Ottawa now has a free Muslim matchmaking service, Love Coordinates. Created and facilitated by Yemeni Canadian couple, Hend Bindari and Hesham Saleh, serve as coordinators in introducing individuals based on the criteria the individuals specify. Bindari is well-known as the co-founder of Misk Academy of Quranic Sciences for Women, and Saleh is a well-known Islamic lecturer. Married in 2010, the couple has chosen to expand their matchmaking services from just friends to the wider community.

Assma Galuta, aka Asoomii Jay, 25, has been an active YouTuber since 2011 when she began doing hijab tutorials. “I saw a lot of my friends removing their hijab and it made me sad,” she explained, “They were just doing it to fit in with their Canadian friends and they would say ‘I don’t look good in a hijab’ or ‘I don’t feel welcome in a hijab’. I started my YouTube Channel because I wanted to show girls that they could still look pretty and feel pretty and be stylish and wear the hijab.” Her channel became popular internationally with thousands of subscribers on YouTube and tens of thousands of Facebook followers.

Muslim Link attended this year’s I.LEAD Conference and asked participants to reflect on what community means to them. Here is a response from Arab Canadian Amr Daouk, a graduate student in mechanical engineering, who recently co-coordinated Islam Awareness Week at Carleton University.

As it snowed on the evening of February 11th, students gathered in front of the Human Rights Monument in downtown Ottawa to recognize the victims of the Chapel Hill Shooting in the US. Syrian American Deah Barakat, 23, his Palestinian American wife Yusor Abu Salha, 21, and her sister Razan Abu Salha, 19, were shot at gunpoint by Craig Stephen Hicks reportedly over a parking dispute, but many allege that the motives run far deeper and that this is a hate crime against Muslims.

Muslim Link is continuing its series Muslims of Ottawa. At the Arabian Canadian Bazaar, we asked Arab Muslims from Ottawa the question: What Do You Want The World to Know about Arab Culture?. Here is an executive member of Carleton University's Salam: Reviving the Arab Culture, Mohamed El Koussy's response.

Muslim Link is continuing its series Muslims of Ottawa. At the Arabian Canadian Bazaar, we asked Arab Muslims from Ottawa the question: What Do You Want The World to Know about Arab Culture?. Here is Assma Galuta, aka Asoomii Jay's response.

Muslim Link is continuing its series Muslims of Ottawa. At the Arabian Canadian Bazaar, we asked Arab Muslims from Ottawa the question: What Do You Want The World to Know about Arab Culture?. Here is a volunteer with the Palestinian Students' Association of Carleton University, Hind Al Hassoun's response.

Muslim Link is continuing its series Muslims of Ottawa. At the Arabian Canadian Bazaar, we asked Arab Muslims from Ottawa the question: What Do You Want The World to Know about Arab Culture?. Here is a volunteer with Youth Yemen Gentler & Softer Hearts, Sarah Al Akbari's response.

Muslim Link interviewed Arab Canadian political science student Sara Elhawash about her experience studying Political Science at York University.

Muslim Link is continuing its series Muslims of Ottawa. At the Arabian Canadian Bazaar, we asked Arab Muslims from Ottawa the question: What Do You Want The World to Know about Arab Culture?. Here is Heba Jallad's response.