Since October 7, Raheel Raza has become even more vocal against the global rise in anti-Semitism.
Raza, an anti-racism activist and interfaith discussion leader, said, “When I look at what’s happening on our streets and I look at the future of my children and grandchildren, I believe I have to do the same That’s what I’m doing.” author of Their jihad, not my jihad: A Muslim Canadian woman speaks out and President of the Council of Muslims Facing Tomorrow.
“And this is an opportunity for me. Yes, I have some restrictions, but I don’t let them stop me. They are a very small drop in the ocean of work that needs to be done.”
Those restrictions are his weekly trips to the hospital to receive dialysis.
Raza’s kidney has failed.
“It was very difficult in the beginning. It was a shock. Just absorbing what it means and what it means for the future. My family was more shocked than me. In fact, I decided long ago that I had two choices: I could either moan about it and be sad, or I could just embrace this health and learn to live with it, ” she recalls.
Raza was living together for 20 years diabetes, She fell ill during the pandemic COVID-19 and was soon diagnosed with kidney failure.
“That same month, suddenly, out of nowhere… I went to see a nephrologist. They said, ‘Your kidneys are failing,'” she said.
“Once the kidneys start to fail, one has to undergo some type of replacement treatment,” said Dr. Joseph Kim, director of the kidney transplant program at the University Health Network in Toronto.
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“The two major forms are dialysis, where there is either a machine or fluid that is put into your stomach to try to replace some of the functions. But for those who qualify, there are better treatments and the current standard is transplant,” Kim said.
Raza is on the waiting list.
“The first people to volunteer were my husband and my two sons, but unfortunately they are not compatible. I also had two amazing friends, activists that I work with, who also volunteered and got themselves tested. But in the end, they were also found to be inconsistent,” she said.
A living kidney donation often comes from a family member, but it can also come from a stranger.
Kim said, “I personally feel that this is one of the greatest gifts that one can give back to their fellow human being and to society as a whole.”
According to the Kidney Foundation, a good living donor candidate is one who is healthy, well informed and makes a voluntary decision to donate one of their kidneys. Living donors must be in good health and have no evidence of significant high blood pressure or diabetes. cancerKidney disease, heart disease or hepatitis.
When members of the Jewish community learned that Raza needed a kidney, they came forward to help.
“She has been helping the Jewish community and the Muslim community with the Muslim Council against anti-Semitism and now it is our turn to help her and bring awareness to kidney disease. She has been undergoing dialysis for three years, and we need to save her life. That’s very important,” Dorit Smalley said.
She contacted Renewal Canada, an organization that helps people with kidney failure connect with donors to save their lives, to organize a swab event on May 8 for Raza. It will be held at the Prosserman Jewish Community Center and is being promoted by Secure Canada, an organization founded by victims of 9/11 committed to combating terrorism and extremism.
“Rachel has an incredible, powerful voice. She is a teacher. She is a mother and grandmother, and the kind of impact she has on all of us is so important to speak from a place of love. United, Muslims and Jews, Christians, we can all win. It’s really about gathering and supporting each other,” Smalley said.
Raza called the event “absolutely amazing,” “so heartwarming and so inspiring.”
“I tell everyone, this is my community. You know, they’ve contacted me. He has hugged me. They care about me. They respect me. So why wouldn’t I do the things I continue to do?” Raza said.
Ontario’s Trillium Gift of Life Network says the estimated wait time to receive a donated kidney in Ontario is two to five years. The group says more than 90 per cent of Ontarians are generally in favor of organ donation, but only one in three have registered their consent. It’s easy to do: just go ahead beadonor.ca,
“I am very humbled and very grateful… When we reach out to others, it is natural that they will embrace you and reach out to you. A perfect example of what the Jewish community is doing for me. They don’t look at my religion, my faith, my nationality, my culture. They see me as a human being,” Raza said.
Despite his condition, Raza shows no signs of slowing down his activism.
“One of our projects is to bring Jews and Muslims together for dialogue. We don’t have to agree, but let’s communicate. Let’s talk to each other. Let’s show respect,” she said. “I don’t think we can sleep at night without asking ourselves, ‘Did I do something today to make a difference?’ And that’s what I do.,
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