A campaign started by three Montreal Muslim women in opposition to the Quebec Charter of Values, Support Another calls on Canadians to “walk in the footsteps of a visible minority” on January 13th, by wearing an article of religious clothing for a day.

“Support Another is a campaign against the Charter of Values with the purpose of giving all Canadian citizens an equal chance to stand up together for our freedom,” explains Yusr Al-Obaidy, one of the campaign organizers. “We are encouraging everyone to wear one of the four religious symbols that the PQ wants to ban in the public sector in order to eliminate the words ”˜visible minority' for one day.” 

Babas ”˜n' Babies offers fathers and their young children an opportunity to get together once a month in Ottawa and participate in a unique set of engaging programs.

“Babas ”˜n' Babies is the very first program in Ottawa designed specifically for children and their fathers,” says Omar Mahfoudhi, organizer of the activities. “The goal of the program is to give fathers of young children the opportunity to engage in various fun and interesting activities with their children in a safe, comfortable and supportive environment.”

Initiated early last year, the Babas ”˜n' Babies meet-ups offer fathers and their children a wide range of activities to enjoy together, including cooking sessions, guided nature walks, treasure hunts, gardening, library sessions, guided museum tours and woodcraft workshops.

After taking the Montreal Muslim community by storm, women's clothing store Boutique N-Ti opened its first Ontario location in Mississauga early this month.

“We've been discussing the opening of a store for more than two years,” says Fatma Nurmohamed, CEO of the Toronto branch. “We've been planning, researching, marketing and selling through our mobile store until we were finally able to find the perfect location.”

When Sarah* and her husband Ali struggled to conceive for five years, they felt isolated and confused; unable to get the support they needed in their community to help them in their journey to start a family.

“Since I was a young girl I had dreamt of being a mother, but I never realized how difficult it might end up being for us,” Sarah shares. “Infertility is a common and growing problem, but unfortunately it is still quite a taboo subject. So when you are struggling, it can be difficult to find the courage and strength to speak out about your challenges and get the help you need, without feeling like you are being judged or gossiped about.”

The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination was commemorated worldwide last month on March 21, with the theme for this year being Racism and Sport, focusing on the importance of using universal activities such as sport to affirm fundamental human rights and help combat racism.

According to Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary General of the United Nations, racism remains a serious problem around the world today and is even prevalent in professional sports. He called on using this day to highlight the positive values of sports and promoting the values of equality and non-discrimination to combat racism.

“We must join forces to end racism and sport can help reach this goal,” he said in a UN released statement. “On this International Day, let us recommit to ending racial discrimination and realizing our vision of justice, equality and freedom from fear for all.”

As dieticians across the country reach out to Canadians this month in an effort to remind them of the importance of making healthy food choices and the positive impact good nutrition can have on one's health and well-being, the Muslim Link talked to a couple of mothers in the community to get their thoughts on the subject.

March marks National Nutrition Month, with the slogan for this year's campaign“Best Food Forward: Plan, Shop, Cook, Enjoy” focusing on the importance of making healthy food choices when grocery shopping.

For Jessica Murray, mother of three year-old Musa, one year-old Maryam and one month-old Hannah, making healthy food choices at the grocery store can sometimes be challenging due to the higher costs that are often associated with healthy and fresh food items.

It's often believed that Muslim women, especially those who wear the hijab, are liberated from the media-driven standards of beauty. But growing evidence indicates that Muslim women and teens are just as susceptible to negative body image and eating disorders.

Across Canada, as well as elsewhere around the world, the month of February kicked off with the annual Eating Disorders Awareness Week (EDAW). A joint effort headed by a variety of organizations and community groups, EDAW aims to raise awareness about eating disorders and the factors causing them.

Nestled between the fruit markets and video stores on a busy street in St-Laurent, many may pass by the modest bureau of the Amal Center for Women without a second glance. An inconspicuous sign at the front door leads the way up a flight of stairs to the center's office, where Muslim women from different parts of the city come together to bring hope to those that need it most.

A Montreal-based Muslim organisation is hoping to inspire a “new definition of manhood” by encouraging men to be more demonstrative of their love for the women in their lives.

In keeping with this year's International Women's Day theme of“Working Together: Engaging Men to End Violence against Women”, Amal Centre, a counselling and referral organisation for Muslim women affected by abuse, is asking men to wear their hearts on their sleeve, and miniature purple bow ties on their lapels in honour of their wives, mothers and sisters.

The Parti Québécois win in Quebec has drawn mixed reaction from Canada's second largest Muslim community.

Amongst Montreal's 200,000-strong Muslim community, there was a varied sense of disappointment at the success of the Parti Québécois, consolation that the separatist party failed to win the required 63 seats to form a majority government, relief that the Liberals are no longer in leadership; and hope that the new balance of power will usher positive change.