Canadian Imams Express Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples at Friday Prayer Congregations in July​

This unified call to action will express support and solidarity with grieving Indigenous communities, former residential school students, and families of the lost children. About seventy-five Imams across the country have responded to a joint call by Justice For All Canada & the Canadian Council of Imams for a coordinated effort in extending condolences at this time of immeasurable trauma and grief for Indigenous peoples.

“Friday’s statement before an attentive congregation of a few hundred Canadian Muslim attendees in every mosque will highlight the collective mourning, compassion and solace on behalf of Canadian Muslim communities towards Indigenous peoples,” said Imam Refaat Mohamed, the President of Canadian Council of Imams.

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“The act of religious leadership acknowledging the Indigenous genocide and elevating First Nations, Métis, and Inuits is essential to bringing justice, healing and reconciliation,” stated Taha Ghayyur, the Executive Director of Justice for All Canada. “The discovery of thousands of Indigenous children in unmarked graves, in the name of European imperialism, has left Canadians in pain and longing to advocate for justice and equal rights for the Indigenous peoples.”

This statement reading will also be a critical awareness-building moment for the settler immigrant Muslim communities about the atrocities faced by generations of their Indigenous brothers and sisters in this country. The generational aftermath of colonialism and forced assimilation is a crippling experience shared by many around the world.

This combined effort is a joint initiative between the Canadian Council of Imams (CCI) and Justice for All Canada (JFAC).

The Canadian Council of Imams is a collective leadership of Imams (Ministers of Religion) in Canada.

Justice for All Canada is a non-profit human rights and anti-genocide organization in Canada.

Read the full solidarity statement by Canadian Imams presented on July 9, 2021 below:

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A Message of Compassion and Solidarity to Our Indigenous Relatives

"In the Name of Allah, The Merciful, Compassionate Creator:

We, the undersigned Canadian Imams, offer our deepest regret, condolences and solidarity in this time of incalculable grief. We seek your forgiveness for the
inhumane colonial policies of Canada and the systemic injustices that still continue.

The discovery of hundreds-upon-hundreds of graves of innocent children — stolen from their families, abused, tortured and starved in the name of European imperialism— has left us numb with pain and shame.

We acknowledge that the oppression and persecution of the Indigenous Nations was genocide. We do not claim to know the depth of your pain. Our hearts are broken and our souls are burdened for our ignorance and for our silence. Our own experience with European colonialism should have compelled us to reach out, to learn and to listen to your stories. For this neglect — and in spite of this — we stand humbled and grateful for your gracious generosity.

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Our pledge to you as Relatives: We will stand and work with you to bring healing, justice and peace with Truth and Reconciliation."

This statement was endorsed by the following list of participating Canadian Muslim Imams:

