Eastern Canada's Muslim Newspaper - Muslim Link

Eastern Canada’s Muslim Newspaper 

Volume 3 - Issue 8 

June 2005 

Jumada Al-Awwal 

Inside this issue: 

Ottawa / Montr eal Sec tion Pg 5-6 

Young Muslims Canada Pg 7 

Kids Wor ld Pg 8 

CAIR CAN Pg 10 

Cooking Corner Pg 12 

CIC Digest Pg 14 

World on the Street Pg 15

Page 2 The Muslim Link June 2005 

Blood on the Silk Road 

Editorial 

Centuries ago, Uzbekistan was part of one of the world's 

most exotic trade routes – the Silk Road. East and West 

were joined together in a partnership that saw the movement 

of luxurious goods like gold, silver and, of course, 

silk. 

Eventually, the Silk Road would help bring the message 

of Islam to Eastern Europe. Minarets soon pointed to the 

skies and Uzbek cities like Samarkand and Bukhara 

became known as jewels on a silken path. 

But the glorious history of Uzbekistan and its people is 

pierced with the greed of conquerors bent on acquiring 

more land and wealth, not least of whom was Genghis 

Khan. The Mongol leader and his followers would destroy 

Samarkand and Bukhara, killing thousands of Muslims. 

Despite the destruction, survivors held on to their religion. 

The Silk Road, though, would unravel. 

More recently, the Uzbeks experienced repressive Soviet 

rule that also sought to undermine their beliefs. Religious 

activity was curtailed and controlled. But Uzbeks again 

remained true to their way of life – emerging even more 

committed to Islam after the fall of the Soviet Union. 

Today, the people of Uzbekistan are facing another test 

of faith – this time from one of their own. Their president, 

Islam Karimov, is repressing their rights and freedoms in 

the name of combating terrorism. His real motive, though, 

is to maintain his grip on power. 

Karimov's ruthlessness was plain for the world to see this 

past May when he sent his army to kill men, women and 

children protesting the arrest of 23 businessmen in the 

city of Andijan. Estimates are that over five-hundred 

innocent people were murdered. 

And while Uzbekistan is yet another symbol of an Islamic 

legacy torn to shreds, the determination of its people 

should give us pause to think. Clearly, they are fed up 

with injustice. Question is, are we ready to support them? 

Are we willing to pressure the Canadian government – 

through our members of parliament - to publicly condemn 

leaders like Karimov? 

The Muslim Link 

Editor-in-Chief 

Lula Adam 

Lula@muslimlink.ca 

Editors 

Amira Elghawaby, Noor Syed, 

Intisar Mohamed, Kaha Osman, 

Idil Ismail, Mustafa Farah 

editors@muslimlink.ca 

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Letters to the Editor 

Dear Editor: 

Re: “Hijab: A Simple act of obedience to 

God” (April 2005) 

Salaam alaikum, 

Thank you for your article about hijab. This 

is an important issue and reminds us of the 

importance of modesty. Modern Western 

culture certainly needs plenty of reminders. 

Muslims naturally follow the prophet (SAW). 

Non-believers naturally oppose God and 

goodness. Lacking ethics and support from 

Divine Scripture, unbelievers naturally prefer 

to make hijab a political issue instead of an 

ethical issue. My impression is that the 

Liberal government, the Supreme Court, the 

media, sports organizations and feminist 

organizations all promote disbelief. 

A Muslim Hero of 

Rwanda 

Imran Siddiqui 

Over eleven years ago, 

genocide occurred in the 

Great Lakes region of 

central Africa. So me 

800,000 Rwandans were 

massacred by their fellow 

countrymen in the space 

of one hundred days. 

Many of the perpetrators of this brutality 

have gained notoriety under indictment at 

the International Criminal Tribunal for 

Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha, Tanzania. Rarely, 

if ever, have we heard about the courageous 

people who risked their lives to save innocent 

Rwandans. Captain Mbaye Diagne was 

one of those heroes. 

Diagne was a young Senegalese army 

officer who acted as an unarmed Military 

Observer for the UN peacekeeping force in 

Rwanda. He was also a devout Muslim, as 

the mission head LGen Roméo Dallaire 

recounts in his book Shake Hands With the 

Devil - The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda: 

“One evening as he sat at his desk transcribing, 

he felt the sudden need of prayer and 

slid off his chair to his knees on his prayer 

carpet, his head toward Mecca, as 

required by his Islamic faith. At that exact 

When people walk naked in the streets with 

impunity, such as at gay pride parades, the 

media publicize it. The unbelievers find 

hope. Hijab and other reminders of God, 

they scorn. The prophet faced the same 

dilemma as we face today. He accepted the 

job of bringing the good people toward the 

light. Some people followed him but many 

rejected him. To oppress the light, I figure 

the government promotes homosexuality. 

For the past twenty years or so, whenever 

religious rights have opposed homosexual 

rights, the latter have won. Consider the 

religious rights that we have already lost: 

• A minute of silence has replaced prayer 

in the House of Commons. 

• Public schools consider and teach that 

God is irrelevant in today's world. 

• The homosexual lobby group EGALE 

announced that the Elementary Teachers 

Federation of Ontario and the BC 

moment, a huge piece of shrapnel smashed 

through his 

window from a 

mortar explosion, 

flying 

through the 

space he had 

just vacated, 

bouncing off 

the walls and 

landing still redhot 

near his 

feet. He came 

within a hair’s 

breadth of certain death. Always dignified 

and composed, Diagne reported the damage 

to his window and then returned to his 

desk to complete his tedious but essential 

transcribing.” [p.313] When the war started, 

Captain Diagne took on the role of UN liaison 

with the government army. 

His role gave Diagne access to the vast 

number of inhabitants trapped behind army 

lines. These civilian men, women, and 

children, were being hacked to death by the 

army and militias. Mbaye’s colleagues 

commented that he was always moving 

about but they could not figure out what he 

was doing. Later they learned that he was 

actually saving lives. In fact, he saved 

hundreds of people, including the Prime 

Minister’s children, by shuttling them across 

roadblocks manned by deadly militiamen to 

Teachers Federation are amongst its 

"Gold" supporters. 

• The government ordered Churches to 

stay out of the gay marriage debate or 

they would lose their charitable status. 

• "No fault" divorce makes it very easy to 

break up a family. 

• At the United Nations, the government 

of Canada recently promoted and voted 

for recognition of gay and lesbian 

marriage. 

May God turn the tide and restore faith and 

goodness in the hearts of Canadians. 

Sincerely, 

Peter Bradley 

The Muslim Link welcomes your letters. 

Please email your letters to 

letters@muslimlink.ca. (We reserve the 

right to edit for length and clarity). 

safety. Each trip consisted of locating 

imperiled civilians, loading no more than 

three or four of them into a jeep, and then 

traversing the dozens upon dozens of 

checkpoints to reach a safe area. At each 

roadblock, Diagne charmed his way through, 

convincing the murderers not to kill his occupants. 

It is said that African soldiers are 

extremely good at talking to people and 

negotiating, but it was Mbaye’s good nature 

that won him the confidence of everyone he 

met. He was always smiling and joking, even 

in the horrifying situation of the genocide. 

A mortar explosion cut short Mbaye Diagne’s 

life. When they heard the news, his 

colleagues cried because they knew a real 

hero had passed on. Diagne had ignored 

orders not to interfere in the crisis; even 

while the UN was shamefully pulling out its 

troops, he was saving people’s lives. In the 

process, Mbaye exemplified the traits of 

courage, heroism, and humanity. “Can you 

imagine the blanket media coverage that a 

dead British or American peacekeeper of 

Mbaye’s bravery and stature would have 

received? He got almost none,” said BBC’s 

Mark Doyle. 

To learn about the Rwandan genocide, as 

well as to see some footage that Diagne 

filmed himself, visit the PBS online documentary 

Ghosts of Rwanda. http://www.pbs. 

org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/ghosts/

Jumada Al-Awwal 1426 www.MuslimLink.ca Page 3 

State of Our Ummah 

Faten Salah 

1.3 billion people! This is the number of Muslim brothers 

and sisters we have around the world today, living 

in every country imaginable. The Muslim ummah is 

estimated to be 21% of the world’s population, and is 

only second to Christians who are 33%. Though Islam 

comes second in population, it is the fastest growing 

religion in the world. This true faith of ours grows at a 

rate of 2.9% per year, even faster than the total world 

population which has a growth rate of 2.3% annually. 

Imagine that I, a girl in Canada, am a sister of a girl in 

Malaysia. What brings us together? What is our sole 

connection? The message of Islam; the universal 

calling to worship none but our Lord Allah the way our 

Prophet (SAW) worshipped Him. Islam breaks down 

all barriers such as wealth and race, allowing us to 

work together as one body to struggle for one cause. 

This phenomenon of millions of people all around the 

world prostrating to the one and only God is most apparent 

at hajj (pilgrimage), where millions each year 

from every conceivable country gather at the best 

place on earth, Mecca, the centre of the Islamic world. 

This rich diversity of ours can be seen in our own 

masjids as well. Arabs can be seen praying side-byside 

with African-Americans, South Asians praying 

with Europeans, Afghans praying with Indonesians. 

And as Islam spreads through the human race, the 

number of masjids grows to accommodate. Looking at 

United States, up to the 1960s, only 20 masjids stood 

for the people to congregate in. Now, thousands of 

masjids are available to worship in, not including 

temporary prayer spaces offered to Muslims such as 

on university campuses and in the workplace. 

