News

Following a successful campaign last year, the Who is Hussain Ottawa team is gearing up for their Muharram 2013 campaign. In its second year, Who is Hussain is a worldwide initiative that aims to familiarise the public with Hussain (pbuh), grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). For standing up against injustice and oppression, Hussain (pbuh) was killed alongside his companions and family on Ashura (tenth day of the Islamic month Muharram) in the year 680 AD.

On October 25, the Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan (CWWA) organized a screening of the Afghan film 25 Darsad (25 Percent). Directed by Diana Saqeb, 25 Darsad features Afghan female politicians speaking about their daily lives.

In Afghanistan's parliament, out of the 249 available seats, 68 or 25 percent are reserved for female parliamentarians. 

Diana Saqeb is a documentary film maker and women's rights activist who grew up in the Afghan diaspora. A current resident of Kabul, she focuses on stories that touch her or that she has experienced. Her own sister, Sabrina Saqeb was an Afghan parliamentarian.

Even before the spirit of Eid hit everyone, the BISA (Bell Islamic Student Association) crew was busy planning one of their biggest events of the year: the annual Eid dinner.

On October 18, following the celebrations of Eid-Ul-Fitar, guests were treated to poetry, a fun photo booth, and excellent food. This year's event included speakers Qussai Abu-Naqoos and Osama Berrada, and was hosted by Othman Tmoulik.

Egyptian singer Hamza Namira, who is considered to be the unofficial Artist of the Egyptian Revolution during which he was a fixture in Tahrir Square, performed in Ottawa on Sunday, October 27th to a packed audience. Namira was in Ottawa as part of his first-ever Canadian tour, which is a fundraiser for Islamic Relief Canada's projects in Egypt. PeaceMidan, a non-profit organization which aims to build on the momentum of the Arab Spring in order to foster civic engagement and social entrepreneurship in Arab countries, organized Namira's visit. “Hamza Namira is the voice of hope, not only in Egypt but in the Middle East region,” explained Mohamed Abouelsaoud, co-founder and vice-president of PeaceMidan.

This Halloween, Nagat Bahumaid was surprised to find herself on the front page of Imgur, a popular photo sharing site. A friend had casually posted a photo Nagat had taken of herself at work dressed as Princess Leia from the film Star Wars, using her hijab to make those classic Princess Leia braids. Within a few hours the photo went viral, getting over 100,000 views and shared on blogs around the world.

On September 20th, the Ottawa Muslim Association in partnership with the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) and the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) hosted an information night and panel discussion on the subject of Hate Crimes.

The event, which was held in the basement of the Ottawa Main Mosque, was attended by over 50 members of the Ottawa community. The event was opened by Imam Samy Metwally who spoke a few words on the principles of Islam as it pertains to justice, reminding the audience of the importance of forgiveness and the pivotal role it plays in the legislation of love in Islam.

Prominent religious leaders from North American Sunni and Shi'a Muslim communities have developed an agreement meant to stem violence and tension between their respective communities.

The Washington Declaration For the Protection of Nations and Societies from the Menace of Sectarian Violence aims to facilitate mutual respect and unity between Muslim communities in North America and address the rise in sectarian violence in countries such as Pakistan, Iraq, and Syria.

Two local university students have decided to raise funds to provide free wheelchairs in honour of a disabled family member in a most unconventional way: collecting pull-tabs off pop cans.

Lama and Narjes Zeitoun founded Kawthar on Wheels (KOW) last June, a non-profit organization which aims to provide wheelchairs for those with physical disabilities and financial challenges.

The Muslim Students' Association (MSA) at Carleton University has unveiled a useful new online service that allows people to find and invite suitable roommates to live with.

Human Concern International (HCI) held its 33rd Annual Charity Dinner on Friday, September 27th with a theme of hope interwoven throughout the evening.

This year's keynote speaker was Dr. Norman Cook, a former director with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) who retired in 2006 but has continued to work in the field in the Middle East and Central Asia.

The Kanata Muslim Association (KMA) presented a cheque for $2500 to City Councillor Marianne Wilkinson to support the construction of the Richcraft Recreation Complex. Located in Kanata North, near the Terry Fox Drive and March Road Intersection, the Richcraft Recreation Complex will be an energy efficient, high quality, fitness, recreation and aquatic facility. The City of Ottawa will name the kitchen in the complex after KMA.