Aarij Anwer, London Muslim Mosque, London, ON
Abd Alfatah Twakkal, London Muslim Mosque, London, ON
Abu Noman Tarek, Muslim Association of Brantford, Brantford, ON
Abdirizak Warsame, Ottawa, ON
Abdallah Yousri, Ummah Mosque, Halifax, NS
Abdullah Elqabbany, Jamiatul Ansar of Brampton, Brampton, ON
Abdul Hai Patel, Sunnatul Jamat, Toronto, ON
Abdul Raouf Kabbar, Islamic Centre Of Cambridge, Cambridge, ON
Abdullah Hakim Quick, Islamic Institute of Toronto, Toronto, ON
Abdullah Hatia, Halton Islamic Association, Burlington, ON
Abubakar Mulla, Islamic Society of Kingston, Kingston, ON
Aden Esse, Halifax, NS
Adnan Balihodzic, Bosnian Islamic Association GHB Toronto, Toronto, ON
Ahmad Husain, Jamiat-ul-Ansar of Brampton, Brampton, ON
Ahmad Kutty, Islamic Institute of Toronto, Toronto, ON
Ahmed Limame, Centre islamique de l’Outaouais, Gatineau, QC
Ahmed Toney, Niagara Falls, ON
Anver Malam, Jami Omar Founding Imam (Jamiatul Muslemeen of Ottawa-Carleton), Ottawa, ON
Aref Varachhia, Sayyiduna Uthman Islamic Academy, Mississauga, ON
Ayman Al-Taher, Ibrahim Jami Mosque, Hamilton, ON
Belal Ahmad, Makki Masjid (Islamic Society of Peel), Brampton, ON
Ehsaan Ansari, Sayeda Khadija Centre, Mississauga, ON
Esmail Shaikh, Toronto Hifz Academy, Toronto, ON
Faisal Abdur-Razak, Islamic Forum of Canada, Brampton, ON
Faiz Vaid, Brampton and Regional Islamic Center, Brampton, ON
Farheen Khan, Women's Mosque of Canada, Toronto, ON
Feras Marish, DAR Foundation, Oakville, ON
Gomaa Gomaa, Al Rayan Islamic Centre, Courtice, ON
Habeeb Alli, Weston Islamic Centre, Toronto, ON
Habib Khan, Western Islamic Benevolent Society, Toronto, ON
Hafiz Asim, Brampton Islamic Center, Brampton, ON
Hafiz Faizan, West End Islamic Center, Mississauga, ON
Hamid Slimi, Sayeda Khadija Centre, Mississauga, ON
Hamdy Abdelghaffar, Jami Mosque, Toronto, ON
Hosam Helal, ISNA Canada, Mississauga, ON
Hussein El-Hennawy, Jamat-E-Islahal Muslmeen (JEIM), Mississauga, ON
Huzaifa Panchbhaya, Malton Masjid, Mississauga, ON
Huzeifa Patel, Malton Masjid, Mississauga, ON
Ibrahim Hindy, Dar Al Tawheed, Mississauga, ON
Imran Ally, TARIC Islamic Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Ilyas Sidyot, Islamic Association of Saskatchewan Saskatoon Inc., Saskatoon, SK
Irshad Osman, Danforth Islamic Centre, Toronto, ON
Irshad Unia, Prince Albert Muslim Association, Prince Albert, AB
Ismail Fetic, Bosnian Islamic Centre of Hamilton, Hamilton, ON
Khalid Khokhar, Islamic Centre of Cambridge, Cambridge, ON
Junaid Bhaiyat, International Muslims Organization of Toronto, Toronto, ON
Mahmoud Omar, Alrashid Mosque, Edmonton, AB
Majed Jarrar, Salam Mosque, Ottawa, ON
Mohamed Masloh, Islamic Association of Saskatchewan, Regina, Inc., Regina, SK
Mohamed Molvi, Abu Bakr Islamic Center, Hamilton, ON
Mohammad N Barak, Eslah Islamic Association [Masjid Ali RD], Stoney Creek, ON
Mohammed Zafar Abid, Darul Quran Academy, Surrey, BC
Muhammad Ishaq Faridi, Ar Rahman Islamic Center, Mississauga, ON
Muhammad Kamruzzaman, Danforth Community Center, Toronto, ON
Muhammed Aksu, Dicle Islamic Society, Kitchener, ON
Mustafa Khattab, Anatolia Islamic Centre, Mississauga, ON
Mahmood Husain, Jamiat-ul-Ansar of Brampton, Brampton, ON
Muneeb Haq, West End Islamic Center, Mississauga, ON
Nayef Abu Qaddum, Vaughan Islamic Centre, Toronto, ON
Nedzad Hafizovic, Bosnian Islamic Centre, Toronto, ON
Owais Hikmat, Omar Ibn Al-Khattab Centre, Edmonton, AB
Qamrul Khanson, Ar Rahman Islamic Center, Mississauga, ON
Riad Ouarzazi, ICCM, Milton, ON
Refaat Mohamed, Alabrar Muslim Association, Newmarket, ON
Samy Metwally, Islamic Society of Gloucester, Ottawa, ON
Sayed Masood Tora, Muslim Association of Hamilton, Hamilton, ON
Shabir Ally, Islamic Information & Dawah Centre International, Toronto, ON
Shuaib Mansoori, Peace & Harmony Center, Brampton, ON
Sikander Z Hashmi, Kanata Muslim Association, Ottawa, ON
Syed Abdullah Qadri, Umar Masjid, Hamilton, ON
Taha Ghayyur, Mississauga, ON
Usman Patel, Cambridge Muslim Society, Cambridge, ON
Yusuf Badat, Islamic Foundation of Toronto, Toronto, ON
Zahir Bacchus, Jamiat-ul-Ansar of Brampton, Brampton, ON
Zijad Delic, SNMC, Ottawa, ON
Zubair Sidyot, Lethbridge Muslim Association, Lethbridge, AB