Thursday, September 16, 2010

events in toronto

Ambition Aug



Muslim Youths gather at Long Bay Camp

Imagine going fishing, swimming, hiking, barbequing, boating, sleeping outdoors and more and still praying and eating halal! Well that’s what the Muslim Summer camp does for the last 25 years out of Ottawa. Every year parents feel safe and secured that their kids are off for a week with like minded youths who are having fun but also learning Islam in Long Bay camp. This is north of Kingston.

Interestingly when I visited there this year with my family the Jumna was being conducted by Imam Yasin Dwyer, Chief Muslim Chaplain for federal Prisons and he had it going on the docks!

The barbeque was sizzling and so were the stories coming out of camp. One thing that struck me was the cards students made during a group competition where the sisters won and these were to be sent to poor students across the seas!

ISSRA hosted seniors program for Ramadan.

Seniors gathered monthly at the downtown location to socialise and learn. They are Muslims so are often worried about Ramadan and diet. Diabetes, blood pressure or simply old age is conditions that warrant no fasting. Imam Habeeb reminded them during their many questions that Islam already is a mercy and when we act upon the concessions we get the reward as if we’re actually doing and more.


Sacred Sex Interfaith seminar

Talking about sex is taboo and for an Imam to comment on it is seen way beyond according to Moulana Yusuf Badat recently. Well the Quran talks about it and in Ramadan! Allah reminds us to approach the spouses after Iftar until dawn unlike the practise of pre Islam where a fasting person is considered at violation for having sex during the nights. Recently producers of a show Sex and Religion for Vision TV organised an interfaith panel at place that people shop the sex education and needed items- Just For Her, run by Carlyle Jansen.
Rabbi Yossi represented the Jewish Faith, Habeeb Alli spoke on behalf of Islam and Rev Ralphe Wuske answered on the Christian Faith. Among the questions presented by the moderator and from the audience was is sex for procreation only, what are some of the things the Prophet did to celebrate sex and is there a prayer before and after sex?
The comments after the panel was encouraging with people believing more of these types of progressive information and representatives are needed. Vision airs this on Sep 20th.

Hilal Meeting

While many people resort the calendar to fast and do Eid many people in GTA still depend upon the moon sighting and hence Hilal Committee of GTA held their annual ritual at Madeena Masjid in search of actual sighting in Canada, America and the Caribbean. No sighting was received from locally nor from Caribbean and when there was no sighting from America the decision was announced close to Esha that Ramadan will begin on Thursday and not Wednesday. This EdulFitr meeting will be held at Masjid Abu Bakr and will be on Sep 9th. Eid may fall on Friday Sep10th. Almost 70 organisations are members of Hilal while some others have left.
EID MUBARAK!

NAMF held Pre-Ramadan Dinner

Getting into the mood of Ramadan is sometimes required especially when so much is going on in Summer. Many centres chose to put on a dinner and lecture.
North American Muslim Foundation held a similar program at the location in Scarborough and Dr Imam Hamid Slimi was the chief guest. He spoke on Ramadan and reminded the audience that while it many be hard to fast in summer Allah respects our feelings and grants concessions for those who find it hard. Among the guests were some Christian and Jewish friends who attended the mosque for the first time and were pleased to learn about Islam and enjoy some good halal food! Appeal was made on behalf of the flood victims of Pakistan as Mr. Farouk Khan ED of NAMF, had already left to Pakistan to help in the disaster on Sep 8th. Every Sat throughout Ramadan dinner and lecture series has continued with Dr Imam Abdulhai Patel speaking one Saturday on his trip to Turkey and the rich culture he encountered there.

Twining of Mosques and Synagogues.

For the third year organisers of this interfaith concept are organising twinning. A mosque and a synagogue do an exchange where members of the synagogue would visit the mosque during Juma and in the evening Muslims would attend the synagogue and have an interfaith dialogue. Interest has increased in this in the Sates, Canada and Europe to about 50 twins. Locally the Muslim Jewish Dialogue group headed by Dr Barbara Landau and Shahid Akhtar are spearheading this and the Council of Imams has some members who are partaking. Interested persons should contact us for ore details. This will be done on third weekend of November.

Imams and Leaders hosted for Iftar at Paramount

For the second year the generosity and known tradition of entraining the Ulama in Ramadan took place at the famous best Lebanese cuisine in town- Paramount, Mississauga.
Among the many special invitees were Sh Abdala Idris, Ahmed Shehab and Ally Hindy. The owner of the restaurant was at hand to serve his guests with sumptuous cuisines and Salatul magrib was performed at the premises where many other iftar diners joined. It was simply amazing!


Open Air iftar at City Hall Toronto

For the fourth year Muslims and the public were treated to an open iftar at city hall Nathan Philip Square. Organised by TARIC mosque and the Islamic Call Society many Muslims turned out to enjoy the recitation of Qari Samir and nasheeds by a new youth choir run by Assadean Khan.
The ambience was superb with delicious food served at the end and the crowds grew even more this year with many passersby joining in the Iftar party!
One attendee said she loved the idea and it gives her pride to her faith being a worker downtown and to be part of such a different cultural item but still feel the program should entail more!
Imagine Azan sounding and the Church bell ringing at the heart of Toronto Financial district!

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