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CCMW Toronto: Engaging Men and Boys to End Violence in the Family
The Toronto chapter of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women (CCMW) invites you to attend a training series on how to facilitate workshops to engage men and boys to end violence in the family.
CCMW invites all Muslim men and women in the Greater Toronto Area to take part in our initiative to end violence against women, beginning with taking an inward look at our own families within the Muslim community.
On January 14, 2017, we will dedicate an entire day to training fellow Muslim community members on how to embark on such a massive but essential task. We will provide participants with free anti-oppression training, materials and strategies on how to create connections with mosques/Islamic centres, and social service agencies to both prevent violence and support survivors.
Let's work together to engage Muslim men as allies, challenge normative gender roles, nurture consent culture and healthy boundaries, all from an Islamic perspective!
This workshop will also be offered in Edmonton on January 28, 2017 and in Ottawa on February 4, 2017.
Please join us! To register, e-mail projects@ccmw.com
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CCMW National: Civics Works
Civics Works, a pilot project of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women (CCMW) with support from Canadian Heritage's Multiculturalism Program, is designed to enhance the civic literacy and civic engagement skills of ethnoculturally diverse youth.
We are currently inviting applications from youth aged 18-24 of diverse ethnocultural backgrounds interested in civic engagement (esp. youth interested in careers in civic engagement work). Applicants must live in Montreal, Ottawa, or Toronto and be available to participate in this project between now and March 2017.
Youth will participate in a "Civics Lab" (a series of four workshops along with goal-setting and action planning sessions with a project coordinator). Youth will also participate in a tri-city Civics Strategy Summit in February 2017 between teams of 10 youth from Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto who will collaborate together to solve a series of policy and programming problems encountered in civic engagement work.
Benefits of participating in this pilot project include:
1. Improving your understanding about how your communities work and how to work for change in them.
2. Learning new community organizing skills and sharpening existing ones through volunteer work with a local civic institution.
3. Building new working relationships with others dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in your local community.
4. Successful completion of the project will qualify you for a work reference from the CCMW.
Questions can be directed to CCMW's Project Coordinator for Civics Works at youth@ccmw.com.
To apply to participate in the project, please fill out the form below as soon as possible before December 31st, 2016.
Civics Labs have begun in Ottawa and Toronto. Pictured here are some of the diverse participants in Toronto at the Centre for Social Innovation, November 2016. To learn more or join in, visit our website.
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Muslims in Solidarity with Standing Rock
Source: Iqra
Last Saturday, November 26 a forum titled, ‘Muslims in solidarity with Standing Rock’ was held in Toronto at the Workers Action Centre.
“Now more than ever, we must take the opportunity to bring Muslims together to learn about the issues faced by indigenous communities in North America, and talk about what solidarity could look like,” noted the organizers on the event Facebook listing.
The forum’s featured speaker was Prof. Bob Lovelace, a teacher of Indigenous Studies at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario and former chief of the Ardoch Algonquin Nation. Other speakers were Mohammed Abdou and Phyllis Mckenna.
Read more here.
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MPP Raymond Cho delivers a statement on Scarborough's Muslim Welfare Centre - 'Service to Humanity is Service to God'
Author: Raymond Sung Joon Cho
Source: Iqra
The following is a statement given by Mr. Raymond Sung Joon Cho, MPP Scarborough–Rouge River, in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, November 24, 2016.
I feel very honoured to introduce the Muslim Welfare Centre, an organization that’s been providing excellent community services locally and internationally for over 20 years.
The centre is located in my riding of Scarborough–Rouge River.
It serves all communities without any distinction.
Their services include three food banks, school nutrition programs in 19 GTA schools, Meals on Wheels, two free medical clinics, and the list goes on.
Twenty years ago, they also established a shelter for needy women and children.
It provides culturally sensitive services for them.They began a new tradition by providing the first free halal Sunday lunch for homeless people in the Regent Park area. Read more here.
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CCMW Ottawa: Engaging Men and Boys to End Violence in the Family
The Ottawa chapter of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women (CCMW) invites you to attend a training series on how to facilitate workshops to engage men and boys to end violence in the family.
CCMW invites all Muslim men and women in Ottawa to take part in our initiative to end violence against women, beginning with taking an inward look at our own families within the Muslim community.
