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w at er lo oc hr on ic le .c a W at er lo o C hr on ic le | T hu rs da y, A ug us t 4, 20 22 | 8 ABOUT US This newspaper, published every Thursday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprised of more than 70 community publications across Ontario. This newspaper is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the news- paper and, if not satisfied, write The National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4W 2H2. Phone: 416-340-1981 Web: www.mediacouncil.ca editorial@waterloochronicle.ca facebook.com/waterloochronicle @wlchronicle WHO WE ARE VP, Regional Publisher Donna Luelo Director of Content Lee Ann Waterman Regional General Manager Nelson Parreira Regional Director of Media Heather Dunbar Advertising Representatives Fran Hendry, Katrina Anderson, Jan Bodanka, Matt Miller, Lisa Humphreys, Cassandra Dellow, Zaid Shahabuddin, Managing Editor Robyn Wilkinson Online Editor Loraine Centeno News Editor Ned Bekavac Reporter Bill Jackson Director Creative Services Katherine Porcheron CONTACT US Waterloo Chronicle 219 Labrador Dr. Suite 203, Waterloo, On., N2K 4M8 Phone: 519-886-2830 Web: www.waterloochronicle.ca Letters to the editor All letters must be fewer than 320 words and include your name and telephone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters. Published letters will appear in print and/or online at waterloochronicle.ca Delivery For all delivery inquiries, e-mail customerservice@metroland.com or call 519-894-3000. OPINION TO LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN CONTENT VISIT WATERLOOCHRONICLE.CA Every year, hundreds of people lace up to take part in the LOVE YOU by Shop- pers Drug Mart Run for Women. This year, the run was particularly emotional and special for all of us, be- cause of the efforts of Ellie Hook. Ellie created Team Darcy to honour the beau- tiful life of her best friend's daughter, Darcy, who died at the age of 17. Darcy is remembered as a ray of sunshine who had her whole life ahead of her. Ellie felt compelled "to do something" to raise aware- ness and help prevent an- other family from experi- encing this overwhelming loss and pain. At this year's Run for Women, Ellie was joined by her best friend Debbie, Darcy's mother, who trav- elled with her family from the United Kingdom to take part in the Run For Women fundraising event. As they stood before the crowd of participants, tears flowed, both for the loss of their beloved Darcy, and in recognition of their courageous advocacy. I know they felt the love from our community that day. Team Darcy raised more than $25,000, making them the top fundraisers across Canada. The LOVE YOU by Shoppers Drug Mart pro- gram and CMHA Waterloo Wellington raised a total of $121,000 through the Run for Women in support of women's health. Every dollar raised by the Run for Women stays local to support mothers, daughters, and friends in our community. These initiatives help CMHA Waterloo Welling- ton deliver and expand programs that provide women with the unique and timely support they need. This will make a dif- ference. We know the pandemic has been exposing inequi- ties when it comes to wom- en's mental health and we need to keep working hard for more resources. Healthy women are key to healthy families and com- munities, and they need support and treatment. At CMHA Waterloo Wel- lington, we are seeing a 17 per cent increase in wom- en seeking help since the pandemic began, includ- ing a significant increase in referrals to our eating disorders program. Our advocacy efforts and fundraising efforts will continue to be a priori- ty, to ensure that everyone has the support they need, when they need it. We're already looking ahead to next year's Run for Women on Sunday, May 14, 2023. You can take advantage of low registration fees by registering today. In the meantime, we need more local mental health cham- pions like Ellie Hook. Whether it's by lacing up at the next Run for Women or reaching out to CMHA Waterloo Welling- ton for support, #BeAnEl- lie by spreading the word about mental health, and inspiring action. Helen Fishburn is the CEO of the Canadian Men- tal Health Association of Waterloo Wellington. Fish- burn is a lifelong advocate for increased awareness of mental health issues and has dedicated her career to advancing the design of an improved mental health care system. She was re- cently recognized as the 2021 Champion of Mental Health: Community award by the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health. LOCAL MENTAL HEALTH CHAMPION LACES UP TO SHOW SUPPORT HELEN FISHBURN Column Muslims residing in Wa- terloo Region celebrated the second Eid on July 9. While the first Eid (Eid ul- Fitr) commemorates the completion of Ramadan, this Eid (Eid ul-Adha) marks the completion of Hajj, the annual pilgrim- age to the city of Mecca (present day Saudi Ara- bia). More than two million Muslims perform the pil- grimage every year and the rest of Muslims worldwide celebrate the Eid holiday in conjunction with the Hajj. The Hajj consists of several rituals, meant to impart Is- lamic values through the story of the trials of proph- et Ibrahim (Abraham) and his family. For Muslims, Hajj is not a new ritual introduced by prophet Mohammad. Hajj was being performed in Mecca before he was born. This pillar of Islam com- memorates the events in prophet Ibrahim's life. It is another way for Muslims to connect deeply with the Abrahamic faith tradition. The Quran states Ibra- him, along with his son Is- mail (Ishmael), raised the foundation of the house that is now identified as the Kaaba (House of God), in the heart of Mecca, where Hajj pilgrimage takes place. A particular Hajj rit- ual is based on the sacrifice and devotion of Hajrah, the wife of Abraham. In their tradition, the city of Mecca was founded by Hajrah. Ev- ery year, while Muslims perform Hajj, they are re- minded of the significant role played by women in their tradition. During Hajj, Muslims get to practice unity, equal- ity, universality, unity of purpose, togetherness, selflessness, humbleness and sharing. With people coming to- gether from every part of the world, representing di- verse races and ethnicities, speaking hundreds of dif- ferent languages, an act of love and equality is wit- nessed. Every person is re- quired to wear a plain seamless white dress, masking any signs of dif- ference, wealth and status among them. In today's world, Hajj is an exceptional example of equality, peace, love and coexisting. Prophet Mu- hammad was staunchly anti-racist and on his last Hajj said: "All (hu)man- kind is from Adam and Eve. An Arab has no supe- riority over a non-Arab, nor a non-Arab has any su- periority over an Arab; al- so, a white has no superior- ity over a Black, nor a Black has any superiority over a white, except by pi- ety and good action." The people who have performed this pious act do not feel differently from this. Malcolm X said he gained new, positive in- sights on race relations during his two weeks in Mecca performing Hajj. He said: "For the first time in my life, I felt no racial an- tagonism toward whites, nor did I sense any antago- nism on their part against me." After Hajj concludes, pilgrims possess a pro- found feeling of having gone through a life-trans- forming spiritual experi- ence. Every person enjoys the pride of successfully performing a ritual dedi- cated entirely to God and feeling a sense of belonging with humanity. They come back from this journey as a different person, acquiring a sense of humility, inner calm, camaraderie and strength that lasts a life- time. Aliha Batool is an opin- ionated civil engineer, new in town and living every- day to make a home in Canada. She is a volunteer with the Coalition of Mus- lim Women, with a firm belief and determination to make this world a better place for all women. CELEBRATING THE HAJJ IN WATERLOO REGION ALIHA BATOOL Column