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On the cold Saturday morning, on January 14th, a group of students from multiple University of Ottawa Muslim student associations rose early and went out to warm the hearts and fill the stomachs of people who are homeless in Ottawa.
The Justice for Abdirahman Coalition won the award for Community Leadership at Black History Ottawa's Community Builder Awards Ceremony, held during the launch of Black History Month on January 28, 2017.
Al Jamia Masjid made headlines in late December, when it became a temporary overnight shelter for Vancouver’s homeless during a cold spell that cost people their lives.
Muslim Link reached out to 22 year old Pakistani Canadian Abubakar Khan, who spearheaded the initiative, to learn more about how he and his multi-faith group of friends made such a great act of community service possible.
Join us at the panel to hear from Gilary Massa, Fathima Cader, Zunera Ishaq, and Yusra Khogali. The event will open with stand-up poetry performances by Rimshah Ahmed and Shadiya Aidid. The panel will be moderated by Thamina Jaferi. The event will also be streamed online here.
Muslim Link interviewed Binish Ahmed, the curator of the panel, about why she chose this topic and these speakers.
In the wake of the news that MP Ahmed Hussen has been appointed to the position of Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Muslim Link reached out to first and second generation Somali Canadians from across the country to get their reflections on what this appointment means for them. While for many Muslims, the appointment of another Muslim to Trudeau’s cabinet is seen as a victory against rising Islamophobia, for Somali Canadians, it means something far greater-hope for a brighter future in Canada.
What started out as a play made by Rohingya refugee youth in Ontario is on its way to becoming a full length documentary. Muslim Link spoke with actor Yusuf Zine is crowdfunding for a documentary to share the stories of the Rohingya refugees he has been working with in Kitchener-Waterloo over the last few years.
14 Rohingya refugee youth living in Ontario got together to save their people through theatre. Let's let the world hear their story. Support the making of the documentary on LaunchGood here.
MP Frank Baylis tables historic petition on Islamophobia while MP Iqra Khalid’s motion asks Parliament to take action on systemic racism and religious discrimination.
Ginella Massa has made history once again. In January 2015, she became the first hijabi TV news reporter on mainstream Canadian Television. On November 18 2016, she was asked to sit in as news anchor on City TV, where she currently works as a reporter, thus becoming the first hijabi to anchor a newscast in Canada.
Muslim Link interviewed the current chair of Sadaqa Food Bank, Syed Mumtaz Akhtar, about how Ottawa’s only halal food bank is managing with increasing demand.
Royal Canadian Military College Chaplain, Captain (Imam) Ryan Carter, and Ontario Regional Chaplain for Correctional Services Canada, Imam Michael Taylor, worked together to organize a special Muslim Remembrance Day Service on November 6th, to commemorate the service of Muslims in the Canadian military in times of peace and conflict.
Yemeni Canadian Dhilal Alhaboob had the opportunity to participate in the One Young World Summit which took place in Ottawa from September 28th to October 1st. She represented both Canada and Yemen. Muslim Link interviewed Dhilal about her experience at the summit which gathered together young leaders from around the world.
Islamic History Month was first recognized in the province of Manitoba. It has been recognized federally since 2007 and on October 6, 2016 it was recognized in Ontario, the province with Canada's largest Muslim population. The bill to recognize Islamic History Month in Ontario was introduced by the Provincial NDP. Below are two press releases, one from the Liberal Party of Ontario and one from the NDP of Ontario discussing Islamic History Month in Ontario.
Ottawa: Sarah Attia and Khaled Al-Qazzaz were welcomed by the Honorable Minister Stéphane Dion and his team this week in his office at Global Affairs Canada in Ottawa. They thanked Minister Dion for the diplomatic leadership he showed to bring the family home. They discussed the impact of his intervention and that by reuniting their four young children with their father in Canada, he has reestablished their sense of family, security, happiness, and has given them a new start. Khaled and Sarah also recognized MP and Parliamentary Secretary Omar Alghabra's dedication, and that of his staff, to bring this case to an end.
Muslim Link interviewed university student Zein Ahmed who is fundraising to support Yemeni refugees to have fled to Djibouti, a small country in the Horn of Africa. She will be visiting them during this Christmas break when she returns to Djibouti to visit family. She hopes to raise $8000 by December 22nd. Check out her GoFundMe Page.
Tens of thousands of Yemeni refugees have sought refuge in Somalia, Djibouti and Ethiopia, countries which are themselves struggling with food insecurity. Ahmed reflects on the little attention the world has given to the Yemeni crisis, and what she hopes Muslims and other Canadians will do to support her community.
A group of Muslims in Toronto have come together to create ILM Weekend (January 21-22, 2017), where Muslims and non-Muslims will come together to brainstorm and develop innovative products and services for Muslims.
The deadline to apply to participate in the weekend is October 15, 11:59 pm. Click here for more information.
Muslim Link interviewed the team to learn why they felt this was in important initiative.
This Eid al Adha was special for a group of Muslim children in our city that our community sometimes forgets. The Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa (CASO), Children’s Aid Foundation of Ottawa (CAFO), Muslim Family Services of Ottawa (MFSO), and CAS Friends collaborated to ensure that Muslim children living in foster care still got to participate in the blessings of this special holiday. Through proceeds raised through fundraising within the wider Muslim community and volunteer efforts, children not only received Eid gifts, including calligraphy of their name by local artist Chaker Zouari, but they also received qurbani meat to share with the support of Al Furat Meat Shop. CASO paid for 1/3 of the lamb, CAFO paid for another 1/3, and the rest of the cost was covered by fundraising in the Muslim community.
Muslim Link interviewed Cindy R. Perron, the Communications Supervisor for CASO, Karim Mekki, MFSO’s Community Liaison Worker, and Sawsane El Khatib, a volunteer with CAS Friends, about how this initiative came together.
Update (September 29, 2016) Despite setbacks this week, Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath and MPP Teresa Armstrong will not give up the fight to designate October as Islamic Heritage Month in Ontario.
“We have to take action on rising Islamophobia and hate-motivated crime in our Province,” noted Horwath. “Celebrating Islamic culture, history and the contributions of people of Islamic heritage to our society is an important step that the Ontario NDP will continue to fight for, despite the Liberal government this week not allowing Unanimous Consent on Bill 23.”
In 2015, Palestinian Canadian Habib Khoury founded the Ottawa Run for Palestine (ORFP).
The run is back again after last year’s success. This year, the run will be taking place on Sunday, September 25th at the Aviation Museum, followed by a BBQ featuring Palestinian cuisine.
The run raises funds for UNRWA’s Community Mental Health Program in Gaza and is part of an international movement aimed at supporting the people of Gaza.
Muslim Link interviewed Habib about this year’s run.
On September 12th, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited the Ottawa Muslim Association (OMA) for Eid al Adha prayers. This isn't the first time Ottawa's main mosque has hosted a Prime Minister. Shortly after September 11th, Prime Minister Jean Chrietien visited this mosque offering reassurances to Muslim Canadians in the wake of a dramatic rise in violent Islamophobic incidents in Canada and the US. So, it was fitting that just a day after the 15th Anniversary of September 11th, Prime Minister Trudeau should visit this same mosque.
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