On February 4, 2017, we will dedicate an entire day to training fellow Muslim community members on how to embark on such a massive but essential task. We will provide participants with free anti-oppression training, materials and strategies on how to create connections with mosques/Islamic centres, and social service agencies to both prevent violence and support survivors.
Let's work together to engage Muslim men as allies, challenge normative gender roles, nurture consent culture and healthy boundaries, all from an Islamic perspective!
This workshop will also be offered in Toronto on January 14, 2017 and in Edmonton on January 28, 2017.
Please join us! To register, e-mail projects@ccmw.com
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Sign the petition - Trudeau: Stop Illegal Extradition of Abuse Survivor and Single Mom, MM
We agree with you, Mr. Trudeau, when you declare: "It takes tremendous courage and resilience to break free from abuse.... I stand in solidarity with victims, with survivors, and with families and loved ones.”
That is why we are asking you to stand with abuse survivor MM, a Canadian-born mother of three Canadian children and survivor of male violence whose only “crime” was in choosing to live and to protect herself and her children from physical, psychological, and emotional abuse.
Your government is trying to send MM to the USA, where she will be left with no proper legal defence for saving her children from abuse, and she may face several decades behind bars as a result.
MM's only "crime" was in choosing to live and to protect herself and her children from physical, psychological, and emotional abuse. Read and sign the full petition here.
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CCMW Toronto: Saima Hussain launches her book "The Muslimah who fell to Earth: Personal stories by Canadian Muslim Women"
On November 16, 2016, The Canadian Council of Muslim Women in tandem with the Tessellate Institute hosted the book launch of Saima Hussain's The Muslimah who fell to Earth: Personal Stories by Canadian Muslim Women.
The book is an anthology of twenty-two personal stories are told by women from practically all backgrounds and persuasions. From devout to not-so devout, from professionals to housewives, from westernized to traditional, from wearing jeans to hijab, or niqab, with women originally from Africa to North America to Pakistan to the Middle East. In this way, their own ways and what it means to them to be a Muslim woman (a Muslimah) is revealed. The book can be purchased from Amazon.
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Masque Night: A Charity Gala
On Thursday December 22nd, 2016, FAME Media is hosting a charity gala at the Fairmont Royal York. This Gala was put together to bring together like-minded young professionals who are seeking an opportunity to make a difference and give back. The goal is to work with different organizations/charities which have been dedicated to making a difference in lives of the less fortunate.
This year, FAME Media is excited to work in partnership with IDRF and Fungama as their Charity Partners. Proceeds from this event will be donated to IDRF & Fungama, in their quest to make this world a better place. Doors open at 7:00pm. For more nformation or to purchse tickets, click here.
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CCMW Edmonton: Engaging Men and Boys to End Violence in the Family
The Edmonton chapter of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women (CCMW) invites you to attend a training series on how to facilitate workshops to engage men and boys to end violence in the family.
CCMW invites all Muslim men and women in Edmonton to take part in our initiative to end violence against women, beginning with taking an inward look at our own families within the Muslim community.
On January 28, 2017, we will dedicate an entire day to training fellow Muslim community members on how to embark on such a massive but essential task. We will provide participants with free anti-oppression training, materials and strategies on how to create connections with mosques/Islamic centres, and social service agencies to both prevent violence and support survivors.
Let's work together to engage Muslim men as allies, challenge normative gender roles, nurture consent culture and healthy boundaries, all from an Islamic perspective!
This workshop will also be offered in Toronto on January 14, 2017 and in Ottawa on February 4, 2017.
Please join us! To register, e-mail projects@ccmw.com
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CCMW Toronto: JAYU: UNVEILED: THE KOHISTAN VIDEO SCANDAL
CCMW is a proud sponsor of the world premiere of JAYU: UNVEILED: THE KOHISTAN VIDEO SCANDAL, a film directed by Brishkay Ahmed!
Film Synopsis:
In a remote village in Northern Pakistan, a cellphone video emerged depicting a group of women clapping and singing, and men dancing. Rumors start to swirl that the young women were put to death by their local Jirga (a traditional quasi-legal council) for the shame brought to their families. Frustrated by stalled official investigations, journalist Haseeb Khawaja dives into the story to determine the true fate of the young people involved. Brishkay Ahmed’s gripping film is a remarkable and harrowing journey into this violent collision of cultures, technology, and tradition. Click here to purchase tickets.
