Camp Deen: Muslim Summer Camp in Ontario Back for Its 50th Anniversary

The camp was first established in 1973 and now many of the earliest campers are directors of the camp.

Muslim Link interviewed the team behind Camp Deen about its history and future.

Why is this an important year for Camp Deen?

This year, Camp Deen celebrates 50 years of serving the Muslim community with a one week, immersive camping experience that is uniquely Canadian, designed for Muslim kids.

Since our inception, Camp Deen has strived to gather non-denominational Muslim kids ages 7-15 for a week of learning to love who they are as Muslims, as Canadians, as future leaders.

How did Camp Deen begin?

Camp Deen began as a dream of a few immigrant Muslim families from a wide range of countries, to provide a wholesome environment for their kids to meet other boys and girls like themselves. The dream was to allow boys and girls to learn about the beauties of camping in Canada, to love themselves and learn to work as a community of respect and balance with nature and one another.

How did Camp Deen sustain itself over the years?

Camp Deen has always been not-for-profit and has relied on community support through donations and volunteers. Camp Deen has strived to keep its pricing affordable and has achieved this over the years thanks to generous donations from within the community.

Camp Deen identifies as a non-denominational Muslim space. What does that mean?

We like to refer to ourselves as non-denominational as we don’t identify ourselves as a “Sunni camp” or a “Shia camp”, we simply welcome anyone who identifies as being Muslim.

Historically we have had kids from all levels of Islamic knowledge and we emphasize that we are all on a journey of knowledge, respect and tolerance. Camp Deen has always strived to emphasize the messages of tolerance, patience, love and kindness in Islam, no matter your depth of knowledge of Islam itself.

What type of religious activities can attendees participate in?

Camp Deen sprinkles its daily activities with reminders of Islam. We pray in Jamaat: fajr, combine Zuhr & Asr (travel permission) and we combine Magrib & Isha. All prayers are spoken out loud with an English translation. We feel this approach is inclusive and allows for better connection between the kids and their understanding of Islam.

During the daily activity schedule each child will have a session on religion with our acting Imam. Sessions emphasize the beauty and simplicity of Islam and how joyous it can be to implement Islamic principles into our lives.

Throughout the day campers learn Muslim chants, songs & prayers of gratitude.

This way kids can absorb the feeling of being a confident Muslim. One with pride and no judgment.

What type of sports and recreational activities can attendees participate in?

Other camp daily activities include arts & crafts, sports, swimming, and canoeing.

Boys and girls have separate swim times. Waterfront activities are safely monitored by campsite lifeguards.

During arts & crafts, activities focus on Muslim-inspired crafts, often diving into various artistic customs from around the Muslim world.

If you are interested in attending Camp Deen this year or learning more, visit the Camp Deen website here