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Weightlifter Kulsoom Abdullah was on the brink of qualifying for the American Open tournament last year when she was eliminated. It was not her training regimen, muscle strength or weight that kept her from competing. It was her clothes.

After qualifying for a national tournament, the computer engineer with a Ph.D. from Georgia Tech and a black belt in taekwondo was told she could not compete because the modest athletic attire she wears might be dangerous or give her an unfair advantage because the long-sleeved garment would prevent judges from seeing if her elbows were locked.

With help from the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Ms. Abdullah waged a personal crusade with both the U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Weighlifting to push reform of the uniform law. As a result, on July 15, 2011, Ms. Abdullah became the first Muslim woman to compete in America's most prestigious weightlifting competition -- the USA National Weightlifting Championships -- while wearing clothing that covered her legs, arms and head.

Former Ottawa-resident Naser Bader al-Raas jailed in Bahrain for taking part in last year's anti-government protests was unexpectedly let out on bail on Feb. 6.

Mr. al-Raas' supporters say they hope he will soon return to Canada a free man.

Although Mr. al-Raas was apparently released for health reasons, his lawyer told AFP that the decision could also be “because (Mr. al-Raas) will most probably be proved innocent at the next hearing” set for Feb. 16.

Ottawa residents had the chance to sit down with one of sixty human "books" available to sign out at public library locations across the city on Jan. 28.

The event was billed as an exciting opportunity for the public to connect one-on-one with individuals who have diverse life experiences, stories and knowledge. For 20 minutes at the human library “readers” could “check out” people from completely different walks of life for one-on-one talks.

The concept of the human library was launched in Denmark in 2000 as a way to promote dialogue and diversity, reduce prejudice and encourage understanding. The eclectic list of human “books” at the Ottawa event included an Aboriginal spiritual healer, a child services worker, a neurosurgeon a Somali refugee, a judge, an HIV-positive man, a police officer and a Peking Opera performer.

Dec. 23rd 2011 marked the tenth year anniversary of the "Reviving the Islamic Spirit Conference" -- an event which draws thousands of Muslims each year from all over North America and the world to Canada, precisely at the foot of the iconic CN Tower.

Once a small youth initiative, the RIS Conference has now reached massive popularity among North American Muslims and attracted an attendance of approximately 20,000 people making it a sold out event for the first time since its inception in 2001.

Droves of Muslims descended upon the Metro Toronto Convention Center to shop in the Great Bazaar, to reconnect with old friends but most of all, to listen to inspiring lectures given by a panel of internationally recognized Muslim scholars.

Local and national Muslim groups are demanding swift action against vandals who attacked two west Quebec mosques.

“These are clearly hate crimes and authorities should act with speed and determination to catch the culprits so that they face the full force of the law,” Mohammad Zakaria Khan, president of the Muslim Coordinating Council (MCC-NCR), a local umbrella group said in a statement on Jan. 9.

Blessings are often taken for granted until they are taken away from us. ILT For those of us blessed to live in Canada, the thought of deprivation hardly ever crosses our minds. We do not have to think about lack of water, lack of food, leaving our home and belongings behind to live in an open-air camp, seeing people around us dying every day from hunger and treatable illnesses like malaria, diarrhea and cholera. These thoughts rarely, if ever, come into our minds. Yet they are the living reality for thousands of people affected by drought in Somalia.

Expressions of Muslim Women held their 4th annual show called Winds of Change at Centrepointe Studio Theatre on Dec. 10, 2011. The show exhibited artwork and performances by local Muslim women to a female audience. The new venue provided a professional space for this group of talented women to share their art with a full house of over 200 people. Proceeds went to local charities, including the Sadaqa Food Bank. The following are some of the items presented and the reactions from audience members:

On November 19 2011, a crowd of about 500 people gathered at the Human Rights Monument in downtown Ottawa and marched to Parliament Hill demanding that the Canadian government recognize the Syrian National Council and expel the Syrian Ambassador.

The march was organized by the Ottawa chapter of the Syrian Canadian Council and was attended by a diverse group of protesters from around Ottawa, Montreal and as far as Toronto.  Protesters came from various backgrounds and age groups and were joined by Syrians and non-Syrians alike who came to show support and solidarity with the Syrian people. A few Occupy Ottawa protesters also joined the march showing solidarity.

Carrying a message of tolerance, the new imam of the Ottawa Muslim Association mosque has taken up his job with a commitment to advance the cause of moderate Islam, help the local Muslim community contribute more to the wider society and enhance interfaith relations.

“I have a mission of building bridges, helping the Muslim community to know the moderate approach of Islam and coexist with the wider community like we have here in Canada,” Imam Samy Metwally, an Egyptian Muslim scholar, told the Ottawa Citizen.

