Date: Saturday, September 28, 2024
Venue: Candles Banquet Hall, Located In Rear, 1224 Dundas St E, Mississauga, ON L4Y 4A2
Keynote Speaker: Haroon Siddiqui
Why Attend Ihsan Gala 2024?
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Celebrate and support excellence in the Muslim community
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Raise funds for critical professional development trainings for front line workers and leaders in the Muslim community
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Enjoy scrumptious buffet dinner and dessert: South Asian and Western food
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Get Haroon Siddiqui's book signed: My Name is Not Harry
About Presenters
Ginella Massa is an award-winning Canadian broadcaster, media consultant and sought after public speaker. Ginella graduated with an Honours BA in Communication Studies at York University and has a diploma in Broadcast Journalism from Seneca College.
She has worked in both TV and radio, behind the scenes and on air, at many of Canada’s major networks, including CTV, CBC, and CityNews.
Most recently, she was the primetime host of "Canada Tonight with Ginella Massa", on the country's national public broadcaster, making history as North America’s first hijab-wearing national TV news anchor. As a Media Consultant, and CEO of PR Firm Massa Media and Communication, Ginella helps her clients build strong communications plans through both traditional and social media. She also has a passion for working with local community groups and nonprofits, helping bridge the media literacy gap, and changing the narrative of marginalized communities.
Haroon Siddiqui is the first Muslim, first brown person, first South Asian and first Indo-Canadian to have been a columnist, an editor and a senior management executive in the Canadian mainstream media. He is the Editorial Page Editor Emeritus of the Toronto Star, Canada’s largest newspaper. He has reported or supervised coverage of Canada for 50 years, through nine prime ministers. And he has himself reported from nearly 50 countries.
Since 2002, he has also been a senior fellow at Massey College, University of Toronto. He’s a recipient of the Order of Canada, the nation’s highest civilian honour. Also, the Order of Ontario. Plus, numerous journalistic awards.
He’s a former president of Pen Canada, the free speech group, and also member of the board of PEN International, the writers’ group with 150 chapters in 104 countries. But he advocated free speech in balance with freedom from hate.
Himself an immigrant, he has been a champion of immigrants, minorities, and multiculturalism. A bridge between the mainstream and the minorities. A leader in challenging the media to change their negative portrayal of indigenous people and BIPOC communities, especially Muslims.
His recently released memoir, My Name is Not Harry, is an unapologetic assertion of his proud Muslim identity. It presents a largely Muslim perspective on Canada and the world.
He is also the author of Being Muslim, a post-9/11 journey across North America, Europe, the Middle East, South Asia and the Far East.