However, although we grow in number, our influence 

in this world is limited to our ability to stick together. 

Do you not remember the tale of the sticks? One stick 

can easily be broken, while several sticks put together, 

it is difficult to break them. This age-old anecdote 

shows the importance and benefits of unifying 

ourselves. Islam teaches to love for your brother as 

you love for yourselves, so let us be accepting of one 

another, and loving towards one another. As we do 

this, surely the result will be a stronger bond between 

the Muslims, matters not where they live. Unity in 

diversity is our strength as a Muslim ummah. Let us 

embrace it. 

Little Voices in a Loud 

World 

Idil Ismail 

Tuning into global news any day of the week 

one is confronted with the chaotic state humanity 

is in. Warring nations and resource 

grubbing parties are so much at each other’s 

throats that it is a wonder the planet does not 

explode from all this friction. Amidst all the 

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political maneuvering, there are important 

voices being drowned out. These are the 

voices of the world’s children. 

UNICEF’S report “The State of The World’s 

Children 2005” has brought to surface the 

need to look beyond surface politics and see 

what all this is doing to the most vulnerable 

members of the global society. The report 

names poverty, conflict, and HIV/AIDS as the 

leading causes for childhood suffering in the 

developing world. The majority of these children 

live in severe deprivation, no access to 

clean water and sufficient food, sickness due 

to malnutrition and disease, and lack of 

schooling. 

When conflict strikes it is often children and 

other defenseless members of a society that 

are hit hardest. Think of the all the conflicts 

going on in different parts of the world right 

now. Thousands of children are disabled, 

killed, and orphaned by war. Rape is a frequent 

weapon of war and it is used against 

men, women, and children alike. When civil 

society breaks down, the safety nets that keep 

children secure under normal circumstances 

are destroyed. Some are abducted and 

forced to serve in militia operations. The number 

of children serving as soldiers is somewhere 

between 150000 and 200000. They 

are not always combatants; some are used as 

Thank You 

W. Mohamed 

Many of us would find it very difficult to not say “thank 

you” to a kind stranger that held open a door for us 

while we carried groceries; or to someone on the bus 

that helped us gather our belongings after we’ve accidentally 

dropped them. How rude, in our perception, 

is a person who says nothing when someone helps 

them out of a bind? How despicable is one, who not 

only refuses to acknowledge an act of kindness, but 

also responds in malice? 

If these are our manners with the creation then how 

should our manners be with the Creator? The One 

who is more merciful to us than our own mothers. The 

One who blessed us with sight and hearing while others 

are impaired. The One who granted us security 

and sustenance while others are hungry and afraid. 

Every breath one takes is by His permission and 

grace. It is He (SWT) who made clear for us the 

straight path and made us among those who submit. 

Out of His immense bounty, He (SWT) sent us the 

Prophet (SAW) as a warner, a bringer of glad tidings 

and a mercy to mankind. One cannot begin to count 

the blessings of Allah (SAW), let alone do justice to 

giving Him due thanks and praise. “But if you count 

the favors of Allah, never will you be able to number 

them. Verily, man is given up to injustice and ingratitude." 

[Qur'an 14:34] 

Allah (SWT) also says in the Qur’an (interpretation of 

the meaning): “And remember! your Lord caused to 

be declared (publicly): "If ye are grateful, I will add 

more (favours) unto you; But if ye show ingratitude, 

truly My punishment is terrible indeed." [Qur’an 14:7] 

‘O Allah, help us to remember You, to thank You, and 

to worship You in the best of manners’. 

sex slaves, and servants for soldiers. 

In 2003 there were 15 million children orphaned 

by AIDS, 80% of them in Sub- 

Saharan Africa. HIV and AIDS have had a 

devastating affect on children in this part of 

the world. Children whose parents are sick 

often have to drop out of school to take care 

of them and any other siblings they have. 

Once parents are dead these children lose 

their most important safety net, and live with 

the stigma and discrimination often associated 

with orphans. 

What is your sharpest childhood memory? 

Does it involve being safe and happy? Playing 

under the care and security of your parents? 

Days spent running around with friends 

and only coming home for a quick drink or a 

mandatory meal? As you can see from the 

summary above, this reality does not exist for 

the majority of the world’s children. What can 

you take away from this lesson? Perhaps this 

is yet another opportunity to count your blessings 

and show support to those who need it 

most, and receive it least often. 

For more information on the state of the 

world’s children visit: 

http://www.unicef.org/sowc05/english/index. 

html 

Take control, call me today! 

Ghassan Luqman 

gluqman@allstate.ca 

T: 613.828.2818/263.1997 

F: 613.726.7874 

250B Greenbank Rd 

Ottawa


Awarding the Spirit of Giving 

Shahrukh Alavi 

Several weeks ago, 

the city of Ottawa held 

its 4th annual Civic 

Appreciation Awards 

ceremony. The mayor 

and several councillors 

gathered at City 

Hall to recognize the 

many volunteers at 

work in our communi- Mayor Chiarelli and Dr. Khan 

ties. This year’s recipients included Dr. and Mrs. Emdad 

Khan for their tireless efforts in helping build our community. 

Sr. Asma was given a community activism certificate 

while Dr. Emdad was awarded the Distinguished Civic 

Award in the field of Education. 

Upon their arrival in Barrhaven, they found that while 

there was a large Muslim population, any formal organization 

was lacking. Instead of waiting for others to act, 

they took the initiative to start a Muslim co mmunity. In 

1999, Dr. Emdad secured the use of a local community 

centre for daily prayers. Prayers continue to be offered 

there seven days a week including Taraweeh during the 

month of Ramadan. 

Today, Dr. Emdad is the founding president of Muslim 

Multicultural Community Services of Ottawa (MCSO), 

which is dedicated to the betterment of the society 

through community service. While hosting many yearly 

activities such as Bazaars, Eid Parties and community 

picnics, the main focus has become tutoring and Quranic 

lessons. Relying on the strength of our educated community, 

MCSO operates four tutoring centres around the city, 

giving students part time jobs, while helping youth with 

their school work. The program also gives the youth a 

chance to interact with some very positive role models. 

Dr. Emdad would like to see the tutoring project expand 

to benefit as many youth as possible. 

Together, Dr. Emdad and Sr. Asma, continue to build the 

community through various social events. They also try 

to reach out to the greater Ottawa community by making 

all their events as welcoming as possible. Leaders from 

other communities such as the Lions Club and City councillors 

are invited to attend these events to gain a better 

understanding of our community. 

Their dedication is an inspiration for all of us. The Civic 

Appreciation awards are awarded to people nominated by 

the general public. If you know anyone whose volunteer 

efforts should be recognized at next year’s ceremony, 

please visit the city of Ottawa website for more details 

www.ottawa.ca. 

We would like to hear from you! 

Send us your articles, comments, 

suggestions, and if you would like to get 

involved, please email us at: 

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S. Khan 

It can lead to months of sleepless nights, 

less freedom, twice as much work and the 

most horrific carpet stains. Not to mention 

hours of annoying songs and a sharp 

increase in baggage- even if you’re just 

going to the corner store. According to the 

American government, it comes with a total 

price tag of $160,000. Yet at least 80% of 

the people in the world choose to make “it” a 

part of their lives. Are they nuts you wonder? 

Not really, because if you take into consideration 

the numerous rewards and unparalleled 

joys that parenting a child brings, you’ll 

see that it’s well worth the effort. 

Children are one of the greatest sources of 

happiness around. All it takes is a look, a 

smile or a simple gesture from an innocent 

child and even the grouchiest of people melt 

and smile back. When you have a child, you 

don’t need Prozac, television or even your 

friends for amusement, you have the most 

entertaining show right in your own living 

room! 

Children can be very demanding and time 

Freecycle 

Muslim Style! 

Ottawa sisters click, connect and share 

Muslim Link Staff 

A group of Ottawa Muslim women are using 

the Internet to share items they no longer 

need. 

And while the “Ottawa Islamic Community 

Closet” exists only in cyberspace, it has 

already provided Muslim families with all 

sorts of goods ranging from an air conditioner 

to kitchenware to children's clothing – 

all absolutely free. 

The goal is to eventually reach as many 

Muslim fa milies as possible, says one of the 

group's moderators. 

“I truly believe that there is a genuine 

demand out there that is not being met,” 

says Noor Limame. “So many people out 

there have to knock on non-Muslim's doors 

to receive assistance, for clothing, household 

items, books, etc. It is time that the community 

gives back to the community for the sake 

of Allah (swt).” 

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consuming, especially during their early 

years, but as they grow up they become 

good companions who ward off loneliness. 

Often, people who decide not to have kids to 

avoid the hassle, live to regret it. They later 

find themselves all alone in life without anyone 

to share their accomplishments or pass 

on the fruits of their years of labour to. 

In fact, children can be a great motivation for 

people through the difficult times and they 

even keep their parents from falling apart. 

The tragedy of September 11th left behind 

quite a few widows who have done countless 

interviews about their will to carry on 

because of their children. They had to put on 

a brave face, pick up the pieces and keep 

their lives going. Even in other hardships 

like the loss of a job or marital difficulties, 

some people wouldn’t get out of 

bed for weeks and work on their 

problems if it weren’t for their kids! 

Through children we beco me 

extremely accomplished beings. 