United States' Special Representative to Muslim Communities, Farah Pandith, was in Canada between Nov. 15 and 17 “engaging” with Muslim communities and organisations on behalf of her boss, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

On Nov. 16, at a meeting with ethnic media hosted at the US Embassy, Ms. Pandith spoke about her mandate and what her government is doing to reach out to Muslim communities in the U.S. and around the world.

A woman who pleaded guilty to assault after pulling off a Muslim woman's face veil at a Mississauga, Ont., shopping mall has been given a suspended sentence.

Rosemarie Creswell had been charged with pulling the niqab off Inas Kadri as her three-year-old son and two-year-old daughter children watched at the Sheridan Centre mall in August 2010.

Domestic violence is expected to be the core subject of Friday prayer sermons in mosques and Islamic centres across Ottawa on Dec 9.

Prominent Muslim   organizations, Imams, community leaders and activists from all over the country have added their collective voice to the fight against domestic violence.

Disabled Muslims in Ottawa say they get no help from the Muslim community.

They were speaking at a meet-and-greet event to launch the Ottawa chapter of the Canadian Association of Muslims with Disabilities (CAM-D).

Only thirty-five people showed up at the Sept. 25 event held at Carleton University.

The Muslim community still lacks a model of support and care, which every other denomination in Ontario has established, Rabia Khedr, CAM-D's Executive Director said at the meeting.

One of Ottawa's most popular Muslim prayer spaces has turned to the community for help.

Islam Care Centre, commonly referred to as the Da'wah Centre, is appealing for funding to demolish its present, dilapidated premises and build a modern structure to meet the community's growing needs.

The ICC is unique among Muslim organizations in Ottawa because of its location in the heart of the city.  Situated at 312 Lisgar St., the centre offers a prayer area and a library that serves Muslim men and women working or living in the downtown core, visitors to Ottawa, diplomats and non-Muslims wishing to learn about Islam.

Dozens of Libyan-Canadians gathered on Parliament Hill to celebrate the fall of Muammar Gaddafi, the man who maintained an iron rule over their homeland for 42 years, and who they blame for plunging the country into a state of abject poverty and social decay.

Gaddafi's death marked the end of a violent political drama that has absorbed Canadian-Libyans for months, ever since the Arab Spring uprising in the Middle East reached Libya and touched off a civil war that led to Gaddafi's ouster two months ago.

Thousands of Libyans lost their lives in the country's civil war. We remember slain Ottawa residents Nader Ben Raween, 24, and Abdel Hamid Darrat, 46.

Ahmed Ali and his family smile when contemplating their next move. The house they will move into isn't ready yet, but thanks to the Habitat for Humanity housing program, the house will be their very own. And it comes with an interest-free mortgage.

For a family with five children -- two having special needs -- sharing a three-bedroom townhouse has been a challenge. They desperately need more space for their growing family, and so when Ahmed heard on the radio that there might be a way for him to move his family into a home they could affordably own, he began the process of applying.

Habitat for Humanity is an internationally-known initiative that helps low-income families acquire their own homes, either by renovating existing properties for them, or by building brand new homes for the families from the ground up.

The first Voice of Muslim Youth provincial election engagement session took place on Sept. 10 at Ben Franklin Place. I decided to organize this session after attending the Voice of Muslim Youth's Town Hall Meeting in July, when concerns around the lack of Muslim political engagement were raised. I told Kauthar Mohamed, the co-founder of VOMY, that I had an idea of how to get Muslim youth interested in politics by showing them how the issues that concerned them most were linked to Canadian politics.

As the Ontario provincial election is taking place on Oct. 6, I felt there was a great opportunity to encourage Muslim youth to vote in the upcoming election by giving them the chance to meet and discuss their concerns with local provincial candidates. Thanks to the sponsorship of the South Nepean Muslim Community and the Ottawa Muslim Women's Organization, we were able to cover all the costs related to organizing this important event.

Are you a proud Canadian? Are you satisfied with the government? Is there anything you would change?

Remember how we felt when we heard that Jack Layton had passed away? What a loss for Canada! And then a second set of tears flooded our eyes when we read his letter. Throughout Canada, his words resounded; filling our hearts with pride and inspiring us to action.

His message was full of love, hope and optimism: “My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we'll change the world,” his letter read.

Are you optimistic about the future of Canada?

Lateef Hussaini reviews Glimpses from the Life of Muhammad Rasul Allah by Anwer Kuraishi

“Lives of great men all remind us; we can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us, footprints on the sands of time."
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Indeed, there has never been a greater man on earth than Muhammad bin Abdullah, the Messenger of Allah, the last and final prophet of Islam, may infinite peace and blessings be upon him.

It was mostly a gathering of the youth, and their message was clear: Muslim community leaders should take care of the community's most vulnerable.

The first town hall meeting of the “Voices of Muslim Youth” (VOMY) was a moving experience. Some 85 people attended, mostly but not all youth, including a big number of sisters. The evening included presentations, maghrib prayers (sunset prayers) and questions, as well as comments from the floor. Some 30 to 40 people stayed until the end.