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It is a scene that is likely familiar to many young Muslim families living in Orleans. Usually the conversation starts something like this:

“MashaAllah, your kids have gotten so big! Are they in school yet?”

“The older one is starting next year. Going to try for Abraar School or Ottawa Islamic School.”

“Oh, that’s a great idea MashaAllah, both schools are great. It’s just too bad they’re so far from here.”

“Yeah, we’ll probably be moving to Kanata, or maybe Barrhaven. It’s too far going all the way from here every day. We should really have a school in Orleans someday.”

“Agreed, some day InshaAllah.”

The Ottawa Race Weekend, May 23-24 this year, is an annual two-day running event made up of multiple races. All the races start and end at Ottawa City Hall. There are 2K, 5K, 10K, half (just over 21km), and full marathons (just over 42km) in addition to a 1.2m kid’s marathon and a wheelchair marathon. Almost 50,000 people participated this year and the key event is the Ottawa Marathon. First held in 1975, the Ottawa Marathon is the largest marathon event in Canada and participants can use it to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Raysso Aden ran her first 5K on this weekend and shares her experience with Muslim Link.

The Ottawa Race Weekend, May 23-24 this year, is an annual two-day running event made up of multiple races. All the races start and end at Ottawa City Hall. There are 2K, 5K, 10K, half (just over 21km), and full marathons (just over 42km) in addition to a 1.2m kid’s marathon and a wheelchair marathon. Almost 50,000 people participated this year and the key event is the Ottawa Marathon. First held in 1975, the Ottawa Marathon is the largest marathon event in Canada and participants can use it to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Seyma Uran ran the 5K with a group of friends as part of Islamic Relief Canada’s IRChallenges. Each raised $500.00 for orphans. She shared her experience with Muslim Link.

The Ottawa Race Weekend, May 23-24 this year, is an annual two-day running event made up of multiple races. All the races start and end at Ottawa City Hall. There are 2K, 5K, 10K, half (just over 21km), and full marathons (just over 42km) in addition to a 1.2m kid’s marathon and a wheelchair marathon. Almost 50,000 people participated this year and the key event is the Ottawa Marathon. First held in 1975, the Ottawa Marathon is the largest marathon event in Canada and participants can use it to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Fireda Ahmed ran her first 10K on this weekend and shares her experience with Muslim Link.

The Ottawa Race Weekend, May 23-24 this year, is an annual two-day running event made up of multiple races. All the races start and end at Ottawa City Hall. There are 2K, 5K, 10K, half (just over 21km), and full marathons (just over 42km) in addition to a 1.2m kid’s marathon and a wheelchair marathon. Almost 50,000 people participated this year and the key event is the Ottawa Marathon. First held in 1975, the Ottawa Marathon is the largest marathon event in Canada and participants can use it to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Haissam Dahan ran his first 10K after marriage and kids on this weekend and shares his experience with Muslim Link.

Communities of different faiths gathered near Dow’s Lake on May 3rd to take part in the annual Tulipathon, a charity walk organized to raise awareness and funds for affordable housing in Ottawa.

An information session was organized Saturday at the MAC Youth Centre to explain Ontario’s updated Health and Physical Education curriculum to Muslim parents. The revised curriculum will be introduced in public schools starting September 2015.

Talent for Syria is a unique and vibrant event that showcases the best of local talent. It’s a platform to engage youth and the greater community in artistic expression, while supporting a noble cause.

Important figures of the past and present came to life during Iqraa School’s “Night at the Life Museum”. Dozens of students from various Arabic-speaking levels presented the life-time stories and achievements of famous personalities, from influential writers like Ibn Sina and Taha Hussein, to fictional characters like Ali Baba and Aladdin.

Just over a month ago, Canadian citizen Benamar Benatta quietly settled his lawsuit against the federal government over the unlawful treatment he suffered in the days immediately after 9/11.

Aaida “Mombasa” Mamuji is an amateur boxer who, while studying for her PhD at the University of Ottawa, began a program training Muslim women at the Final Round Boxing Club. Now that she’s left Ottawa for an exciting position at York University, she is happy to see the program continuing with a new trainer, and former participants as coordinators. Muslim Link interviewed Mamuji about what she feels the program has achieved over the last four years.

On April 10, despite being in the middle of exams, students at Carleton University gathered for a candlelight vigil to mourn the murder of 147 students at Garissa University in Kenya.

On Wednesday, March 18th, students at the University of Ottawa gathered to take photos and to speak out against discrimination against Muslim women who veil in Canada. The action was initiated by Civil Law student Hina Ansari and led by fellow Civil Law student Assma Basalamah and Common Law student Aruba Mustafa, who is also the president of the university’s Muslim Law Students’ Association (MLSA).

Muslim Link caught up with the coordinators of this year’s Islam Awareness Week (IAW) at Carleton University. Carleton University Muslim Students' Association (MSA) members, Bangladeshi Canadian journalism student Radiyah Chowdhury and graduate student Arab Canadian Amr Daouk, ran the MSA's annual IAW from March 16th to the 20th in Carleton’s Atrium.

On March 14th, thousands of Canadians gathered across the country in over 70 communities to show their outrage over the Conservative government’s proposed Anti-Terrorism Act, Bill C-51. Everyone from Canada’s Privacy Commissioner, to NDP Party Leader Tom Mulcair and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, to former Prime Ministers Paul Martin, Jean Chretien , and Joe Clark, have spoken out against this Bill, stating that it will needlessly infringe on the civil liberties of Canadians and also will probably not increase national security. Despite this, the Conservative and Liberal Parties have stated that they will vote in favour of the Bill.

The annual Milad un Nabi (Birthday of the Prophet pbuh) returned to Parliament Hill on February 11th, after more than a decade of being hosted at other locations. Given the recent attack on the Hill on October 22nd, this was quite timely as a gesture of trust between Parliament and Ottawa’s Muslim communities. Conservative Member of Parliament and Chief Government Whip John Duncan hosted the event in Parliament’s Historic Railway Committee Room where the iconic “The Fathers of Confederation” painting hangs.

Several Iraqi Canadian youth have come together to organize a fundraiser for Displaced Iraqis. The funds raised will be contributed to Human Concern International (HCI)’s “Iraq” Fund. The event takes place on February 27th at the St. Elias Banquet Hall with tickets selling for $30 (Students) and $35 (General Admission).

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.

The Muslim Association of Canada (MAC) invites Muslim families to take part in their Canadian Family Day program on Monday, February 16th, from 1pm to 5pm, at the new MAC Youth Centre.

This event is an opportunity for families to experience the new facility including its programs, its lounge and its athletic spaces.