Khulood Agha KhanKhulood Agha Khan- EDD, Doctor of Education from the University of Toronto. I was born in Pakistan, lived in Saudi Arabia, immigrated to Canada 19 years ago and am a Canadian citizen. This guidebook "Mirrors & Reflection: Knowing Your Power: From OneMuslim Immigrant Sister to Another" is something I wish I had when I came here to Canada, to be better prepared to face the challenges and systemic barriers. To me, change meant not to portray Muslim immigrant women as passive, suppressed or barbaric as they are seen in the Orientalist view, rather seeing them authoritative in their own way by listening to what they believe in. Usually, we anticipate low self esteem in Muslim immigrant women due to parental, patriarchal and religious authority. It was not until I interviewed these amazing women and met them through the creative workshop and found that they were so different from my own biases. What I found were the implications of these women from their own experiences. They were not passive victims. These women embraced their parental, patriarchal or religious authority claiming it to be a part of them and who they are. They mentioned how they believe in religion and their elders, but it came across more as their strength than an obstacle to their self-fulfillment. They often used the words respect and modesty when speaking about values, religion, and elders. I believe it is not what diminishes but adds to their self esteem. With this guidebook, I aim to bring a change in perception about Muslim immigrant women in Canada to see their high self-esteem without judging them by their appearance, values or language because when they are given a chance, they shine in their own domain. Read More Read Less