Nobody is affected by that at all.

Nobody is affected by that at all. In a multi-cultural society like Canada where everyone is allowed to dress according to his or her taste and choice, no one can object to Muslims if they choose to dress in a way they like. Nor can a Muslim be prevented from adhering to the Islamic dietary rules. (b) However, it becomes more challenging to maintain and preserve the Islamic values in the public arena where a Muslim has to interact with non-Muslims at a formal or business level.

Peer pressure has its own impact and pulls one towards total assimilation. What a Muslim has to aim for is not total assimilation but smart assimilation and that is in essence the spirit of multi-culturalism. In order to pave the way for the next generation so that they face less of a challenge in living up to Islamic values, it is imperative for the present Muslims to familiarize the host society -Canadian of other faiths- with the essential values of Islam.

The legal system of Canada has the suitable environment to recognize and accept the Muslim ways of doing things. It is not the duty of the host society to go and find out what are the requirements or, the 'special needs,' of the Muslims when they interact with non-Muslims at a formal or business level. It is the duty of the Muslims themselves to let the host society know about their special requirements.

Problems Faced by Muslim Minorities Here, I would like to mention some of the difficulties that Muslims generally face when they interact at the formal, business level with their non-Muslim colleagues. Some Muslims are courageous enough to explain their values to their co-workers and employers, but many arc not that courageous and end up violating their own religious laws. 1.

Beards for Men According to the majority of Muslims -and I am referring here to the schools of Shi'as, Hanafis, Malikis, and Hanbilis- it is forbidden for men to shave their beards. (According to the Shafi’is, it is disliked, but not forbidden, to shave the beard.) [^2] Of course, they are allowed, rather, strongly advised, to trim the beard and keep it clean.

Therefore, when you see that a Muslim employee does not shave his beard, this should not be taken as a sign of an unhygienic attitude; rather it is part of his religious requirement.