About

“Tessellate” means to form into a mosaic pattern by using small squares of stone or glass.  It is derived from Latin “tessera,” meaning a small piece of glass or stone used in mosaic, from the Ionic-Greek word for four, “tesseres.”

Tessellation as a technique of mosaic making played an important role in Islamic art and architecture.  As Muslim artists avoided figurative art, they found in tessellation a technique that was superb for its ability to render contemplation of the Divine.  Peter J. Lu and Paul J. Steinhardt have discovered that “by the 15th century, the tessellation approach was combined with self-similar transformations to construct nearly perfect quasi-crystalline Penrose patterns, five centuries before their discovery in the West.” (http://www.physics.harvard.edu/~plu/research/islamic_quasicrystal/)

Canadian society is often referred to as a “mosaic.”  Although the metaphor can be criticised for the way it glosses over racism and discrimination, or for its promoting minority ghettoisation, nevertheless, it remains an attractive metaphor.  A “mosaic” metaphor conceives of a society that aims to fit its people together into a beautiful seamless whole – each part is polished and sculpted to fit with the others, without sacrificing what makes it beautiful and individual as a piece, a “tessera.”

The Tessellate Institute (TTI) endeavours to contribute to the public discourses that shape Canadian society with this metaphor of the mosaic in mind.  TTI is a private, not-for-profit, non-partisan research institute that aims to provide Canadian policymakers and the general public academically-rigorous research about policy relevant issues, particularly on topics pertaining to ethnic and religious minorities.

Board of Directors

The Founding Members were Dr Katherine Bullock, Dr Sheema Khan, Mr Naseer (Irfan) Syed, L.L. B.

The current Board of Directors (2008 – ) are:  Mr Mohamed Bhabha; Dr Katherine Bullock; and Mr Naseer (Irfan) Syed, L.L. B.

Board of Directors Bios:

was educated in South Africa and Canada.  He is a retired former teacher, Canadian government official, school principal and teacher development advisor. He helped establish the Al Falah Islamic School in Oakville. His twin interests in education and international development have led him to projects in Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Israel/Palestine, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. He has authored “Cultivating Civic Sensibilities – an Approach to Enhancing Civic Education in Palestine” and “A Manual for Teachers on Classroom Management”, as well as articles on education and politics published in Canada, South Africa and Australia.

completed her PhD in Political Science at the University of Toronto, in 1999.  She has taught and lectured on Islamic Civilisation and Middle East politics in California and Toronto.  Her most recent appointment is with the University of Toronto, where she has been teaching a course entitled “The Politics of Islam” since 2002. Her publications include: “Muslim Women Activists in North America: Speaking for Ourselves” and “Rethinking Muslim Women and the Veil: Challenging Historical and Modern Stereotypes” which has been translated into French and Turkish.

is a Lawyer and Trade-Mark Agent at the law firm of Kutty, Syed & Mohamed, in Toronto, Ontario. Irfan advises a wide range of local and international clients on corporate and commercial matters, from individual entrepreneurs and family businesses to public companies.  He has long been active in various community, not-for-profit and charitable organizations and provides legal advice related to start-up, governance, and participation in public policy.  He was the Chair of the Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association (2001-2005) and a member of the planning committees for the 2005 and 2007 conferences for Judges and Lawyers in Toronto entitled “Combating Hatred in the 21st Century.”