mandatory service in the Yugoslav Army from 1984 to 1985.
After his military service, Delic studied at the Sarajevo Institute of Philosophy from 1985 to 1986. After deciding to take up Islamic studies at the International Islamic University of Islamabad, Pakistan
where he earned a Bachelors Degree in Islamic and Arabic Studies from 1986 to 1990.
Delić returned home to Bosnia, and worked in the business sector, as well as working as an Imam. He went on to become head Imam in the Croatia
n region of Dalmacija. During this time, the war in the Balkans broke out, and Delic worked as a coordinator for two humanitarian organizations helping Bosnians. Delic left the war-torn region with his wife and three-year-old daughter in August 1995, moving to Vancouver
, British Columbia
, Canada.
a suburb of Vancouver. He would also go on to serve as an Islamic Studies teacher and Vice-Principal of the Association’s B.C. Muslim School, and became a spokesperson for the Muslim community. Delic served the BCMA from 1995 to 2006. In that time, his popularity helped the association expand exponentially. Delic became known for his moderate stance, and his encouragement of women to become community leaders. He was also known for his popularity among Muslim youth, who gave him the nickname “The People’s Imam”.
Delic's activities as an Imam in Richmond resulted in him becoming a regular on many radio and television programs across British Columbia
during this time. He also worked to forge strong relationships with Christian, Jewish, Sikh and Aboriginal leaders. As an Imam, Delic lead congregational prayers, taught religious classes, performed marriages and funerals, gave talks and lead youth camps and seminars. He also counseled prison inmates, visited hospital patients, received tour groups from non-Muslim communities, and gave lectures at schools and universities about Islam.
While working for the BCMA, Delic completed his Masters of Sciences in Education at the University of Oregon
in 2001. In 2006, he earned his PhD from the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University
.
In October 2004, a tape was sent to a media outlet of a speech by Vancouver-based Imam Younus Kathrada who preached at the Dar al-Madinah Islamic Society. On the tape, Kathrada delivered a lecture in which he called Jews
the “brothers of monkeys and swine." The Canadian Jewish Congress
filed a formal complaint with the hate crimes unit of the Vancouver Police, and Kathrada was the subject of a joint Royal Canadian Mounted Police
-Vancouver Police investigation.
Delic, who was the Imam in the nearby suburb of Richmond at the time, criticized Kathrada’s comments. He said “(Kathrada) does not represent me or other Muslims.” He added “You can't bring Saudi Arabia
into Canada.” Delic also told The Richmond Review newspaper that he worried about the damage the incident caused in the Muslim community and specifically the impact it might have had on Muslim youth. This made him unpopular with some of Kathrada’s extreme followers in the Muslim community.
in Ottawa, Ontario as its Executive Director. He left the organization in March 2011.
programs while working in B.C. In April 2004, he helped organize a meeting between Muslim leaders and Rabbis and members of the Beth Tikvah and Ahavat Olam Synagogues in the Vancouver area. The purpose of this groundbreaking discussion was to reach out across the divide between the Muslim and Jewish communities. This led to the creation of the annual “Muslim-Jewish Peace Walk.”
In 2007, Delic became the first Muslim ever to be a guest speaker at the Canadian Conference of Catholic
Bishop
s in Cornwall, Ontario
. At the Conference, Delic shared the story of how his best friend was a Catholic while growing up in Bosnia, and how they had been oblivious to the ethnic and religious conflict around them.
Delic has also lectured at Ottawa’s Lay School of Theology, a school sponsored jointly by the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa, and by the Ottawa Presbyteries of the Presbyterian and United Churches
.
In 2008, he was commissioned by the Canadian Government’s Department of Heritage to conduct a comparative study on Muslim integration in Canada, France
and Bosnia. In this study, Delic suggests that for Canada’s Muslims, Canada’s multiculturalism
model opens up opportunities to renew and reform their communal outlook within mainstream society while maintaining their religious beliefs. He argues that “this approach is unlike the one experienced by Muslims in France who live in a model of systemic assimilation or Muslims of Bosnia who were politically and socially under pressure to abandon their religious beliefs and become ‘others’” (Delic, 2008). He argues the major difference is that Canada consciously and officially defines itself as a multicultural state in that it not only tolerates but also welcomes people with a variety of ethnic origins, respects minority religions and cultures, and has made constitutional commitments to this end.
to present a series of lectures on Canada's Religious, Cultural and National Communities at Humboldt University, in Berlin, Germany. In 2007, he addressed the Fullbright Symposium at the University of Western Australia
. Delic has lectured the RCMP National Security Unit, as well as members of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service
(CSIS). In October 2008, Delic gave a presentation to Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) in Ottawa.