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Canada's first Hijabi anchor hopes to change stereotype
Author: Dina al-Shibeeb
Source: Al-Arabiya
Ginella Massa, who on Friday became the first Canadian woman donning the Islamic veil covering the hair known as hijab, told Al Arabiya English that she hopes this will change “misconceptions” about Muslim women.
“I hope being on air in the hijab can help change perceptions about what Muslim women can do and be, especially in today’s climate when there are so many misconceptions about us,” Massa, who works for CityNews, said.
While the hardline militant group known as ISIS has killed so many Muslims, especially in areas it occupies in both Syria and Iraq, there are stereotypes in the West about Muslims, leading to what experts dub as Islamophobia.
Another typical stereotype is that Muslim women have no rights and are generally confined to do household and kitchen chores. Keep reading here.
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CCMW Ottawa: Books and Biryani
On November 24th, 2016, chapter 2 of Books and Biryani, "Reconciliation: Listening to Indiginous History", was held in spirit of continuation of our commitment to connect with our indigenous sisters and brothers, and hear their stories of memory, loss and reconciliation.
The esteemed guest author was Waubgeshig Rice (novelist and CBC journalist) and the event was moderated by Adrian Harewood of CBC News.
The event garnered much praise, with one of the attendants stating that "I just wanted to thank you for putting together that great event last night! This kind of thing creates such an important and unique dynamic that's rare in Ottawa, and it really helps to fill a gap and raise consciousness".
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ELiDA: Aspiring towards self-reliant, productive and integrated citizens of Ethiopia.
Empathy for Life Integrated Development Association (ELiDA) was first established by the initiation and reputation of women professional friends from different disciplines (the founding members of the association) who could not get the heart to pass over the timely multi-dimensional psychological, social, socio-economic and health related problems of the needy and front line victims of the community with especial focus on women, children and youths.
The association is aimed at alleviating unemployment and under employment problems of youths and destitute women through viable income generating activities, feasible micro-financing and income oriented skill, vocational and technical education and training programs. Besides, Orphan and Vulnerable Children (OVCs), children with disabilities and other vulnerable children/youths who lack basic needs, are out of school and have difficulty in schooling due to several abject poverty initiated heart rendering problems will also be supported under the association’s integrated development programs in the areas of food and nutrition, education and training, shelter and care, psycho-social support, health care services, legal protection and economic strengthening services as per the standard service delivery guideline of the Government of Ethiopia.
To learn more about ELiDA, please click here.
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Toronto Police chaplain speaks out after online comments on women's 'obedience' draw concern
A newly-appointed chaplain for Toronto police is speaking out after coming under fire from the police union for comments made about marriage and women’s duties to their husbands.
Musleh Khan says he appreciates the criticism of his choice of words after a 2013 webinar surfaced.
Titled 'The Heart of the Home: the Rights and Responsibilities of a Wife', the webinar is intended for Muslim couples. In it, Khan states that a woman must be “obedient” to her husband.
In the almost hour-long seminar, Khan is heard saying that a woman must make herself available and “not withhold this right from her husband without a valid excuse,” such as sickness or obligatory fasting. The video is posted on the YouTube page for Pure Matrimony, a dating site that brands itself for “practicing single Muslims.”
Read the full article here.
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Women's College Hospital: Post-doctoral Fellow Position Available
A post-doctoral fellow position is available in the Women's Xchange, Women's College Research Institute at Women's College Hospital.
Women's Xchange is a women's health knowledge translation and exchange centre based at Women's College Hospital. Funded by the Minsitry of Health and Long-Term Care's Health System Research Fund, the centre is advancing the latest knowledge about the health of women to care providers, scientists, policy makers and community leaders. By promoting the development of women's health research across the province, the centre aims to create a more equitable and sustainable health care system for women and all Ontarians.
The fellowship will support the integration of sex and gender into health services research projects related to diabetes and other chronic conditions, including knoweldge transfer and dissemination related to these projects. There is the possibility of developing an independent study.
Please forward resumes and cover letters to robin.mason@wchospital.ca by Monday December 19, 2016.
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Muslim-Catholic Student/Young Adult Dialogue
The Muslim-Catholic Student/Young Adult Dialogue, supported by the Office of Ecumenical and Interfaith Affairs of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto and the Canadian Council of Imams, strives to foster mutual and deeper understandings of the Islamic and Catholic faiths. The dialogue supports uniting and life-giving friendships between Catholic and Muslim students through thought-provoking dialogues on topics related to both faiths and by living out these faiths through social service activities.
