Muslim Link interviewed Rayanne Bendaoud about how her encounter with a Syrian refugee in Ottawa inspired her to organize the United for Syria Soccer Tournament this Saturday, July 23rd to raise money for refugees supported by the United Nations’ Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

(If you would like to register as a team or individual for this all ages tournament click here for details.)

Ramadan, the time of year when we fast all through the day and then treat ourselves with traditional favourites that are often fried, high in calories, and laden with sugar and fat. It can be a challenge to eat healthy when confronted with a plate of crispy fried samosas, oh-so-sweet halwa, or flaky qatayaf at iftar (meal to break the fast).

Rawan Suleiman, a registered dietitian shares strategies on how we can eat healthy in Ramadan.

Syrian Hadi Wess currently studies psychology at the University of Ottawa, where he is also the Vice-President-Social for the university’s Student Federation (SFUO).

He helped to organize a vigil on June 13th honouring the victims of the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida. SFUO condemned homophobia, transphobia but also Islamophobia at the vigil, where the tragedy was framed as a hate crime against the LGBTQ community as opposed to a terrorist attack.

Montreal-based Syrian Canadian journalist Oussayma Canbarieh has made multiple documentaries exploring the challenges faced by Muslims navigating their identity within North American societies. In particular, her ground-breaking web series for Radio Canada International, “Me, The Muslim Next Door”, follows the lives of seven young Muslim Canadians in Montreal and Toronto. Oussayma was awarded the Lys de la Diversité Prize for web-journalism in 2013.

The National Council on Canada-Arab Relations (NCCAR) and the Canadian Arab Institute (CAI) are collaborating to host the Diversity in Parliament Reception on Wednesday, May 18th at the City of Ottawa. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet and engage with several of the current Arab Canadian Members of Parliament. Retired Senator Pierre De Bané, Canada’s first Arab Member of Parliament, will also be a guest of honour. Proceeds from the event will be going towards scholarships for Syrian newcomers and youth parliamentary internships.

Muslim Link received this letter from an Arab Canadian young man in Ottawa in response to the article "Ottawa Students’ Film Highlights Experiences of Racism in the Ummah".

Abraar School is organizing a conference on February 13 for teachers of Arabic as a second language in Ottawa. Muslim Link interviewed Dina Shalabi, the Islamic Studies Coordinator for Abraar School and chair of the conference, about why local Arabic teachers should take advantage of this professional development opportunity.