He has also addressed the Muslim community in mosques, community centres and at special events all across Canada and the United States
, including the Institute of Political Empowerment of Muslims in America in Washington, D.C.
(IPEMA-DC).
Delic lives in Ottawa, Ontario with his wife, Senada Delic who is a PhD candidate at the School of Public Policy and Administration, Carleton University, and has been a Tom Symons Research Fellow at Statistics Canada. They have two daughters.
Bosnians
Bosnians are people who reside in, or come from, Bosnia and Herzegovina. By the modern state definition a Bosnian can be anyone who holds citizenship of the state. This includes, but is not limited to, members of the constituent ethnic groups of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Bosniaks, Bosnian Serbs and...
-Canadian Imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
, activist, teacher, scholar and public speaker. He is the former executive director of the Canadian Islamic Congress (CIC). He has also worked extensively as a consultant to all three levels of Government in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, as well as to a number of non-governmental organizations.
Early life and career
Delić was born and raised in Bosnia-Herzegovina. He attended Gazi Husrev-Beg Secondary School in SarajevoSarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
from 1980 to 1984. After high school, he completed a year of mandatory service in the Yugoslav Army from 1984 to 1985.
After his military service, Delic studied at the Sarajevo Institute of Philosophy from 1985 to 1986. After deciding to take up Islamic studies at the International Islamic University of Islamabad, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
where he earned a Bachelors Degree in Islamic and Arabic Studies from 1986 to 1990.
Delić returned home to Bosnia, and worked in the business sector, as well as working as an Imam. He went on to become head Imam in the Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n region of Dalmacija. During this time, the war in the Balkans broke out, and Delic worked as a coordinator for two humanitarian organizations helping Bosnians. Delic left the war-torn region with his wife and three-year-old daughter in August 1995, moving to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada.
Working in Canada
After landing in Vancouver, Delic was hired by the British Columbia Muslim Association to serve as the Imam of its Mosque in Richmond, British ColumbiaRichmond, British Columbia
Richmond is a coastal city, incorporated in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Part of Metro Vancouver, its neighbouring communities are Vancouver and Burnaby to the north, New Westminster to the east, and Delta to the south, while the Strait of Georgia forms its western border...
a suburb of Vancouver. He would also go on to serve as an Islamic Studies teacher and Vice-Principal of the Association’s B.C. Muslim School, and became a spokesperson for the Muslim community. Delic served the BCMA from 1995 to 2006. In that time, his popularity helped the association expand exponentially. Delic became known for his moderate stance, and his encouragement of women to become community leaders. He was also known for his popularity among Muslim youth, who gave him the nickname “The People’s Imam”.
Delic's activities as an Imam in Richmond resulted in him becoming a regular on many radio and television programs across British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
during this time. He also worked to forge strong relationships with Christian, Jewish, Sikh and Aboriginal leaders. As an Imam, Delic lead congregational prayers, taught religious classes, performed marriages and funerals, gave talks and lead youth camps and seminars. He also counseled prison inmates, visited hospital patients, received tour groups from non-Muslim communities, and gave lectures at schools and universities about Islam.
While working for the BCMA, Delic completed his Masters of Sciences in Education at the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
in 2001. In 2006, he earned his PhD from the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
.
Speaking out against extremism
In 2003, Delic was interviewed by The Vancouver Sun newspaper after Imam Gamal Solaiman called Muslims to wage attacks on American Troops in the Middle East. Delic criticized the Imam's speech stating that instead, Muslim leaders should "...say that nobody has a right to kill innocent people and destroy the future of children and their possibilities in life.".In October 2004, a tape was sent to a media outlet of a speech by Vancouver-based Imam Younus Kathrada who preached at the Dar al-Madinah Islamic Society. On the tape, Kathrada delivered a lecture in which he called Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
the “brothers of monkeys and swine." The Canadian Jewish Congress
Canadian Jewish Congress
The Canadian Jewish Congress was one of the main lobby groups for the Jewish community in the country, although it often competed with the more conservative B'nai Brith Canada in that regard. At its dissolution, the president of the CJC was Mark Freiman. Its past co-presidents were Sylvain Abitbol...
filed a formal complaint with the hate crimes unit of the Vancouver Police, and Kathrada was the subject of a joint Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
-Vancouver Police investigation.
Delic, who was the Imam in the nearby suburb of Richmond at the time, criticized Kathrada’s comments. He said “(Kathrada) does not represent me or other Muslims.” He added “You can't bring Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
into Canada.” Delic also told The Richmond Review newspaper that he worried about the damage the incident caused in the Muslim community and specifically the impact it might have had on Muslim youth. This made him unpopular with some of Kathrada’s extreme followers in the Muslim community.