As you raise a child you develop 

so many skills like patience, the 

ability to entertain and be creative, 

mediation, budgeting, good fashion 

taste, first aid etc. Then you can take 

those new skills and use them in other areas 

The group is modeled after the Ottawa Freecycle, 

an online list in which members 

exchange items at no charge. The Ottawa 

Islamic Community Closet, however, is open 

only to Muslim sisters. 

“The group caters to Muslim women who 

reside in the Ottawa/Gatineau region,” 

explains Limame. “Any Muslimah from the 

community can ask for assistance on behalf 

of her family, herself or for a friend. She can 

give on behalf of her family, herself, or even 

a friend as well, insha Allah. . .We are 

indeed a non-mixing group though, and the 

purpose of that is in order to preserve our 

purity of heart and of our intentions for the 

sake of Allah (swt).” 

So far, the group, operating since January of 

this year, includes 27 members. Rania 

Waseef joined the group in March. She gave 

away head scarves to one sister and 

received a bread maker from another. 

“Everyone is eager to give,” says Waseef. 

“And there is a fast response (to requests).” 

Christine Tisi, also a group member, adds 

that not only is the group a great way to 

share but it also helps members save 

money. “. . .When we need something in 

particular, why not make a post to see if any- 

of your life, so that you benefit all around. If 

raising a child makes you patient, you’ll be 

able to be more patient at work, with you 

parents and even with members of the 

community. 

Finally, we all have issues with the world 

around us. We complain about the lack of 

manners, so many Muslims going astray and 

disunity. Children are, therefore, our opportunity 

from Allah to do something about all of 

this. If it weren’t for parents, most people 

wouldn’t even know how to go to the washroom 

or communicate properly, so you can 

raise your children with the good manners, 

love of Islam and respect for their fellow 

Muslims that is missing from the 

world. You’re no longer just sitting 

on the sidelines complaining, 

you’re making a difference. 

Anyone who decides to become a 

parent has to be prepared for 

hard work, sacrifice and perseverance. 

It is life’s most 

demanding and on-going 

project. However, because 

of it, many people have and 

will enjoy many blessings from 

Allah and their children may even 

be their ticket into Paradise. 

one has that particular item, rather than go 

out and buy it,” she says. 

Another positive element of the group is its 

ability to connect Muslim sisters from across 

the region, says Limame. She says she 

hopes that new Muslim sisters will benefit, 

too. 

“I think about the new Muslimah that needs 

assistance in jump starting her new Islamic 

wardrobe . . . Here she can get help at no 

cost to her, insha Allah. It is an even 

exchange, from one person to another,“ says 

Limame, herself a convert. “She might need 

a copy of the Holy Qur'an, or a translation, or 

even just a place to find encouragement from 

others in the community for her newfound 

life. I would like the assistance be not only on 

a material level but even on a more mental/ 

spiritual level as well, insha Allah.” 

Limame says she would love to see the 

group eventually expand beyond the Internet 

and into the real world – perhaps establishing 

a center for the Muslim community where 

people could exchange and share food, 

clothing and furniture. 

For now, sisters who would like to find out 

more can visit http://groups.yahoo.com/ 

group/TheOttawaIslamicCommunityCloset/ 

Visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheOttawaIslamicCommunityCloset to find out more and to get involved!

Jumada Al-Awwal 1426 Ottawa Page 5 

Choice of Event 

Leaves Youth at Sea 

Huda Amareh 

Ottawa Islamic School 

Attendees at the Somali Youth Conference 

enjoying lunch. 

May 7th was an eventful, fun filled 

day for Muslim adolescents. Two 

inspiring Islamic conferences, the 

Somali Youth Conference (held at 

Ridge mon t Hig h Schoo l) an d 

Generation M (held at the Nepean 

Sportsplex) were both held on this 

date. Although appealing, well 

researched and youth-oriented both 

made the serious error of being held 

on the same day, inevitably leaving 

youth in a pick-and-choose situation. 

The Somali Youth Conference and 

Generation M were both impressive 

in that they presented Islamic 

knowledge in an interactive, yet 

entertaining manner, but both also 

made the faux pas of causing youth 

to opt one event over another. A 

situation which was stressful and 

unnecessary since events this popular 

should have been scheduled on 

alternate days. 

"I think it was extremely inconvenient 

that I had to choose one event over 

the other because I would have liked 

to attend both," says Ahmad Abdi, a 

disgruntled 16-year-old high school 

student. "I mean, the people who are 

organizing these events need to 

consider the concerns and dilemma it 

puts the general public into. You'd 

think that events this big and this 

popular would have at least been 

placed on different days." 

Although individuals organizing both 

events claim to have tried to prevent 

the same day issue, they contend 

that it was impossible to avoid, since 

speakers for both events were 

booked to come long distances and 

late rescheduling was simply not 

possible. As well, Generation M 

organizers booked the Nepean 

Sportsplex before they came to learn 

about the same day issue with the 

Somali Youth Conference, but unfortunately 

the deposit fee to pay for the 

venue was non-refundable and no 

other date was available in the arena. 

Generation M as an event targeted 

Muslim youth to inform them about 

their duty in Islam, and the hardships 

and temptation of living and growing 

up in a non-Muslim society. 

"I liked the fact that speakers here 

are in tune with what young people 

like myself have to go through," says 

Sara Julehi. "Most of the things that 

were talked about I could really identify 

with, like how it’s important to 

remember Allah even though He's 

not really mentioned by anyone in 

North American society." 

The So ma li You th Con ference 

emphasized the importance of Islam 

as a way of life in conjunction with 

heritage and cultural roots in western 

society. 

As unfortunate as the same day 

scheduling was, both events were a 

success. But as Prophet Muhammad 

(peace be upon him) said, "A Muslim 

does not fall into the same hole 

twi ce ." Hope ful ly , nex t year 

organizers of both Generation M and 

The Somali Youth Conference will 

schedule their events on alternate 

days to prevent youth from having to 

stress over which one to attend. 

MCSO Honors its 

volunteers 

Danielle Belanger 

Muslim Multicultural Community 

Services of Ottawa (MCSO) honored 

their volunteers on May 7 th 

with a won derful award 

ceremony and reception. The 

MCSO operates a tu toring 

service in 4 centers throughout 

the city and a weekly Qur’an and 

Is la mi c Stud ie s cla s s i n 

Barrhaven for children and 

youth. In addition, they also organize 

other community events 

throughout the year. Over a 

hundred volunteers were involved 

with the MCSO in the last 

2 years and this event was 

meant to show appreciation for 

all their dedication and hard 

work. Each volunteer was 

presented with a gift and certificate 

of appreciation. The majority 

of volunteers at the ceremony 

were tutors who dedicate on average 

2 to 4 hours of their time 

every week. Over a hundred 

students have used the tutoring 

service at one time or another 

this year and this is due to the 

help of the tutors, coordinators 

and administrators. To further 

show their support for the education 

of the youth in the community, 

3 students were awarded 

scholarships for post-secondary 

studies. Tutors and students 

were eligible for the scholarships 

and the recipients were; 

• Ayan Karod (student) $500 

• Hajra Khan (tutor) $400 

• Sahir Sheikh (tutor) $300. 

Selected students from each 

centre were also honored during 

the ceremony for their academic 

improvement and commitment. 

Appreciation was also extended 

to the all the Minto staff on site, 

as they joined the group for 

refreshments. Minto graciously 

offers the Bayshore venue at no 

cost. As this event closes, the 

MCSO is in preparation for their 

upcoming Qur’an and Islamic 

studies end of the year celebration, 

as well as a community 

picnic later this summer. For 

more information on their events 

and services, visit their website 

at MCSO.ca. 

Ottawa Muslim Association invites all to their 1st annual BBQ 

Where: Vincent Massey Park 

Date: Sunday, June 19,2005 

Time: 11am - 5pm (Rain Or Shine!) 

Details: www.omaonline.ca or 722-8763 

The Muslim Link 

Eastern Canada’s Muslim Newspaper 

Toronto ~ Ottawa ~ Toronto ~ & Surrounding Areas 

Email: circulation@muslimlink.ca to add you to our circulation list! 

Your Online Resource for the 

Ottawa Muslim Community. 

www.OttawaMuslim.net 

Ottawa Muslim Asso ciation 

www.o maonline.ca 

251 Northwestern Ave. K1Y OM1 

613-722-8763 

Gen M 

Aisha Aghliw 

Saturday May 

7 th saw the 

seventh annual 

Generation M. Over 700 youth from the 

Ottawa area headed to the Nepean Sportsplex 

for a dose of inspiration and good company for 

the Muslim Youth of Ottawa’s yearly conference. 

This year’s Generation M has set the new standard 

in amazing speeches and high quality entertainment. 

Two of our inspiring Ottawa 

youth, Mohamoud Adam and Asad Choudhary, 

were complimented by two of the most dynamic 

youth speakers in North America, Imam Khalid 

Griggs and Br. Altaf Husain. With catchy lecture 

titles such as Bow Down and Play Satan 2, their 

lectures touched upon everything from kindness 

to parents to the evils of the seemingly innocent 

video games that many of our youth waste their 

time on. 

The entertainment at this year’s Generation M 

helped showcase the vast artistic talent that lay 

hidden in our Muslim community such as, anasheed, 

poetry, and professionally edited videos by 

Islamified Entertainment Productions. “First we 

wanted to please Allah,” said Shezara Ali, one 

the event’s organizers. "We hoped to do so by 

getting the youth in the audience to take home 

the message they heard and strive to make positive 

changes in their lives – that was our goal." 

In the end it is important to remember and thank 

all the volunteers who have made this event possible 

in its seventh year. We hope to see you all 

at Generation M in spring 2006.