On Thursday December 22, 2016 at 6:30pm, the Muslim-Catholic Student/Young Adult Dialogue will be hosting a dialogue meeting and Christmas sale! Join Muslims and Catholics to dialogue about Islamic and Christian beliefs and to put faiths into action through social service activities.
For more information, click here or contact Father Damian MacPherson at dmacpherson@archtoronto.org, Vivian Kwok at vkowk@archtoronto.org, or Dr. Hamid Slimi at ihslimi@gmail.com.
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Claiming what women need emotionally is the next step for women
Author: Rosjke Hasseldine
Source: Huffington Post
I believe that the next stage in women’s evolution involves speaking what women need emotionally. Most women come from families that have for generations been focused on what men think and need, and within this climate, what women need has been ignored and denied, creating lives in which women have suffered from emotional neglect. And as daughters, we have grown up not hearing our mothers speak openly and honestly about what they need. We watched our mothers and grandmothers wear selflessness and sacrifice like a badge of honor. And not having heard the language that inquires after and honors what women need emotionally has made us forget that this language exists. It has made us struggle, like our mothers have, to identify what we need emotionally. And it has stopped us from noticing that we are being emotionally neglected when our feelings and needs are not inquired after or honored.
In my family, for example, my mother and grandmother never voiced what they needed emotionally. And I never heard my father and grandfather ask their wives how they were feeling or show empathy or emotional support when they were upset. In my family women are viewed as caregivers, not care receivers. And not having witnessed anything different, I recreated this emotional neglect in my own relationships and marriage until I woke up and realized how invisible I was without my needs voice. I started to realize how I had learned to emotionally silence myself and how detrimental this was to my emotional wellbeing, my visibility and equality in my marriage and all my relationships, and in my work life. Read the full article here.
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IRCNFF: Call For Graphic Artist
The Immigrant and Refugee Communities - Neighbours Friends and Families (IRCNFF) Campaign is an Ontario-wide campaign to raise awareness about the signs and risk factors of domestic violence, and help people close to an at-risk woman or an abusive man know how to offer support.
The IRCNFF Campaign is committed to principles of equity and anti-racism, and focuses on immigrant and refugee communities because of the additional barriers faced by these communities, such as legal status, economic exclusion, racism, language barriers, and isolation.
The IRCNFF Campaign is producing a new printed poster and brochure series with information about domestic violence, tailored to address the needs of newcomer women. The poster and brochure series will be translated into different languages and be distributed to communities across Ontario.
IRCNFF is looking for a graphic artist to create images for our poster and brochure series that will make them stand out, break stigma, and offer hope. The artist will receive a $1000 honorarium for their work.
If you are interested, please send a cover letter and three samples of your work to Sidrah at smahmad@ocasi.org by January 2, 2017.
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New charter to help Muslim residents feel safer in the Waterloo region
The Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council hopes adopting a new Charter for Inclusive Communities will head off anti-Muslim sentiments that appear to have jumped north of the border after the U.S. election.
“There’s a real, sort of, concern that rhetoric will spill over, and already we have seen a number of incidents,” said Sarah Shafiq, community-at-large member with the council and member of the Coalition of Muslim Women of KW.
“Islamophobia, it’s a huge industry,” Shafiq told The Morning Edition‘s host Craig Norris on Wednesday.
A study by the Center for American Progress in 2011 revealed seven charitable groups gave $42.6 million to Islamophobia think tanks between 2001 and 2009. Continue reading here.
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Ottawa Muslim Women Organization donates $6000 in support of the integration of Syrian Refugee children in Canadian Society
On November 29, 2016, OMWO presented a $6000 donation cheque to the following schools, identified by Ottawa Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) as the highest needs schools with the largest refugee student populations. Each of these schools received between 30-50 Syrian students: Charles H. Hulse Public School, Blossom Park Public School, and Henry Munro Middle School.
The $6000 donation cheque was presented at the board office at 133 Greenbank Road to the Principals of the three schools along with their trustees and superintendents. The donation amount ($2000 for each school) consists of partially zakat money entrusted to OMWO as well as an amount donated by OMWO. The donation is meant to facilitate the transition of Syrian Refugee kids into the main stream Canadian society while at the same time preserving their cultural values.
As such, the donation will be used to cover various needs of these Syrian Refugee students including basics such as food, clothing and medical needs alongside integration activities such as field trips, Canadian cultural experiences and presentations in the school.
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