Muslim Family Services of Ottawa (MFSO) is working with the Children's Aid Society of Ottawa (CAS) to implement the Shared Journeys project which aims to improve communication and collaboration between CAS and Ottawa's Muslim communities.

The impetus for the project arises from the work of the Muslim Resource Centre for Social Support and Integration (MRCSSI) of London, Ontario which has worked with that city's CAS to dramatically reduce the number of Muslim children who are taken into care. MRCSSI received $285,000 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and another $70,000 from the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General in order to expand the project to York, Kingston, and Ottawa.

In a groundbreaking event, on Sept. 19th Palestinian Authority Foreign Affairs Minister Riad Malki delivered a public speech at the University of Ottawa's  Huguette Labelle Hall.

In his speech entitled “Palestine: Current Challenges and Prospects for Peace” Minister Malki highlighted the lessons learned in the past 20 years since the Oslo Agreement was initiated, and how this interim peace offer has affected the Palestinian people and the overall political environment of this volatile region. Minister Malki expressed his sadness over the conflict that has affected the area for decades, stating how disheartening it is that such violence is being witnessed in a land where “people of every religion greet each other with ”˜Peace'”.

For the 13th year in a row, Britannia Park transformed into a diverse and fun-filled showcase of Ottawa's eclectic Muslim community to celebrate both the summer and Eid.

Held by the Muslim Association of Canada (MAC) on August 10, the festival once again provided an opportunity for members of the community to showcase their cultures and traditions to one another and the general public.

“The more familiar we are with each other, the more respect we will build within our own community. Not only does it create positive networking for local businesses but it gives the youth a chance to feel part of a global family,” said Mariam El-Chamaa, a professional event planner who headed up this year's programming for the first time.  She said she was surprised by how well she enjoyed the experience.

Along with tents set up from a variety of Muslim majority countries from around the world such as Palestine, Egypt, and Somalia, there were also tents representing Muslim convert communities closer to home including First Nations in Canada and Latin Americans representing Venezuela and Peru.

Saint Vincent Hospital's bright multi-faith room was brimming with joyful activity during the Second Annual Eid Celebration, coordinated by the Spiritual Care Services of the Bruyere Continuing Care Centre, in partnership with members of the Muslim community.

Several patients were joined by several dozen family and community members to celebrate the end of Ramadan with prayer, music, treats and gifts on Wednesday, August 14.

The 10th Annual MuslimFest took place in the heart of Mississauga's Celebration Square over Labour Day weekend.

Over 25,000 participants attended the two-day event which has combined family entertainment with artistic expression since its inception in 2004. A joint collaboration between DawaNet, Young Muslims Canada, and Sound Vision, the festival brings together local and international performers to celebrate Muslim achievements in arts and culture.

The fiery debate over secularism and reasonable accommodation is once again a hot topic in Quebec, as Premiere Pauline Marois' government is poised to introduce controversial legislation that will ban religious symbols in the public sphere.

As part of the proposed “Charter of Quebec Values”, public employees working at government offices, schools, CEGEPs, universities, hospitals, courtrooms, police stations and daycares will be prohibited from wearing hijabs, turbans, kippas, niqabs and visible crucifixes.

Ottawa's first-ever outdoors Eid prayer and Khutbah (sermon), held at Greenboro Park, was by most accounts a smashing success as a large number of families chose to remain at the park for what turned out to be a fun-filled day of games, activities and entertainment. 

Yaman Marwah and Rama Imadi are the founders of the Syrian Association of Ottawa (SAO) which began as a regular university-based students' cultural association.

Mr. Marwah, SAO's President, is a 4th year student in Law and Economics at Carleton University. Ms. Imadi, SAO's Vice-President, is a 4th year student in Linguistics at the University of Ottawa. Both were galvanized by the March 2011 revolution in Syria to take action to raise awareness about the struggle of Syria's people against the regime.

The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), formerly known as the Council of American Islamic Relations-Canada (CAIR-CAN), hosted a community picnic on Saturday, July 6th at the Dovercourt Community Centre ”“ and before a crowd of over 300, re-affirmed its mission to foster civic engagement in the Muslim community.

Simultaneous events were held in Vancouver and Toronto, but Ottawa was fortunate to have the founder, Dr. Sheema Khan, attend to sketch a history of the organization from its humble roots in Montreal to its incorporation as a national civil liberties organisation in 2000.