Page 6 Montreal June 2005 

Second Annual Highschool Grad 

Dinner Not to Be Missed! 

S.Khan 

On Wednesday, June 22 nd, the Muslim youth 

of the West Island will be hosting their second 

annual Muslim Grad Dinner for high school 

students. Last year’s grad dinner was fairly successful 

and attended by over 60 people, but this year, the 

group is hoping that students from all over Montreal, along 

with their friends and families, will buy tickets and make this 

dinner the highlight of the grad year. 

Tickets cost only $12 and include an Indian buffet dinner 

with a dish for vegetarians and dessert. An entertainment 

program including stand-up comedy is in the works and 

prizes will be awarded, as well as certificates for the grads. 

The dinner provides the perfect alternative to the prom and 

Insha’Allah this will be one annual event that will be around 

for many years to come! 

For more information, you can email: 

graddinner@montrealmuslims.ca. 

Five Reasons Why Muslims Love to Graduate 

1) The caps and gowns are as close to hijabs, jilbabs and 

kufis as we can get, so for once we finally fit in 

2) Since we don’t put up posters of celebrities, we have 

tons of wall space for our diplomas 

3) A high school degree allows us to move up from a fastfood 

job to factory work 

4) You can pick all of your own classes in cegep. It’s so 

cool to get academic credit for pottery and tennis. 

5) This is the perfect time to get money and gifts. The 

next time could be as far-off as your wedding. 

Five Reasons Why You Have to Attend the Muslim 

Gr ad! 

1) The only dates there will be Tunisian and the only beer 

served will be root 

2) The music is not too loud. A duff player can only hit so 

hard and Dawud Wharnsby is not the screaming type 

3) The Muslim Grad dinner is way cheaper than the prom 

and you don’t need to rent a limo. You’ll be rich and 

pious! 

4) If you don’t know how to dance, the pressure’s off 

because it’s not like anyone is going to ask you to. 

5) If you don’t show up, the grad committee will go 

bankrupt! 

Serving 

Montreal’s Muslim 

Community 

Online 

UMSA Graduation Dinner 

14068 Gouin Boulevard, Pierrefonds, West Island 

Saturday June 11, 2005. 6:30pm 

$13 Graduating Students / 

$19 Non Grads / $69 Family of Four 

Awards, Live Entertainment, Speeches, and Dinner 

Register Online: 

http://graduation.montrealmuslims.ca 

Hijab Discrimination: What Can 

You Do? 

S.Khan 

If you’ve been a victim of hijab discrimination, 

it’s vitally important that you take the ti me to file 

a complaint. Many sisters choose not to because 

they feel uncomfortable pursuing the matter, and 

would rather just forget about it altogether or feel that it’s pointless 

because they wouldn’t want a discriminating employer to be forced 

to hire them. However, they forget that it’s not just about them; 

their silence also affects the next sister who comes along and is 

faced with the same unfair, or perhaps even worse, treatment and 

it affects future generation of hijab -wearing sisters who may suffer 

because nothing was done about this type of discrimination. 

In order to file a complaint, a sister can contact the Quebec 

Human Rights Commission by phone, fax, mail or in person. A 

complaint cannot be made by email or for an incident over two 

years old. The important thing is that any complaint must detail as 

many facts as possible such as the date, name of the employer or 

individuals involved, exact words used or the actions that demonstrated 

discrimination. The complaint is then transferred to an 

investigator who will send you a complaint form if he/she feels that 

your complaint falls under the jurisdiction of discrimination. The 

“Where shall we dine tonight?” 

Taj Palace: Well wor th a Try 

M.Islam 

If you’re looking for simple, wholesome 

food that doesn’t cost a lot, Taj Palace is 

the restaurant for you. Located in a humble 

looking strip mall in the West Island, this 

Pakistani restaurant has a modest, clean 

décor and efficient, fast service. 

The menu offers numerous choices of tandoori dishes, curries 

and rice dishes, most for under $9 and with fairly good portion 

sizes, Taj Palace provides a good deal! 

The butter chicken consisted of cubes of chicken breast in a thick 

tomato sauce. At first it reminded me of Chef Boyardee sauce or 

a similar type of spaghetti sauce, but after a few bites, it becomes 

MUSLIMGEAR SUMMER 2005 LAUNCH 

Montreal - MuslimGear (www.MuslimGear.com) is pleased to 

announce the launch of its Summer 2005 Collection, a new 

line of clothing to diversify its existing line and offer customers 

a wider selection of products. 

The new line will feature various new designs of T-shirts, 

shorts, hats and a new sisters line. The designs include fresh 

styles and colours, as well as new slogans. Some of the new 

slogans in the summer line of T-shirts help increase awareness 

and understanding about some basic teachings of Islam, 

Commission will use arbitration to settle the dispute, there is no 

trial or testimony and they can also take action against any 

employer who tries to harass an employee for making a complaint. 

Another option is to email CAIR-CAN and explain your situation. 

They can send you a form to fill out and deal with the employer on 

your behalf. They have had success with some of the bigger 

companies. 

There is no doubt that it takes courage and strength to file and 

follow through with a complaint, but if our community does not 

have a few brave pioneers then matters will only get worse and 

hijab discrimination will grow. 

If you plan to file a complaint or are unsure if you have grounds for 

one, you don’t have to do it alone. There is a group of sisters you 

can contact at hijabdiscrimination@yahoo.com , who will be happy 

to give you support. There are also a few organizations such as 

the Canadian Muslim Women Committee that stand against this 

kind of injustice and are there to help educate us about our rights. 

The following is the contact information for the Quebec Commission 

of Human Rights: 

360, street Saint-Jacques 2 nd floor. Montreal, Quebec. H2Y 1P5 

1-800-361-6477 or 514 873-5146. Fax (514) 873-2648 

CAIR CAN’s website www.caircan.ca 

CMWC website www.cfmc-fmc.org 

pleasing to the palate. The beef curry was also simple but tasty 

with generous cubes of tender beef. The mutton korma had a 

rich, creamy sauce and was filled with meat chunks as well. The 

highlights of the menu are the biryani and the naan. The naan 

was hot and fluffy with a grilled taste to it. The vegetable biryani 

was delicious without being too spicy; the grains of rice were perfectly 

cooked- neither mushy nor hard. The big chunks of vegetables 

were fork tender and flavourful. 

One disappointment however, was the chicken tikka. It was bland 

and totally lacking in flavour. The only spice on it seemed to be 

orange food colouring. 

On the whole, this restaurant would be a good outing for anyone 

who likes a good home-cooked meal. Taj Palace is open from 

11:30 am to 10 pm, seven days a week, they have a $6 lunch 

special. They are located at 4872 St.Charles Blvd and for takeout, 

you can call (514) 620-0620. 

such as "The Opening, 1:1", referring to the first verse of 

Surah Al-Fatiha, the opening chapter of the Quran. The 

slogans are designed to promote Islamic identity in a positive 

and stylish manner. 

The new products will be available for 

purchase worldwide, on the easy to use 

MuslimGear E-Commerce website www. 

MuslimGear.com. Products will also be 

sold in various locations in Montreal, Ottawa 

and Toronto throughout the summer.

Page 8 Kids World June 2005 

Find your way out of the box! 

Start 

Finish 

Send us your games, 

stories and ideas to 

kids@muslimlink.ca 

Eggshell or Egg Carton 

Tulips 

Make a bouquet of delicate eggshell tulips using 

eggshells (or foam egg cartons sections) 

and pipe cleaners. Younger children will find it 

easier to use the egg carton sections. 

Taken from www.enchantedlearning.com 

Supplies Needed : 

• Eggshells (or foam egg cartons sections) 

• Green pipe cleaners 

• Tempera paint and markers 

• Hot glue or white glue 

Answer to Hidden Message: In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful 

(Ottawa) 

Clean eggshell halves and dry them gently. 

Or, for an easier craft with more durable flowers, 

use foam egg carton sections. Cut the 

cartons sections to look like a tulip. 

Using tem pera paint, decorate the shells to 

look like tulips. Let the paint dry overnight. 

When the paint is completely dry, add details 

to the tulips using markers. 

Twirl one end of a green pipe cleaner into a 

spiral shape (this will be glued onto the 

base of the tulip). 

Glue the spiral to the tulip (if using white 

glue, let it set for a few hours). 

Hidden Message 

Word Search 

Find the words below in the word search and 

cross them out. Once you are finished, a hidden 

message will be revealed! You can write it below 

where space is provided. Answer below. 

DHIKR, DUA, EMAN, H AJJ, ISLAM, JANNAH , 

KABAH, MU SLIM, QURAN , SALAT, SAW M, 

SHAHADD AH, WUDU, ZAKAT 

I N T H M I L S U M T H E N A 

M E O A F A S J K A L L A H M 

O S T N G R J L K A D U A A C 

I O U N S A M A A O B S T M E 

R C I A H F Z U S M L A V G R 

V V I J D R N A Y U A N H Y U 

I T X H G Y L E J F H H M Q Q 

U P I R M A E M A N P N H W C 

G K J W T Q H Q E U C R S E C 

R K V L T Q U R A N J K J A V 

H A D D A H A H S W O J W U E 

F M K F D Z S T U J E N J Q I 

R W Q A N Z A D E O P G L Z D 

N A J P N D U O D S E Q I Z Z 

O S Z G W Z L S J H J R L I Q 

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ _ __ __ _ _ __ __ __ _ _ 

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ _ __ __ __ 

__ __ __ __ __ _ _ __ __ 

Read us online at: www.MuslimLink.ca

Page 10 CAIR-CAN June 2005 

Muslims Call on Pettigrew 

to Censure Israeli Official's 

Islamophobic Comments 

Israeli Consul General says that the majority of 

Muslims support extremism 

The Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations 

(CAIR-CAN) today called on Foreign Affairs 

Minister Pierre Pettigrew to censure Israeli Consul 

General Ya'acov Brosh for his comments at the 

recent Daniel Pearl Dialogue for Muslim-Jewish 

Understanding, held at the Temple Har Zion Synagogue 

in Toronto. 

