Muslim Organizations
Apart from establishing a mosque community, Muslims in Canada have recognized a need for services particular to their community. These services range from providing a suitable place of prayer at the university, to holding conferences so Muslims across Canada can come and learn about their faith together. More recently, Muslims realized the need to offer their voice with respect to issues and concerns discussed in the media and political arena, and the need to educate the general public about Islam and Muslims.
Since the needs of Canadian Muslims are similar to those of American Muslims, many Muslim organizations are actually chapters of larger organizations based through out North America , such as the Islamic Society of North America or ISNA www.isnacanada.com
Muslim Students' Association The Muslim Students' Association (MSA) began in the early 60s and is perhaps the oldest Muslim organization in North America . It was founded by a handful of families who felt the need to come together as Muslims, particularly to establish the Friday prayer. Most of these individuals and their young families were studying here on student visas from their home country, while others were recent immigrants.
Today, there are MSAs in almost every major university in Canada and the United States linked together by an MSA national umbrella organization. In the past ten years, MSAs have gone beyond simply providing a place for daily and Friday prayers, by arranging information sessions about Islam for non-Muslim students and university faculty. Each year a national event is held known as “Islam Awareness Week”. www.msa-natl.org
The Canadian Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN) is a national organization that empowers Canadian Muslims through community education, media engagement, anti-discrimination efforts and public advocacy. www.caircan.ca
Canadian Council of Muslim Women In the early 80s, Lila Fahlman and a group of Muslim women founded the Canadian Council of Muslim Women (CCMW) in Winnipeg , Manitoba . The first of its kind in Canada , it soon branched out to different parts of the country, from Vancouver to Halifax . The aim of the organization was to offer a united voice for Muslim women within Muslim community, but more importantly, offer a voice for Muslims in general in the greater Canadian community. www3.sympatico.ca/ccmw.london
Islamic Social Services Association One of the more recent organizations that has formed to address the welfare needs of Muslims is the Islamic Social Services Association. Although founded in 2000, ISSA has swiftly become an organization whose services are in tremendous demand by every Muslim community in North America . www.issaservices.com
There are many other online resources providing information about Islam and Canadian Muslims:
