New program prepares young Canadian Muslims for leadership

(June 12, 2015) – Tarbiyah Learning Academy, a full-time independent private school in Ottawa, has announced plans to launch a unique leadership program for Canadian Muslim students from grades 5 to 8 to prepare them for future leadership in their communities.

“Good leadership qualities are widely coveted by employers and are essential in any business,” Imam Sikander Hashmi, a Tarbiyah Learning board member and architect of the program, explained. “More importantly, great Canadian Muslim leaders are likely to play a crucial role in the continued integration of Muslims in Canada over the next 50 years.”

The Canadian Islamic Leadership Program will introduce students to fundamentals in four broad areas: Leadership traits from an Islamic perspective, Islamic spirituality & character development, Islamic history and Islam in Canada.

“Islam sees leadership as an important yet heavy responsibility that must be handled with great care,” Hashmi explained. “A part of that responsibility is to understand the faith – it tenets, fundamental values and history – as well as the context in which one is leading, to ensure that faith continues to play a relevant and positive force in the lives of people and in society.”

With serious challenges facing Canadian Muslim communities, this is the time to start preparing the next generation of Canadian Muslims for what lies ahead, Hashmi said.

The school’s principal, Ghazala Choudhary, said she’s excited for the opportunities this program will open up for students.

“We always aim to bring innovation and new experiences to our school, because this is what makes learning unique for our students,” Choudhary said. “The program will be taught by guest lecturers from within the Muslim community, which will expose students to the positive Canadian Muslim role models they need to connect with.”

Tarbiyah Learning’s Canadian Islamic Leadership Program will automatically be offered to all students in Grades 5 to 8, at no additional cost, beginning in September 2015.