Mr. Brosh stated that most terrorists today are 

Muslims and that the majority of Muslims support 

extremism. Mr. Brosh noted that one of the most 

popular names in the Muslim world is "Osama." 

The event was organized by the Friends of Simon 

Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies. 

In a statement released today, CAIR-CAN said: 

"The comments made by Israeli Consul General 

Ya'acov Brosh fosters hate and bigotry against 

Canadian Muslims. 

"Mr. Brosh's comments, made as they were by an 

Israeli official in Canada, cannot be allowed to 

Human Rights Museum to 

Include Canadian Muslim 

on Advisory Council 

The Canadian Council on American-Islamic 

Relations (CAIR-CAN) is pleased to announce 

that the Canadian Museum for Human Rights will 

include a Canadian Muslim on its National Advisory 

Council. 

The museum, which has received $100 million in 

funding from the federal government, receives 

support and advice from a council of 26 prominent 

Canadians from various ethnic, religious and human 

rights groups. Initially, there was not a single 

representative from the Canadian Muslim community 

on the committee. 

However, Gail Asper, the Campaign Chair of 

Friends of the Canadian Museum for Human 

Rights, has indicated to CAIR-CAN Chair Sheema 

Khan that Senator Mobina Jaffer will be invited to 

join the council. 

In a letter to Ms. Khan in response to her recent 

op-ed in the Globe and Mail ("We sell the Charter 

to Muslim Countries”) Ms. Asper wrote, "You have 

also indeed raised a very serious point regarding 

the issue of racism against the Muslim community 

in Canada, especially post-9/11. It is 

obviously troubling that discrimination can rear its 

ugly head so swiftly and that our much-talkedabout 

veneer of civility is really very thin." 

"As for not having Muslim or Arab representation 

on the Museum's Advisory Council or Board 

(which is yet to be created) it is an oversight that I 

believe can be rectified. we do want to be completely 

inclusive and transparent with the Museum," 

wrote Ms. Asper. 

Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew 

stand without a response from the Canadian 

government. 

"We are calling on Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre 

Pettigrew to censure Mr. Brosh and indicate to 

him such Islamophobia will not be tolerated in 

Canada." 

In December of last year, CAIR-CAN called on the 

Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center to publicly 

condemn Islamophobic comments made by an 

invited keynote speaker at a conference sponsored 

by the group and held at the University of 

Toronto. 

At that event, the speaker stated that "Islamic terrorism 

is based on Islam," and that Islam was 

"immoderate" and "totalitarian." 

Ms. Khan says she appreciates Ms. Asper's effort 

to correct the situation. 

"It is vitally important that Canadian Muslims have 

a voice in this museum so that our contribution to 

the defence of human rights for all Canadians, 

as well as the discrimination we have faced in this 

post-9/11 world, is not overlooked," Ms. Khan 

said. 

"We are very pleased that a Canadian Muslim is 

being invited to participate in the museum, and 

we hope that this inclusion will help in addressing 

the serious human rights issues Canadian Muslims 

face today. Senator Ja ffer, who 

has been a passionate advocate for human rights 

in Canada and abroad, is the 

right person to represent Canadian Muslims in 

this institution," she added. 

The $300-million museum aims to be the 

largest human-rights institution and education 

centre in the world. The museum is 

being built in Winnipeg and is Scheduled to 

open in 2009 or 2 010. 

We sell the Charter to 

Muslim Countries – let’s 

apply it here 

Sheema Khan 

'Whereas Canada is founded upon principles 

that recognize the supremacy of God and the 

rule of law." So begins the Charter of Rights 

and Freedoms, signed on April 17, 1982. 

Perhaps a surprise to some, given our selfimage 

as a secular nation. 

We cherish the Charter deeply -- a recent 

Pollara poll shows that 86 per cent of Canadians 

believe the new Museum of Human 

Rights should be dedicated to the Charter. 

Drafted in the shadow of the War Measures 

Act, the Charter seeks to limit the powers of 

the government from encroaching on the 

rights of individuals. It has served as a model 

for the bill of rights adopted by South Africa 

and New Zealand. 

In a post-9/11 era of global tensions, why not 

envision the export of Charter principles to the 

Muslim world? The Canadian government has 

made human rights and good governance the 

centrepiece of its response to last year's 

House of Commons foreign affairs committee 

report on Exploring Canada's Relations with 

the Countries of the Muslim World. The 

response asserts that "Islam upholds pluralism, 

including the liberal-democratic precepts 

of equal rights for women and minorities." The 

reality differs from country to country. 

Historically, Muslims point to the Constitution 

of Medina, written in 622 CE, which established 

a pluralistic state based on the principles 

of equality, consensual governance and 

pluralism. These ideals served as the foundation 

of Islamic rule in Spain for seven centuries. 

More recently, Indonesia -- the world's 

largest Muslim nation -- has transformed 

peacefully from dictatorship to multiparty 

democracy. Problems still exist, but the prognosis 

is hopeful. Canada has helped in this 

transition by providing human-rights expertise. 

Exporting Charter principles to the Muslim 

world is not only laudable but achievable, as 

the essence of human dignity is germane to 

Islam. The language of human rights is a 

natural starting point for a common understanding. 

Yet these efforts may be undermined by 

human-rights struggles faced by Canadian 

Muslims and Arabs. In the post-9/11 era, 

racial profiling has become a troublesome 

reality for the lives of many. 

Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan says 

"RP" does not exist, on the laughable premise 

that the threat of dismissal is enough to keep 

security agents in check. And while Canada's 

most notorious criminals have access to a full 

and open trial, five Muslim men have been 

held indefinitely without charge on security 

certificates, prevented from seeing the 

evidence against them. Finally, there's Maher 

Arar, living testimony of Canada's murky role 

in the morally repulsive U.S. policy of 

This page is paid for by the CAIR CAN 

YOUR VOICE 

YOUR FUTURE 

rendition. 

June News Flash 

Yet, the security establishment may not be 

the only problem. A 2004 poll by the Centre 

for Research and Information on Canada 

indicates that 45 per cent of Canadians 

believe anti-Muslim sentiment is increasing 

among people they know. An upswing in 

discrimination will follow, unless efforts are 

made to protect the rights of a beleaguered 

minority. Many institutions have responded 

admirably, with a few notable disappointments. 

The Quebec Human Rights Commission has 

been conspicuously ambiguous about the 

right of Muslim girls to wear hijabs in private 

schools, forcing some students to choose 

between their veil and their school. College 

Regina Assumpta -- a Catholic girls' school in 

Montreal and the alma mater of Louise 

Arbour, the United Nations High Commissioner 

for Human Rights -- began the process 

in 1995 by asking a straight-A student to remove 

her hijab or leave. 

Recently, McGill University told its Muslim 

students to purchase prime downtown office 

space for their prayer needs, rather than 

provide on-campus space. McGill stands 

isolated, as more than 20 universities nationwide 

have creatively accommodated Muslim 

prayer requirements. (As a McGill graduate, I 

remember praying in dank stairwells; my 

Concordia friends had the luxury of a prayer 

room. The stairwell later became untenable 

during my first pregnancy.) 

Given the importance of human rights in the 

Islamic ethos both past and present, one 

would think that Muslims have much to 

contribute to the new Museum of Human 

Rights. A community in the eye of a humanrights 

storm would also be empowered by 

becoming a bona fide partner in a project 

whose mission is to trace the evolution of 

human rights, with a focus on the Canadian 

experience. Yet, not one single Muslim or 

Arab sits on the museum's advisory council. 

Suitable candidates include Liberal Senator 

Mobina Jaffer, human-rights activist Monia 

Mazigh and journalist Haroon Siddiqui. 

Instead, the council's chair promises to be 

"more active" with groups without representation, 

saying that a "100 person" board would 

be unwieldy. Imagine, a human rights 

museum that finds human diversity unwieldy, 

opting, instead, for a two-tiered system of 

representation. 

In times of tribulation, Canadian Muslims will 

look to the Charter for protection of their 

rights. Why not invoke the Charter for 

disputes within? For example, a challenge 

should be mounted against any Muslim 

organization that denies women the right to 

vote in general elections. 

The best way to honour the Charter is to 

apply it for the advancement of justice. What 

better way for Muslims to assert their place in 

Canadian society? 

(Dr. Sheema Khan is the Chair of CAIR- 

CAN’s Advisory Board)


The internet: the good, bad 

and the ugly 

Omar Khan 

“ Hi Peter” the man 

said with a big smile. 

“Do I know you?” Peter 

asked uncertainly. 

“How could you forget, we’re going to be at the 

same football camp this su mmer and I’ve been to 

your house before. You live on Meadowlands 

Drive.” The man replied. 

