“Where do you belong, Mohammad?”

Creating it as I go

by Mohammad

I used to travel a lot for work. Almost every week, a new destination. But if you’re always travelling, you don't have an opportunity to go to local events. So to me, belonging started at the worst time of the pandemic. Although we were physically distancing, we were more connected emotionally and mentally. We were more connected with each other, as a family, as office colleagues. I got waves from my neighbours who were in masks, even if I couldn’t see their faces. We exchanged numbers and developed a community through WhatsApp. The start was a digital community, and then this digital community we were able to make it a real community.

I was born and brought up in a Middle Eastern country called Saudi Arabia. My parents were migrants there from Pakistan, but their parents migrated there from India. I had opportunities to visit the U.S. and Canada when I started working for a multinational corporation, and decided to move from Saudi Arabia to Canada permanently in 2007. But I was not able to say that either I'm Canadian, because there was no sense of belonging for me at the time.

I’m very much fortunate that in Milton we have a great neighborhood. I was amazed with the diversity and inclusivity in Milton, because even in my neighborhood, in my street, there are people from 10 different countries. We have a beautiful community here. When I go to the park, when I take my little one, I meet wonderful people – newcomers, old-comers, parents of some newcomers, right? We always welcome them. That's why now, if somebody asks me, “Where do you belong, Mohammad?” I tell them I'm from Milton.

Belonging includes, access, inclusion, opportunity to share yourself, opportunity to listen and opportunity to hear others as well. What I hope for in the future is more opportunities for building community. For example, I attended several multi-faith events for Ramadan in my children's’ schools where everybody was invited. There was a great sense of harmony. It was such a great opportunity for others to learn about Ramadan, about the benefits of fasting and the benefits of community, bringing community together for these small acts.

I always feel that belonging and community, they go side by side. Community can transcend physical requirements if you have a will to do something. It's not about only in person or digital. It's about connection. So stay connected, stay proactive. Be a good listener and within your own space, accommodate your family, your neighbors, and then, of course, your community.

Our recorded conversation with Mohammad was shaped for publication by Francine Navarro.

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Story submitted to Community Development Halton as part of the Belonging Project, and was shaped by Francine Navarro. ​If you want to make your voice heard, head to the link where you can share your story with us: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BelongingStories

If you would prefer to do an interview to share your story you can reach us at office@cdhalton.ca and we will set up a time to talk!