This Eid al Adha was special for a group of Muslim children in our city that our community sometimes forgets. The Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa (CASO), Children’s Aid Foundation of Ottawa (CAFO), Muslim Family Services of Ottawa (MFSO), and CAS Friends collaborated to ensure that Muslim children living in foster care still got to participate in the blessings of this special holiday. Through proceeds raised through fundraising within the wider Muslim community and volunteer efforts, children not only received Eid gifts, including calligraphy of their name by local artist Chaker Zouari, but they also received qurbani meat to share with the support of Al Furat Meat Shop. CASO paid for 1/3 of the lamb, CAFO paid for another 1/3, and the rest of the cost was covered by fundraising in the Muslim community.

Muslim Link interviewed Cindy R. Perron, the Communications Supervisor for CASO, Karim Mekki, MFSO’s Community Liaison Worker, and Sawsane El Khatib, a volunteer with CAS Friends, about how this initiative came together.

In 2015, Palestinian Canadian Habib Khoury founded the Ottawa Run for Palestine (ORFP).

The run is back again after last year’s success. This year, the run will be taking place on Sunday, September 25th at the Aviation Museum, followed by a BBQ featuring Palestinian cuisine.

The run raises funds for UNRWA’s Community Mental Health Program in Gaza and is part of an international movement aimed at supporting the people of Gaza.

Muslim Link interviewed Habib about this year’s run.

On Saturday, August 20th, community members are encouraged to attend the Run for the Horn Marathon and BBQ at Britannia Beach to raise awareness about mental health issues in Ottawa and to raise funds to support the Habeeb Mental Health Foundation in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Muslim Link interviewed the team behind this event.

The Justice for Abdirahman Coalition is asking that members of the community contact their elected representatives at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels by September 5th to demand justice for Abdirahman Abdi.

The following is the statement released by the Justice for Abdirahman Abdi Coalition on August 14th at the City of Ottaa where several reccommendations were made to various government institutions in relation to this case.  

To learn more about the Justice for Abdirahman Coalition visit their website here.

This is the Canadian Somali Mothers’ Association’s official statement regarding the vicious killing of Abdirahman Abdi by Ottawa Police Officers on Sunday, July 24 th , 2016, and the impact of the killing on the Ottawa Black Community.

Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatulaahi wa Barakatuhu
To our valued Somali Community of Ottawa,

On this most difficult time in our community, the Ottawa Police Service would like to express our sincere condolences first to Abdirahman Abdi’s family ( inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'oon) and to the entire Somali Community in Ottawa.

Hundreds gathered on Tuesday for a vigil in memory of Abdirahman Abdi in front of his home on Hilda Street.

Muslim Link interviewed Rayanne Bendaoud about how her encounter with a Syrian refugee in Ottawa inspired her to organize the United for Syria Soccer Tournament this Saturday, July 23rd to raise money for refugees supported by the United Nations’ Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

(If you would like to register as a team or individual for this all ages tournament click here for details.)

The Muslim Association of Canada (MAC) is holding its annual Eid al Fitr prayer and hallmark Muslim Summer Festival together on July 6th from 8am to 8pm at the Ernst & Young Centre.

Participants will also have an opportunity to make their Zakat donations to Islamic Relief Canada, one of the event's sponsors, who have secured a private donor to match all the donations given at the event. 

Muslim Summer Festival (MSF) is recognized by the City of Ottawa as an important city wide event and is a recipient of the Celebrate Ontario grant.

This year's Eid will be the first Eid celebrated by a very large number of Syrian refugees in Ottawa and MAC is working to ensure many of them will attend this Festival.

Muslim Link spoke to the festival organizers about what participants have to look forward to this year.

University of Ottawa students Nora Abdalaal, Tuba Yousuf, Jawdat Saleh, and Nour Khalaf, have raised enough funds to provide meals for a number of people at the Ottawa Mission this Friday, June 24th.  Volunteers are still welcome to get involved to help with preparation and distribution.

Muslim Link interviewed the students about their “Break Your Fast with Charity : Feed the Mission” Ramadan initiative.