He spoke to Peter as if he knew him and as he 

kept moving closer on the bench, Peter knew 

something was just not right and he got up and 

fled. That night, his parents were worried 

because the man knew so much about their son 

and they wanted to know how. After hours of 

thought, Peter remembered his on-line friend 

Timmy from a junior football chat room. He was 

supposed to be thirteen too with blonde hair and 

blue eyes. They had exchanged descriptions so 

they would recognize each other at the summer 

camp they were both coincidentally attending. 

The only problem was that Timmy was really a 

30-year-old man and Peter, almost the victim of 

an on-line pedophile. 

The Internet has changed life for everyone around 

the globe. Most people say it is the one technological 

innovation they couldn’t live without. It has 

so many benefits to it and it makes life easier in 

so many ways. But many good things have a flip 

side and we all need to be aware of the pitfalls of 

the Internet to get the best out of it! 

Thanks to the Internet, it is so much easier to 

reach people all around the world. With a few 

keystrokes and a few minutes, people can keep 

up acquaintances from back home, meet Muslims 

from every country, shop and bank without even 

going outside. The only problem is when they use 

the Internet to reach out to the wrong people. 

Kids especially are easy targets because they are 

trusting and innocent. According to a chief detective 

in the UK, 1 in 5 kids are approached by 

pedophiles in chat rooms and since 30% of kids 

freely give out their home addresses when asked 

on-line, this makes a dangerous scenario so 

much more likely. Adults are also guilty of finding 

bad company on the net. A survey found that 

57% flirt on-line, 31% have had affairs with an 

Internet pal and 1/3 of divorce litigations are 

caused by on-line affairs. 

The easy access to information through the Internet 

is incredible. School reports no longer involve 

lengthy and sometimes frustrating library 

research; there are numerous Islamic websites 

and learning resources available for every subject. 

But unlike books, which require credentials, 

Robbing Hood (part II) 

Tow ards C reating Interest Free Student Loans 

Shama Naz 

Some 200,000 postsecondary 

students in Montreal 

went on strike on March 

16. Several high schools in 

the working-class districts of 

Montreal had walkouts. Four 

students went on a hunger 

strike and one of them, 

Sebastian Verville, said he’ll continue the strike until he’s carried 

away on a stretcher. You may wonder, “Why?” 

The government’s decision to channel $103 Million from student 

grants to loans was what sparked such a backlash from the 

Students. The repercussions of this decision will be felt more 

amongst the poorer strata of the province’s post-secondary 

students. In practice, this means that lower-income student will 

be saddled with more debt when they finish their education. 

Prior to the Charest Liberals’ cuts to the bursary program, the 

average low-income student received $2400 per year in loans 

pretty much anyone can post information on the 

Internet and a lot of it is not based on facts or 

valid sources. Some of it is encourages racism, 

violence and poisons minds. Websence, a 

company that sells filtering software estimates a 

70% increase in hate sites on the Net, which 

equals a grand total of 373,000. Even worse, kids 

are being exposed to inappropriate sites in high 

numbers. A study in Australia revealed that 84% 

of boys and 60% of girls have accidentally been 

exposed to pornographic sites. Indecent pop-up 

ads or seemingly harmless search terms like 

“young boy’s clothes” and “zoo animals” have 

turned up x-rated results. Even worse, 73% of the 

boys and 11% of the girls ended up watching xrated 

videos on-line. There are over 347 million 

pages related to sex and kids and adults are 

accessing them privately and easily, anytime they 

want to. This explains the rise in pornography 

addiction and a possible link to deviant practices 

in kids. 

Convenience is yet another big selling point for 

Internet use. Banking, shopping, registering for 

services and contests can all be done right at 

home. But with ease, people can also become 

lax about taking precautions. According to the 

Internet Crime Center’s annual report for 2004, 

there were 207,000 complaints of internet fraud, a 

60% increase over the previous year. These 

included auction frauds where the product was 

nothing like its description or it never even arrived, 

credit/debit card fraud where people’s banking 

information was used by an unknown person to 

make unauthorized purchases and identity theft 

where personal information like a SIN number 

was used to take over someone’s personal affairs 

and transactions. Despite consumer insurance 

and protection, it is still very bothersome and 

tedious to be a victim of fraud. So me people take 

years to fix up their lives and credit following 

identity fraud. 

How can you protect yourself and your family 

while still benefiting from the Internet? You have 

to be willing to sacrifice a bit of time and money, 

but beyond that it’s quite simple. Kids have to be 

supervised and limits have to be put on the time 

they spend on the Net. No child needs to spend 

hours on the Net and a routine check of the sites 

they visit by reviewing the Internet history list has 

to be made by parents every week. Invest in 

good filtering software that will prevent access to 

inappropriate sites and prevent incoming Spam. 

Beware of giving out your private information, 

even with on-line registration forms. Use the toll 

free customer service number instead and avoid 

doing too many transactions on-line. Finally educate 

your family about the potential danger; in the 

same way you would talk them about playing 

safely or crossing the street properly. An 

informed person is a protected one! 

and $2600 in bursaries. With the changes imposed by the 

Charest government, the average student will now receive 

$4700 in loans and a mere $300 in bursaries. As a consequence, 

the average student debt at graduation is expected to 

rise from $14,000 to $21,500. 

The government’s strategy has been to discredit these protests 

by labeling student actions as violent. Since 1996, Parti Québécois 

(PQ) and Liberal provincial governments have cut more 

than $300 million from the bursary program, forcing students to 

accept loans and mounting debt, to abandon their studies, or try 

to combine studies with part-time and even full-time work. 

Students are one of the poorest and disadvantaged segments of 

the society in Canada. While pursuing their studies, students are 

not able to work. Those who do are putting their academic life at 

a risk. Studies show that a working students’ average grade is 

lower than that of a non-working full time student. Moreover, full 

time or part time students are less likely to be employed for permanent 

positions. Due to the financial instability they either rely 

on parental support to finance their studies or take loans from 

the government. The former is not applicable in most cases 

hence government loan is the option readily available at the cost 

of compounded interest. Students who take these loans usually 

May is Speech Awareness month! 

“Caring about Communication!” 

First Words Preschool Speech and Language Program of Ottawa 

Pinecrest-Queensway Health and Community Services 

The First Words Preschool Speech and 

Language Program of Ottawa is joining the 

Canadian Association of Speech Language 

Pathologists & Audiologists in celebrating 

Speech Awareness Month in order to 

increase public awareness of children’s 

speech and language development and early 

detection of communication disorders. One in 

ten children born in Canada has, or will 

develop, a speech language or hearing disorder. 

Communication disorders in school age 

children are often misdiagnosed as learning 

disabilities or behavioural problems and can 

be difficult to treat in later years, which is why 

early diagnosis and treatment is vital! 

Every baby develops in his or her own way. 

They learn a great deal in their first years of 

life. By the time your child is ready to go to 

school, he or she should be able to speak and 

listen well. The following are a few milestones 

that babies and children generally 

follow. 

By 6 months, most babies will watch your 

face and make sounds back when you talk, 

smile at you and other family members, and 

make noises to get attention. 

By 15 months, most children will take turns 

making sounds, say 2 or 3 words but not 

clearly, understand “no” and shake their head, 

reach or point to something they want while 

making a sound, and understand simple 

questions like “where is your nose?”. 

By 21 months, most babies will point to a 

picture or sign when asked, play with toys and 

pretend to do things like feeding a doll or 

going in a car, say about 10 or more words 

and follow directions such as “drink your 

juice” or “sit down please”. 

By two to three years, most children will use 

short sentences, follow simple directions, 

have a conversation with family me mbers or 

other familiar people, listen to stories and 

answer simple questions, and begin to add 

endings to works such as running, toys. 

By three to fours year, most children will use 

sentences of four to six words, give directions 

like “fix this for me”, ask many questions, tell 

about things they have done, talk to themselves 

and their toys, tell a story or sing a 

song, and tell you when they are tired. 

Parents play a key role in 

helping children develop 

speech and language. 

There are 

simple techniques 

parents can use: 

• Get your child’s attention by getting down 

to your child’s level so you can be face to 

face. 

• Play games and talk about things that 

interest your child. 

• Copy the sounds and actions your child 

makes. 

• Children learn best by doing, so involve 

them in your activities. 

• Tell and show them what you are doing. 

• Use facial expressions and silly voices to 

make it more fun. 

• When you talk to your child remember that 

everything has a name. 

• Use short and simple sentences. 

• It is good to repeat yourself a lot, however 

it is critical to give your child a chance to 

answer. 

When parents learn about speech and 

language milestones and follow their child’s 

development, they can access services 

earlier. Some children do grow out of speech 

language problems but waiting to see is not 

recommended. If you have concerns about 

your child’s speech or language development, 

call Ottawa Public Health at 580-6744 and 

speak to a Public Health Nurse or check out 

the First Words webpage at www.pqhcs.com/ 

firstwords/about_us.htm for more information 

about speech and language concerns and/or 

the date and location of our next free drop in 

screening clinic in the community. 

The First Words Preschool Speech and 

Language Program of Ottawa is a program 

that focuses on the prevention, early identification 

and treatment of speech and language 

problems in children from birth to eligibility for 

Senior Kindergarten and is funded by the 

government of Ontario. First Words is coordinated 

by Pinecrest-Queensway Health and 

Community Services and works is partnership 

with Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, 

Ottawa Children’s Treatment Centre and City 

of Ottawa Public Health. 

end up paying double or even triple the amount they had initially 

borrowed, which is further subject to increasing interest rates 

over the years. Upon graduation, a student who financed their 

education through government loan is sunk in debt. This is an 

Ironic situation for a country that sets policies aimed at sheltering 

the unfortunate and the disadvantaged amongst the population. 