CIC
In November 2006, Delic joined the Canadian Islamic CongressCanadian Islamic Congress
The Canadian Islamic Congress refers to itself as Canada's largest national non-profit and wholly independent Islamic organization without affiliation to any foreign group, body, or government and says it represents -- Sunni and Shi'a Muslims, men and women, youth and seniors...
in Ottawa, Ontario as its Executive Director. He left the organization in March 2011.
Interfaith activity
Delic introduced regular interfaithInterfaith
The term interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative, constructive and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions and/or spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the individual and institutional levels...
programs while working in B.C. In April 2004, he helped organize a meeting between Muslim leaders and Rabbis and members of the Beth Tikvah and Ahavat Olam Synagogues in the Vancouver area. The purpose of this groundbreaking discussion was to reach out across the divide between the Muslim and Jewish communities. This led to the creation of the annual “Muslim-Jewish Peace Walk.”
In 2007, Delic became the first Muslim ever to be a guest speaker at the Canadian Conference of Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
s in Cornwall, Ontario
Cornwall, Ontario
Cornwall is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada and the seat of the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, Ontario. Cornwall is Ontario's easternmost city, located on the St...
. At the Conference, Delic shared the story of how his best friend was a Catholic while growing up in Bosnia, and how they had been oblivious to the ethnic and religious conflict around them.
Delic has also lectured at Ottawa’s Lay School of Theology, a school sponsored jointly by the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa, and by the Ottawa Presbyteries of the Presbyterian and United Churches
United Church of Canada
The United Church of Canada is a Protestant Christian denomination in Canada. It is the largest Protestant church and, after the Roman Catholic Church, the second-largest Christian church in Canada...
.
Written works
Delic’s PhD thesis was titled "Hermeneutics of Islamic Education and the Construction of New Muslim Cultures in the West: Faithful, but Reformed." His thesis focused on tasks and activities that are relevant to new initiatives for building bridges between the Muslim community and Canadian society at-large.In 2008, he was commissioned by the Canadian Government’s Department of Heritage to conduct a comparative study on Muslim integration in Canada, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Bosnia. In this study, Delic suggests that for Canada’s Muslims, Canada’s multiculturalism
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
model opens up opportunities to renew and reform their communal outlook within mainstream society while maintaining their religious beliefs. He argues that “this approach is unlike the one experienced by Muslims in France who live in a model of systemic assimilation or Muslims of Bosnia who were politically and socially under pressure to abandon their religious beliefs and become ‘others’” (Delic, 2008). He argues the major difference is that Canada consciously and officially defines itself as a multicultural state in that it not only tolerates but also welcomes people with a variety of ethnic origins, respects minority religions and cultures, and has made constitutional commitments to this end.
Public speaker
Delic has spoken to conferences, political leaders and academics all over the world. In December 2005, he was selected by Simon Fraser University and the Canadian Embassy in BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
to present a series of lectures on Canada's Religious, Cultural and National Communities at Humboldt University, in Berlin, Germany. In 2007, he addressed the Fullbright Symposium at the University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
. Delic has lectured the RCMP National Security Unit, as well as members of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service
Canadian Security Intelligence Service
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service is Canada's national intelligence service. It is responsible for collecting, analyzing, reporting and disseminating intelligence on threats to Canada's national security, and conducting operations, covert and overt, within Canada and abroad.Its...
(CSIS). In October 2008, Delic gave a presentation to Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) in Ottawa.
He has also addressed the Muslim community in mosques, community centres and at special events all across Canada and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, including the Institute of Political Empowerment of Muslims in America in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
(IPEMA-DC).
Personal
Delic often adds jokes and stories in his speeches and sermons, frequently interacting with the audience, asking trivia questions, talking to young children and even singing.Delic lives in Ottawa, Ontario with his wife, Senada Delic who is a PhD candidate at the School of Public Policy and Administration, Carleton University, and has been a Tom Symons Research Fellow at Statistics Canada. They have two daughters.
Quotes
- "Happiness is a decision. I think we can make the right decision in Canada. You are living in the world's best country. Millions would like to be here."
- "People talk about how things were back home. I tell them, 'there is no 'back home.' This is home."
- “You can't bring Saudi Arabia into Canada.”
- "If we have national mosques (divided along ethnic lines), then Islam is seen as an ethnicity, not a faith."
- "I fully believe that our respective religious traditions - Islam and Catholicism - have the necessary resources to overcome past and present misunderstandings and to foster mutual friendship and understanding between our peoples. I am aware, as well, that collaboration does not imply giving up our distinct religious identities, but is rather a journey toward new discoveries, growth and self-respect."
- "In Canada, we have a far greater opportunity and potential for achieving genuine openness and of doing "good" to others than in perhaps any other place on earth today."
External links
- http://www.canadianislamiccongress.com/board/delic.php at the Canadian Islamic Congress Website.