Watch the Canadian Muslim COVID-19 Task Force Virtual Town Hall on Understanding the COVID-19 Vaccines

This town hall provided a neutral platform to openly discuss complicated issues and provide answers to questions Canadian Muslims may currently have pertaining to the COVID-19 vaccines.

Closed Caption and/or ASL interpretation accompanied the broadcast.

Distinguished panelists included:
1) Dr. Abdu Sharkawy, MD, BMSc, FRCPC, Infectious Diseases Expert
2) Sr. Samiya Abdi, MPH, Public Health Specialist
3) Sr. Rabia Khedr, MA, CMCTF Co-chair, Human Rights Advocate
4) Imam Dr, Hamid Slimi, PhD, Islamic Law, Imam and Community Leader
5) Dr. Fatima Kamalia, MD, FRCPC, Pediatrician
6) Imam Yūsuf Badāt, Masters in Islamic Sciences, Imam and Fiqh Expert

About the Panelists:

Dr. Abdu Sharkawy is an Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases specialist at the University Health Network and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto. Having amassed more than 20 years' experience in his field, including being on the front lines during the SARS crisis of 2003, he has a uniquely valuable perspective on pandemic management. He is the lead Infectious Diseases consultant for CTV News in Canada and has been featured on media outlets throughout the world for his expert analysis and insights during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Samiya Abdi is a senior Public Health specialist. She holds a master's degree in Public Health and Graduate Diploma in Social Innovation and Systems Thinking. Her experience spans from co-creating creative local community engagement programs such as Aspire2Lead and the city of Toronto political Muslim Youth Fellowship to co-founding international movements such as the Somali Gender Equality Movement and Famine resistors. Samiya is the winner of The Lori Chow Award for exceptional leadership in health promotion; the winner of the 2018 Woman of the Year Award, by The Federation of Muslim Women; and the MAX Woman of the Year Award.

Rabia Khedr is a human rights activist and leader within the Muslim community. She is currently the Chief Executive Officer of DEEN Support Services, Chief Executive Officer of the Disability Empowerment Equality Network, the spokesperson for the Federation of Muslim Women and Co-Chair of the Canadian Muslim COVID-19 Task Force. She has previously served as a Commissioner for the Ontario Human Rights Commission. Sister Rabia has received numerous awards for her humanitarian services, including a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (University of Toronto) and a Master of Arts (York University).

Dr. Hamid Slimi’s traditional and academic speciality is in Islamic studies and Law as well as Comparative World Religions. In addition to the traditional degrees known as Ijazah, he holds two Masters degrees with High Honors in both disciplines from Morocco and the US and a PhD in Islamic Law from the U.K. From 20019 to 2018, Dr. Slimi has been featured by Georgetown University as one of the 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World for his community development as well as his spiritual leadership and interfaith work.

Dr. Fatima R Kamalia graduated from Queens University Medical School and then obtained her pediatric fellowship from the Hospital for Sick Children at the University of Toronto. She obtained a Master's Certification in Healthcare Leadership through the Ontario Medical Association and York University Schulik School of Business. At present, she is co-owner of a private pediatric practice in Thornhill, an attending staff at Mckenzie Health Hospital in Richmond Hill, and an affiliate staff at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.  She is an active member of JIC and is on the Strategic Planning Committee for ISIJ as well as on the board of directors for IMI.

Shaykh Yusuf Badat is the main Imam and 'Director of Religious Affairs' at the Islamic Foundation of Toronto. He is also the founder and director of Mathabah Inc. Shaykh Yusuf Badat completed a 6-year Alim course at Darul Uloom Zakariya, South Africa where he achieved his masters in the Islamic sciences. He earned authorizations in Hadith under the Grand Mufti of South Africa- Shaykh Radha-ul-Haq. Shaykh Yusuf Badat is also an Ontario registered minister of religion & licensed marriage officer. He also holds a diploma in Network Administration from the Toronto School of Business.  

Watch the video of the Town Hall below (It may take a few moments for the video to load from Facebook)