Inspired by AlMaghrib Institutes’ Fiqh Ad-Dawah class in Montreal, 

some students are motivated to put together a system of 

providing interest free student loans. While the aim of the project 

is to abide by the rules of the Quran and Sunnah in abstaining 

from all financial dealings involving interest, mounting debt is an 

ugly reality that affects each one of us. The project will aim to 

provide 100% student financing with no interest and will finally 

offer students the piece of mind they need to pursue their studies. 

The first meeting towards creating interest free loans will take 

place on Saturday June 25 th at 2pm in Concordia University. 

Interested individuals and institutions can write to interestfreestudentloans@yahoo.ca 

You can read Part 1 of this article by visiting www.muslimlink.ca 

and downloading the April Issue.


Cooking Corner 

Walnut Pie 

Crust: 

- ½ cup butter - 1 cup flour 

- 2 tbsp powder ed sugar - 2 tbsp water 

M ix together with spoon and spread in a pie 

plate or s quar ed pan. Bake 10 minutes in a 

preheated 350 degr ee oven. 

Filling: 

- 2 eggs - 1 ½ cups brown sugar 

- 1 cup coc onut - ¾ cup chopped walnuts 

- ½ tsp baking powder 

M ix well with spoon and pour over baked crust. 

Bake an additional 25 minutes. Enjoy! 

Submitted by: Umm Arwa 

If you have any comments or have a great recipe to 

share, please email us at Recipes@muslimlink.ca. 

Recall those events oft above comprehension, 

Days from the Days of God subtly in preparation. 

Set in place almost furtively, for without uncertainty, 

Time would come for the Prophecy of the Best of Creation. 

Lose not sight of our Beloved forthcoming, 

Like the full moon, so beautiful and gleaming. 

Its beauty out of our sight by the day’s happenings, 

Such are those Days, like reminders overshadowing. 

When the day has passed the brightness is always setting, 

Giving way to the moon that is in darkness illuminating. 

In amongst those Days came the Message descending, 

To the Prophets who spread and were yet foretelling. 

Recall the Messenger [as] conveying to his Nation, 

For then he [saw] was mentioned by his appellation, 

Glad tidings of a Messenger, the Praiseworthy to come… 

Nations were told and many a one were expecting, 

For the Seal of the Prophets would be impending. 

May Allah bless and grant peace 

Our Beloved Muhammad, forever and endlessly. 

Recall the sacred land without people in sight, 

Our Lady Hagar and newborn in that plight. 

Footnotes to Poem Above: 

And We sent Moses with Our signs -- 'Bring forth thy people 

from the shadows to the light and remind thou them of the Days 

of God.' [Qur’an, 14:5]. 

Jabir b. Samurah [r] relates, "I saw the Prophet [saw] on a 

moonlit night. He had a red cloak over his body, and I looked 

attentively in turn towards him and the moon. Certainly, he 

appeared to me more beautiful than the moon itself.” [Tirmidhi]. 

See Qur’an, 61:6. 

Recall the Days of God 

In Praise of our Beloved – (SAW) 

-Part I- T.K 

Recall the account of Sayyiduna Salman al-Farisi [r] and his 

knowledge of the impending 

Prophet [Martin Lings, Muhammad: his life based on the earliest 

sources, p.121]. 

See [Qur’an, 21:17-20] for the verse on Lady Hagar [a] being 

assured from the heavens at that instance. Members of the 

Jurhum tribe from Yemen first came to the barren valley of 

Makka in which the Zamzam water had flowed and in time 

Sayyiduna Isma’eel [a] would marry from amongst them and 

learn the pure Arabic language [Bukhari, 55:584]. 

Abraha the Abysinian had seized power in the Yemen and built 

a large cathedral in Sana’a and wrote to the Negus that he 

intended to divert the Arabs’ 

pilgrimage to it. When the 

Makkans heard of this, a 

Seven times in flight, then assistance intervened, 

Blessed water was manifest and the Jurhumites. 

It was no normal day but all from God’s Might, 

For His Beloved would be born in near site. 


Our Beloved Muhammad, is by momentous birth Makki. 

Recall Abraha from Yemen rising for avengement, 

His fate would signify our Beloved’s commencement. 

The year was marked and distinguished for his [saw] advent, 

For all would recall the conceited ones and colossal event. 

Revelation itself relates of that Day, 

‘Have you not seen how thy Lord did with the Men of the 

Elephant?’ 

‘Did He not make their guile to go astray?’ 

‘And He loosed upon them birds in flights, 

‘Hurling against them stones of baked clay […]’ 

Never forget the Year for his birth was above that incident, 

It was not mere chance or only coincidence, The illuminating 

Prophet was born with grand significance! 


Our Beloved Muhammad, is by noble lineage Hashimi. 

man of the tribe Kinana went forth to Abraha’s cathedral and 

defiled it. This enraged Abraha who then swore to destroy the 

Ka’ba [Ibn Ishaq, Sirat Rasul Allah]. 

Qur’an,105. 

Irbad ibn Sariya [r] and Abu Umama [r] relate that the Prophet 

[saw] said: "I am the supplication of my father Ibrahim, and the 

good tidings of my brother 'Isa. The night I was delivered my 

mother saw a light that lit the castles of Damascus so that she 

could see them." [Related by al-Hakim (2:616-617), Ahmad. 

Al-Haythami (8:221) mentioned the latter chain as fair (hasan)]. 

The Qur’an [33:46] describes the Prophet [saw] as a shining 

lamp and Sayyiduna ‘Abbas [r] composed the following verses 

in mention of this quality of the Prophet: 

And the day you were born, the earth and the horizons became 

illuminated and glistened by your light! And in that illumination 

and light we tread down the paths of guidance! [al-Tabarani, 

(Ibn Kathir in al-Sira al-Nabawiyya, 4:51)] 

He is the Prophet Muhammad [saw] son of ‘Abdullah, b. ‘Abdul 

Muttalib, b. Hashim, b. ‘Abdu Manaf, b. Qusayy, b. Kilab b. 

Murra b. Ka’b b. Khuzayma b. Mudrika b. Ilyas b. Mudar b. 

Nizar b. Ma’add b. ‘Adnan. From ‘Adnan the lineage goes 

directly to Prophet Ismael [as] and then to our father Adam [a].

Page 14 CIC DIGEST June 2005 

• Developing national da'wah projects for Muslims and non-Muslims • Educating Canadians about Islam 

and Muslims • Networking with Governments, MPs, Senators, media, academia, NGOs • Honoring Canadian 

Muslim Professionals • Recognizing Canadians with national peace awards and community service 

awards • Supporting research projects and position papers on Anti-Islam in the Media, Canada's Relations 

with Muslim Countries, Social Justice in Canada, World Peace with Justice, and Civil Liberties • 

Educating Canadian Muslims on their civic and religious duties • Working cooperatively with ISNA and 

other Islamic NGOs • Presenting a Canadian voice on Islam and Muslims • Working with ISNA and the 

Canadian Council of Churches to eliminate child poverty, homelessness, discrimination, and abuse. 

This page is paid for by the Canadian Islamic Congress 

CIC's offers Short Course for Imams and Community 

Toronto, September 3 & 4, 2005 

Cour se Details 

This is the first time in Canada that a two-day intensive course covering Canadian history, politics, media and law, as well as Islamic fa mily 

law and professional family counseling, is being designed specially for and offered to Canadian Muslims. The purpose of this course is to 

enhance the knowledge base of Canadian Muslims in these important areas. The course is open to adult Muslims, men and women; 

especially Imams and other Muslims serving the community. It will be taught in Toronto by qualified academics and practicing 

professionals. 

Instructors 

Prof. Anthony Hall, University of Lethbridge. Canadian History 

Prof. Marliyn L. Pilkington, Osgood Hall Law. Canada's Political System 

Prof. John Miller , School of Journalism, Ryerson Univ. Canadian Media 

Ahmad Baksh, LLP. Canadian Law 

Dr . Imam Gamal Solaiman. Islamic Family Law 

Mrs. Wahida Valiante, MSW. Professional Family Counseling 

Where 

Days Hotel: 1677 Wilson Avenue (Jane and Wilson) 

Toronto, Ont. M3L 1A5 (416) 249-8171 

Sponsors 

TARIC Islamic Centre, Toronto 

Muslim Council of Montreal 

Deadlines 

Deadline for application for travel / accommodation grant July 1, 2005 

Notification for approval of travel / accommodation grant August 1, 2005 

Registration and fee payments must be completed by August 15, 2005 

Certificate of Completion 

Participants will receive certificate of completion. 

Fees 

Course fee is $100. which covers course attendance, one copy of course 

notes, two breakfasts, two lunches, one dinner, and four breaks. 

Accommodation and Travel Grants 

There are a limited number of rooms booked at the Days Hotel for course participants living outside 

Toronto, at the special rate of $89 plus tax for a single or double room. Bookings must be done directly 

through the hotel (416) 249-8171, with reference to CIC SHORT COURSE to get the special rate. This 

special rate is applicable only for the nights of September 2, 3 and 4. 

A limited number of accommodation/travel grants are available, covering up to 50% of participants' 

expenses. If approved, grants will be paid after the short course upon submission of original receipts and 

the completion of a travel expense form. Deadline for grant application is July 1, 2005. Notification of 

grant approval is August 1, 2005 

VISI T OUR WEB PAGE T ODAY 

http://www.canadianislamiccongress.com/course/ 

DEADLINES TO R EMEMBER (Visit www.canadianislamiccongress.com for full details). 

