Real Lives

Pioneer and Pillar of Ontario’s First Mosque, Abdo Hassan, Passes Away at 94

The Muslim community in London, Ontario, and across the province is mourning the loss of a foundational figure whose life was inextricably linked to the history of Islam in Canada.

Environment

Faith in Action: Why Climate Justice Is Now a Spiritual Duty

An urgent call for moral courage and immediate climate action echoed through Toronto on November 10, 2025 as faith leaders and community members gathered for a powerful interfaith service.

Editor

Navigating 2026 with Purpose and Hope

We do not know what the new year will bring to the global stage, but we do know who holds the future. By living each moment with an eye on the Hereafter, we find the hope necessary to navigate the present.

Real Lives

The Quiet Giants: Reflecting on the Legacies of Our 2025 Community Heroes

In our fast-paced, often ego-driven world, we frequently mistake "celebrity" for "heroism." But the lives we profiled this year suggest a different definition.  A community hero is not necessarily the person with the largest platform, but the one with the deepest roots.

News

Ottawa-Gatineau Muslim Organizations Sound Alarm Over Bill C-9, Citing Threats to Religious Freedom

The United Muslim Organizations of Ottawa-Gatineau (UMO-OG) has issued a stern warning regarding the federal government's proposed Bill C-9, also known as the Combatting Hate Act, calling for a complete pause and review of the legislation.

Editor

The Goodness Around Us: Finding the Real Meaning of the Season

This season, let’s try to attain that "true goodness" by giving of ourselves.  Whether it’s a small donation, a few hours of volunteering, or just a kind word to someone who is struggling, every bit of it matters.

Editor

Beyond Bricks and Mortar: Addressing the Leadership Gap in Our Mosques

We see boards that can debate the cost of HVAC systems for hours but are paralyzed when it's time to address the "unmosqued" who no longer feel welcome. We have, perhaps unintentionally, promoted a culture where administrative busy-work is valued over empathetic, courageous leadership.

News

Groundbreaking Milestone: Newmarket Islamic Centre Begins Construction on New Purpose-Built Facility

The Muslim community in Newmarket marked a historic milestone on Saturday, December 13, 2025, as the Newmarket Islamic Centre (NIC) officially broke ground on its new permanent home.

Reflections

Admissions and Akhirah: Parent’s Dual Responsibility

Let us fill our homes with du’a, our routines with Salah, and our children’s hearts with the love of Allah. Because the most important admission is not into a prestigious institution, it is into the mercy of Allah and the gates of Paradise.

News

The Top Contender: Muhammad Takes the City

The city of Toronto has officially named Muhammad as its most popular name for baby boys in the most recent 2024–2025 data release.

Editor

A Good Conversation

Every conversation becomes an opportunity—an opening for understanding, connection, and growth. And in a world full of noise, conversations that matter are a gift we can give one another.

Real Lives

Her Final Gift to the Community: Professor Hind Al-Abadleh's Legacy Bequest

Though she was taken from us far too early in January of this year, she made the ultimate choice: a generous bequest to the Olive Tree Foundation in her will, ensuring her commitment to community continued. Her act of legacy giving defines her enduring commitment to the Canadian Muslim community.

News

Unity and Condemnation: The Australian Muslim Community Stands with Bondi

Our hearts, thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and all those who witnessed or were affected by this deeply traumatic attack. We acknowledge the pain, fear, and distress felt across the community and extend our sincere compassion and support to all who are grieving.

Real Lives

In Memoriam: Professor Abdulaziz Sachedina, A Beacon of Scholarship and Bridge-Building

Prof. Sachedina was a beacon of intellectual rigour and moral clarity whose work had a profound and lasting impact on academia, theology, and ethical discourse across the world.

News

Reviving the Islamic Spirit Convention Returns to Toronto: A Beacon of Light in a Time of Change

RIS 2025 is an annual event that reminds attendees that the spirit of Islam is inherently one of mercy, enlightenment, and enduring relevance, urging all who attend to carry that spirit forward into the year ahead.

Editor

The Quiet Legacy of Service

We realize that faith communities are not sustained by grand gestures or charismatic personalities alone, but by an army of individuals who quietly do what needs to be done, day after day, year after year.

News

A New Chapter in Mississauga: The DawaNet Community Centre Arrives

The Muslim community in Mississauga has reached a significant institutional milestone that speaks to more than just growth in numbers—it speaks to growth in vision, confidence, and collective responsibility.

News

TMU's Centre for Student Wellbeing named in honour of Nadir Mohamed

Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) has announced that its new Centre for Student Wellbeing will be named in honour of the late Nadir Mohamed, a respected Canadian business leader and longtime friend of the university

News

From Community Roots to Professional Ranks: Saud Juman’s Purpose-Driven Leadership

Now announced as the new President of the Brampton Honey Badgers in the Canadian Elite Basketball League and the first Muslim to head a professional sports team, Juman’s career is less about navigating industries and more about translating a singular, driving philosophy: "Own Your Exit."

News

Stittsville Community Unites to Unveil New Sign After Hate Incident

In a powerful display of community resilience and local government solidarity, a new permanent sign for the Stittsville Muslim Association (SMA) was officially unveiled on the morning of Thursday, December 4, 2025, in front of their community building on Stittsville Main Street.

News

Ontario NDP Honours Memory of Dr. El-Tantawy Attia

The Leader of the Official Opposition and Ontario NDP MPPs extend their heartfelt condolences to Dr. Attia’s family, Muslim Ontarians, and to all who worked closely with him.

Real Lives

Dr. Yaqub Mirza, Pioneer of Faith-Based Finance and Philanthropy

The global Muslim community and the world of ethical finance mourn the passing of Dr. Yaqub Mirza, a figure whose remarkable journey spanned physics, entrepreneurship, and visionary philanthropy.

News

Palestinian-Canadians Challenge Canada on Gaza Genocide

The lawsuit was filed last year on behalf of two Palestinian-Canadian men, Hany Batnigi and Tamer Jarada, whose families have suffered unimaginable losses as a result of Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza since October 2023. Their lived experience is at the heart of this legal challenge.

News

Muslim Groups Pledge $250,000 towards Ajax Pickering Hospital Foundation

On November 25, 2025, the Ajax Pickering Hospital Foundation were honoured to host Friends Indeed Canada as well as members from the Pickering Islamic Centre and local business owners of Iqbal Foods Ajax.

Real Lives

In Memoriam: Forough Jahanbakhsh (1957–2025)

With great sadness we remember Dr. Forough Jahanbakhsh — scholar, educator, mentor, and friend — who passed away on 14 November 2025 after a long illness.