“Racism in the Ummah”, a short film by a group of students from the University of Ottawa, received an Honourable Mention at the University of Ottawa Muslim Students’ Association (UOMSA) Film Festival in February.

University student Rowda Ismail reflects on a strange experience she and her friends had recently in Ottawa's Nordstrom. 

Recently, Black Muslim Canadian Spoken Word poet Key Ballah wrote a piece for Love, Inshallah about her experience in a predominantly Pakistani mosque in Toronto where she was interrupted during prayer and told that “This is an Urdu-speaking mosque” and “There is another mosque where you can go not too far from here. There are more people like you there.” In the piece, she reflected on the need to honestly and openly address anti-Black racism in the Canadian Muslim community. Muslim Link invited Key to speak more in depth about what she thinks needs to be done to address anti-Black racism.

Faiza Hassan, a trainee lawyer in Ottawa, reflects on the importance of professionalism for young professionals from Black and Muslim backgrounds navigating workspaces where there are still not many people who look like them. This article is based on a speech delivered by Faiza Hassan at the Awakening the Spirit of Somali Youth Conference in January 2015

When news of Nelson Mandela passing spread, the world was shaken. From the people of South Africa who felt the direct impact of his actions, to those who benefited from his AIDS campaign; everyone was saddened.

For me, Mandela's death really hit home. As a Palestinian, I looked up to Mandela. I remember one night, years ago, doing a google search to find out who he was. I quickly learned that he was an anti-apartheid advocate and a hero to the South Africans. I soon stumbled on one of his quotes that I would never forget: “We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.” 

Canada and Canadians joined the international community in mourning the death of South Africa's first elected Black President, Nelson Mandela.

An Ottawa Muslim congregation listened intently at its weekly Friday prayers as his enduring quality of forgiveness was recalled from the pulpit.

The Canadian Parliament rose to pay tribute to Mandela.

In a rare recent gesture, reflecting Mandela's own sterling legacy of fostering unity, the two opposing parliamentary leaders, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Opposition Leader Thomas Mulcair, crossed the floor, in turn, to shake hands. Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau also praised the fallen African hero.