COURSE SCHEDULE 

Sat. Sept. 3 

(8am—7pm) 

Registration 

and Breakfast 

Lecture 1: 

Canadian History 

Sun. Sept. 4 

(8am—5pm) 

Registration 

and Breakfast 

Lecture 4: 

Canadian Law 

Break Break 

Lecture 2: 

Canada's 

Political System 

Lecture 5: 

Islamic Family Law 

Lunch and Zuhr Prayer Lunch and Zuhr Prayer 

Lecture 3: 

Canadian Media 

Dinner Followed by Canadian 

Muslim Strategy Forum 

July 1, 2005 -- To apply for CIC's student scholarships in media, law, political science and social work. 

July 1, 2005 -- To nominate individuals and organizations for CIC's annual awards. 

Lecture 6: 

Professional Family 

Counseling 

End of Course 

CIC Rejects Quebec's 

Condemnation of Islamic 

Tribunals -- Houda-pepin 

Motion Called Racist, 

Discriminatory 

The Canadian Islamic Congress is strongly 

rejecting a recent motion in the Quebec 

National Assembly that could prevent 

Muslims in that province from asking their 

local spiritual leaders for help in resolving 

personal and/or family disputes. 

Prompted by secular Muslim Liberal, Fatima 

Houda-Pepin , QNA me mbers vo ted 

unanimously on Thursday (May 26, 2005) in 

support of a motion against having Islamic 

Magazine Should Retract its 

Retraction, Islamic Congress 

Tells Newsweek Chief 

In a letter sent today to Newsweek Chairman and Editor-in- 

Chief , Richard M. Smith, the Canadian Islamic Congress 

has asked that the magazine retract its earlier retraction of 

a published news story about American military interrogators 

at Guantánamo Bay flushing copies of the Qur'an 

down the toilet. 

Under the pressure of publicized denials from the 

Pentagon and White House, Mr. Smith wrote in today's 

(May 30, 2005) issue of the magazine that " .. we have 

unequivocally retracted our story ... we no longer stand by 

our story." 

But more recent reports -- among them a story in The 

Guardian of May 26, 2005 (cited below) -- support Newsweek's 

original coverage: 

"Further allegations that U.S. interrogators at Guantánamo 

Bay flushed copies of the Qur'an down a toilet emerged 

yesterday, a week after the White House denounced 

reports of the incidents. 

"Declassified FBI records showed that as early as April 

2002 detainees at the U.S. prison in Cuba had denounced 

the treatment of the Qur'an by guards. 

" 'Their behaviour is bad,' one detainee is quoted as saying 

in July 2002. 'About five months ago the guards beat the 

detainees. They flushed a Qur'an in the toilet'. "The report, 

written by an FBI agent, continued: 'The guards dance 

around when the detainees are trying to pray. The guards 

still do these things.' The documents were released to the 

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) under the freedom 

of information act." 

"Newsweek is read by millions," said CIC national president 

Dr. Mohamed Elmasry. "It plays a significant role in 

forming North American public opinion. Now we are asking 

that Newsweek do the right thing and stand up for the 

truth." 

tribunals in Quebec and the rest of Canada. 

"Regrettably, the passing of this regressive 

motion shows how politically vulnerable 

Canadian Muslims have become," said CIC 

national president Dr. Mohamed Elmasry. 

"Ms Houda-Pepin and the QNA have taken a 

racist and dangerous direction that would be 

rejected out of hand by any other Canadian 

religious community." 

"Could anyone imagine such a motion coming 

up about Canadian Jews or Christians?" he 

asked. "It simply would not be tolerated. 

Other faith groups raise their voices and flex 

their political muscles when faced with 

legislation that is so ridiculous and blatantly 

discriminatory and Muslims must do so too ... 

We have the numbers. Politicians will listen 

and will not be allowed to compromise our 

charter rights as minority." 

July 1, 2005 -- To apply for travel grants for CIC's short course on Canadian history, politics, media, 

and law, Islamic family law and professional family counseling. 

August 15, 2005 -- To register for CIC's short course listed above. www.CanadianIslamicCongress.com


What are you 

most grateful for? 

Submitting yourself completely to the 

Will of Allah (SWT). If you have Allah 

(SWT) in your life, you'll never want 

or need anything else. 

Kherta Mohamed 

Subhan Allah, we could never count all of the blessings of Allah ta'ala, as 

He, out of His Grace and Mercy, has blessed us with so much. Alhamdulilah, 

I am most grateful for the beautiful blessing of Islam, and all that it 

embodies. 

Naima Sidow 

After being Muslim, I most grateful for my family. 

Maria Akhtar 

"I am grateful that Allah made me a Muslim and I worship only ONE God"- 

Saeed Ahmed 

Islam! No questions asked. True satisfaction, comfort, and happiness can 

only be found in Islam. 

I. Bedda 

Hot Links 

www.muslimheritage.com 

Muslim heritage is a comprehensive website discussing the lives 

and contributions of great Muslim scholars in all fields of education. 

Many of these scholars are known to the west by ‘western’ 

names that were given to them. As one scientist said “It was 

during the period of high Muslim apogee: 8th-13th centuries that 

most decisive scientific inventions were made, and the foundations 

of modern civilization were laid, scientists and scientific 

discoveries in their thousands, artistic creativity, great architecture, 

huge libraries, hospitals, universities, mapping of the world, 

the discovery of the sky and its secrets, and much more.” 

It is vital for our community to know where and how our scholars 

contributed to modern civilization and to acknowledge the fact 

that these foundations were laid by the efforts of our forefathers. 

This site is fairly new and is often updated with ‘new features’. 

The lay-out is pretty basic, and easy to get around. Their menu 

bar consists of four main subject matters: Virtual Civilization, 

Muslim scholars, Topics, Features, and Timeline. In addition, 

they have included a forum for visitors to discuss some of the 

themes. 

This website is unique, in that you won’t find many other 

websites dedicated to Muslim heritage. Yes, there are few but 

not nearly as comprehensive as www.muslimheritage.com. 

Tell your friends about www.muslimheritage.com, and till next 

time, surf on. 

Walking in My Shoes 

Interview with Omar Morsy Lead Animator at Ubisoft 

Cinematic (Montreal) 

Q. Where do you currently work? 

A. I work at Ubisoft cinematics as Lead animator. 

Q. What does your work entail? 

A. Making sure that the continuity of all the shots is working 

well. Manage all tasks related to animation such as shot 

distributions, shot corrections and leading the animators. 

Correct and direct all animations in agreement to the director’s 

vision. Continue to animate shots 

Q. What accomplishment are you most proud of? 

A. Beco ming lead animator in the studio. 

Q. What did you study? 

A. I studied film animation at Concordia University 

Q. What did you want to be growing up? 

A. I always wanted to be an animator; I loved cartoons to an 

almost unhealthy degree 

Q. Biggest challenge faced? 

A. I always wanted to be a 2d animator, but when I graduated 

, 2d animation had started to die , so in a span of 4 

months , I had to learn 3d animation ALONE in the basement 

, so that I could be hired for Canada’s first 3d film : 

Pinocchio 3000 

Q. How did you overcome this obstacle? 

A. I installed XSI at home and went thro the tutorial one by 

one. I made myself a small demo and presented it to Cinegroupe, 

It was not enough to land me the job but it had potential. 

They made me do animation tests at work for a couple 

of moths ….of course unpaid. Then I was hired. 

Q. Tell me how you feel being a visible minority in your work 

environment? 

A. I don’t let it become an issue; I a m well respected by the 

others artists and some of the best animators at work are of 

a minority group. My co-workers deal with me a very 

professional manner. 

Q. How do you deal with people that tell you what you are 

doing is haram? 

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A. I cant really deal with it , I’m 

not very knowledgeable and 

most of the time they are not 

either. One thing is certain 

video games have no benefit at all. 

Q. Is there room for your peronal ethics? If the subject 

matter is an Islamic for e.g. scantily dressed women, can 

you refuse to work on a project? 

A. Absolutely and we have done that before, we refused to 

work on the playboy game and a new game called campus, 

that is absolutely awful. 

Q. Recently your company refused to work on a campaign 

for the US army? Can you comment on it? 

A. We felt that it was a moral decision; we did not want to 

take part with anything that has to do with the American 

army. Alhamdullillah, we work for a French company that 

dislikes American government. 

Q. What is your favorite hobby? 

A. Watching a good cartoon on a Friday night. 

Q. What was the last book you read? 

A. World’s ten most evil men and women in the world. 

Q. What advice would you give the graduating class of 

2005? 

A. School is not enough to land a job. U must work hard on 

perfecting a demo at home before applying. 

Q. What are you short term goals? 

A. Professionally speaking would be to do the best I can 

every day 

Q. Who is the most influential person in your life? Why? 

A. Definitely the Prophet. I do not try to imitate anyone other 

then the Prophet 

Q. As a Muslim how could you give back to the Ummah? 

A. To help any Muslim who would try to enter in the field of 

animation, either by helping him or her with their demo, or 

by at least giving them a chance to an interview. 

Q. How do you balance career and family? 

A. I try not to bring my work home but it is sometimes very 

difficult. 

Writers Wanted for The Muslim Link Newspaper! 

Toronto ~ Ottawa ~ Montreal 

Email Your Submissions to: writers@muslimlink.ca

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