Parenting in the West: An Islamic Perspective

Dr. Ekram Beshir is a medical doctor with a background in child psychology and a renowned author, educator, and community leader. She and her husband, Dr. Mohamed Beshir, have co-authored several bestselling books on parenting, marriage, and family life, widely translated into multiple languages. She founded Abraar Islamic School and Rahma School in Ottawa, Canada, and has received numerous awards, including the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board’s Director’s Citation and the Muslim Association of Canada’s “Mother of the Community” award. A dedicated advocate for Muslim families, she has traveled globally, presenting workshops on parenting and marriage while actively supporting community initiatives.

Dr. Mohamed Rida Beshir is a Community Educator at The Family and Youth Institute. He holds a PhD in Telecommunications and a Master’s in Engineering from Carlton University as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Telecommunications from Alexandria University. In addition, he has pursued independent studies in marriage and family studies as well as classical Islamic sciences in the areas of Qur'anic exegesis (tafseer), Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh), and Human Development (tarbiyah) with varying scholars. He is the author of many popular books including, When Muslim Teens Rebel: Causes and Solutions and Family Leadership (Qawama): An Obligation to Fulfill, not an Excuse to Abuse. Dr. Beshir has also co-authored numerous internationally recognized books on marriage and parenting with his wife, Dr. Ekram Beshir including, Meeting the Challenge of Parenting in the West: An Islamic Perspective, Muslim Teens: Today’s Worry, Tomorrow’s Hope – a Practical Islamic Parenting Guide, Blissful Marriage, and, Parenting Skills based on Qur’an and Sunnah. His books have been translated into Arabic, French, German and Albanian. Dr. Beshir is an internationally renowned family life educator, presenting workshops on parenting, marriage, and human development (tarbiyah) throughout North America, Europe, Australia, South Africa, Morocco, and Malaysia.

Dr. Beshir has served the Muslim community for more than 40 years. He has been active at both the local and national levels through Muslim Student’s Association (MSA), Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), Muslim American Society (MAS), and Muslim Association of Canada (MAC). He is a Founding member of Human Concern International (HCI) and Family Dawn, and received The City of Ottawa Certificate of Appreciation for his volunteer work in the area of education. He is the father of four adult children and grandfather to many grandchildren.