When I was diagnosed with my mental illness, it almost felt like a death sentence. Like the real me was dying. I kept thinking, ‘does this mean I’m crazy?’ In my community - the Muslim community - depression was an ill that -- well, it was not an illness. The myth is that such deep sadness can be a result of past wrongdoing, or maybe the patient of depression had not been praying enough, contributing to the community enough, not working hard enough, always never good enough - adding to the anxiety of a person with such a disorder. We are told that we were lazy, somehow less and ungrateful for the blessings we had.

MuslimFest is back for another year, taking place from August 4th to 6th in Mississauga's Celebration Square.

The annual Muslim Arts Festival is the largest of its kind in North America, attracting over 30,000 attendes annually.

Festival and Events Ontario selected MuslimFest as one of the best festivals in Ontario in 2016.

Launched in 2004, MuslimFest is a joint project of DawaNet and Sound Vision. Offering a mix of music, comedy, spoken word, visual art, theatre and workshops on a diversity of topics, along with fun activities for children and a multicultural bazaar, MuslimFest showcases the talent of a diveristy of Muslim artists from Canada and around the world.

Muslim Link interviewed MuslimFest's Event Director Tariq Syed about why folks should visit Mississauga this weekend to check out this year's festival.

Like all of the victims of the Quebec mosque shooting, Mamadou Barry's death not only impacted his family, it crushed the dream of access to clean drinking water for his village in the West African country of Guinea. Barry was raising funds to install a 100-meter-deep well in his village, located outside of Labe, Guinea's second-largest city.

Have you ever noticed how acts of hate can spur acts of love? With the establishment of the Toronto chapter of the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom, thirty-four Muslim and Jewish women have come together to support each other against hostile acts directed toward both groups. One of the Sisterhood’s largest chapters and the first chapter in Canada, the Toronto group meets regularly to talk, share rituals, and to build relationships across religious lines.

This year Canada Pakistan Association of the National Capital Region (CPA) celebrated Canada’s 150th birthday on Sunday, July 2nd, 2017 at the Ron Kolbus Lakeshore Centre, 102 Greenview Ave, Ottawa.

STANDING TOGETHER: Community gathers to remember Abdirahman Abdi, one year after his tragic death.

(Ottawa, ON): July 24th, 2017 marks one year since the death of Abdirahman Abdi. The Ottawa community will gather in Somerset Square Park for an interfaith event entitled: Standing Together to remember Abdirahman Abdi and to show solidarity with the family of a man whose life was unjustly taken in our city.

Asmaa Hussein is a writer, registered social worker, and mother of a spirited daughter. She is the author of “A Temporary Gift: Reflections on Love, Loss, and Healing” where she shares her journey of recovery after her husband Amr Kassem was shot and killed while peacefully protesting in Alexandria, Egypt.

The I.LEAD conference is back for a fifth year and will take place on Saturday, July 15th. Tickets can be purchased online here.

Muslim Link interviewed the I.LEAD organizers about what people could look forward to at this year's conference.

For some people, the image of a Canadian folk singer can be a specific one. Typically speaking, one might picture a person with a sort of hipster or alternative look. Perhaps they are wearing a very artsy oversized hat or maybe even sporting some tattoos.

In the case of Audrey Saparno, she is a musician who defies stereotypes across the board. A Canadian woman of Indonesian decent, she does not wear quirky hats, fancy boots or any tattoos. She sports a hijab, an acoustic guitar slung over her shoulder, and a bright smile for all to see.

Muslims Actually had the opportunity to interview Wasim Parkar about his role as a producer with Rogers TV Dufferin-Peel while the station was still on air.