Dr. Lila Fahlman: The First Muslim Woman University Chaplain
When I moved to one of the northernmost cities in the world, the last thing I was expecting was to be around a thriving local Muslim population. I moved to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, in 2013, for graduate school at University of Alberta. Once I started settling into University life- I was very fascinated with the interfaith Chaplain center at the campus. I found companionship in my prayers and a lot of inner peace. Talking to other young students who came to offer their namaz/prayers I came to know about the local mosques scattered all over the city.
Would you believe it if I told you that Edmonton has around 27 mosques-with spaces for women and children? This statistic was nothing short of phenomenal for me. To give you some context for size- Edmonton’s population is 17 times smaller than Kolkata, India (where I grew up). The first mosque ever built in Canada was built in Edmonton and its construction and fundraising was pioneered by Muslim women, it was all women led as I found out through a friend. That led another friend to mention Dr. Lila Fahlman (1), the first Muslim woman in North America to serve as a Chaplain (University of Alberta). Her name was familiar to me, as I had seen a local school named after her(2), but at the time, I was unaware of her contributions to the community, so I decided to read more about her.
In my research, I discovered many phenomenal Muslim women who had played a pivotal role in shaping the Muslim community in Edmonton and across Canada. Among them, Dr. Lila Fahlman’s story stood out to me the most. Dr Fahlman was the first woman in Canada to earn a PhD in Educational Psychology, the first Muslim woman in Canada to serve on a public school board (Edmonton), and the first Muslim woman in North America to serve as a university Chaplain.(3)
Born in 1924, Dr. Fahlman grew up in a Muslim family in the small Village of Limerick, Saskatchewan, her father was Lebanese and her mother, English-American. Dr Lila Fahlman was a celebrated educator, social justice advocate and a prominent women’s rights activist.(4) Dr Fahlman was not only the first Muslim woman chaplain, she was also a staunch believer in social justice and gathered a group of like-minded devout Muslim women in 1982 to form what is now known as the Canadian Council of Muslim Women.(5) This organization stands till date as a lasting testament to her dedication to social justice and education, striving to empower Canadian Muslim women and ensure their voices and lived experiences are valued and heard. Canada’s very first mosque, Al-Rashid Mosque, was built in Edmonton. Dr. Fahlman’s father was part of the original construction team, and years later, she played a key role in preserving this architectural marvel by lobbying to have it relocated to Fort Edmonton Park to ensure its preservation.
Original structure of Al-Rashid Mosque as it was built in 1938; currently located at historical preservation site Fort Edmonton Park. It was moved over in 1989.(6)
Imagine having the foresight and grounding in Islamic ethics that led Dr. Fahlman to promote the safety of Canadian women at large. I also spoke to some children attending a local school named after her and they told me how Dr Fahlman had worked as a teacher to integrate Islamic education into the public school system of Edmonton.(7) Research also shows that she tirelessly worked to encourage inter-faith dialogues throughout her career.(8) She worked consistently to support immigrant Muslim women and their children and that has had a lasting impact as many communities especially around the University remember her very fondly as a staunch supporter of education. She was also very vocal in her support in enabling Muslim women to explore and learn about their rights within Islam and how to integrate their rights into their new homeland. Her list of accolades is endless and as a result she was the first Muslim woman to be awarded the Order of Canada in 2002.(9)
All this to say that as I read more and more about Dr Lila Fahlman, the more motivated I am about sharing her story with everyone who will listen. Here is a woman who was a proud Muslim, a proud feminist and a proud Edmontonian and her story deserves to be told to the wider world audience. In today’s world of podcasts and misinformation, it is very easy for Muslim women to get sidelined to the peripheries of societal discussions. Here is a remarkable woman from the heart of Canada, little known to many, not even a wikipedia page on her incredible life and achievements, yet she left a lasting legacy for generations of Muslims to come.
My aim when I talk about Dr. Lila Fahlman is to remind us of the fantastic work Muslim women have done and continue to do t across the globe, across generations to preserve the rights and dignities Islam has bestowed upon us. I want to remind young Muslim girls that their dreams are achievable, their stories worth being told and preserved for others to learn from, no matter how small.
(The views expressed in this article are the author’s own. Content can be used with due credit to the author and to ‘Zariya: Women’s Alliance for Dignity and Equality’)
Footnotes:
1. Dr. Lila Fahlman’s image sourced from: https://www.canada.ca/en/women-gender-equality/commemorations-celebrations/women-impact/human-rights/lila-fahlman.html
2. https://lilafahlman.epsb.ca/aboutourschool/schoolphilosophy/
5. https://www.ccmw.com/our-story
6. Stock photo from Wikipedia/Google
7. https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/recipients/146-7885
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Samreen is a book-loving politics and decolonisation buff with a passion for speculative fiction. Now navigating life in Edmonton with her husband and kids, she spends her time hiking, exploring, and getting lost in magical worlds—both on trails and in books.
Samreen can be found at her instagram page @blogwithsamreen
