Canada – International Shia News Agency

SHAFAQNA- According to a recent study, Islamophobia, defined as prejudice and hostility toward Muslims, exists in Canada. In the University of Waterloo research, one in five Muslim Canadians said that they experienced discrimination due…

Canadian Judge Who Ordered Woman to Remove Hijab Loses Bid to Quash Investigation

Canada, Featured 1

SHAFAQNA- That means more than three years after Judge Eliana Marengo told Rania El-Alloul to remove her hijab, an investigation by a special committee of the Quebec Council of the Magistrature can begin at last. Marengo tried to block…

St. Thomas Church opens doors to Muslims without prayer space

SHAFAQNA - For the first time, Muslims in St. Thomas (Canada) will have a place to worship thanks to a local church that's offered up a free weekly space. Officials at St. Hilda's St. Luke's Anglican Church, just south of London, have cleared…

Muslims, Christians in Calgary mark anniversary of Quebec mosque shooting

Americas, Canada

SHAFAQNA - Nearly one year since a mass shooting left six dead and dozens more injured in a Quebec City mosque, members of Calgary’s Muslim and Christian communities joined together for a multi-faith prayer service Sunday evening in a show…

Tragedy lessened negative image of Muslims in Quebec: Poll

SHAFAQNA - Favourable opinions of Muslims increased by 22 points following the Jan. 29, 2017 massacre at the Quebec City mosque that killed six, according to a poll by Léger for the Association for Canadian Studies (ACS) shows. Only 28…

Quebec City Muslims alarmed by increasingly public displays of racism one year after mosque shooting

SHAFAQNA - Rachid Raffa is tired and bitter. It's been 43 years since he chose to settle in Quebec City after leaving Algeria. But as his encounters with racism become more commonplace, he's come to feel less at home. "When I came to…

New Muslim fellowship connects civic-minded students with city councillors

Americas, Canada, Featured 2

SHAFAQNA - A pioneering diversity initiative at City Hall will pair 13 interns with city councillors and the mayor’s office to work as aides, starting today. The Muslim Youth Fellowship was organized by two leaders of the Urban Alliance…

Canadian Muslims to PM: Designate Day Against Islamophobia

SHAFAQNA- A Canadian Muslim civil rights group sent an open letter on Friday to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urging the government to designate January 29 as a National Day of Remembrance and Action on Islamophobia. “The ongoing impact…

Canadians Raise Money for Paralyzed Mosque Hero

Canada, Featured 2, Other News

SHAFAQNA- Canadians have started a new fundraising campaign for a Canadian Muslim who took seven bullets when he tried to distract the gunman inside Quebec mosque last January, after which he was paralyzed. “What a hero. He’s a hero…

Muslim-targeted hate crimes reduced in Canada

SHAFAQNA- Hate crimes in Canada directed at Muslims dropped in 2016 after four years of steady increases, according to a Statistics Canada report released Tuesday. Police recorded 139 such crimes last year, down by 20, marking a decrease from…

Quebec City Muslims share their stories at human library event

SHAFAQNA - Dozens of volunteers from Quebec City's Muslim community agreed to take part in a human library event on Saturday. People showing up at the Monique-Corriveau library in Sainte-Foy could sign out a "living book" and hear first-hand the…

Relax — 13 kids at Toronto City Hall is not a Muslim takeover: Paradkar

SHAFAQNA - Some see the city’s decision to support a Muslim Youth Fellowship internship program as evidence of special treatment for Muslims. Toronto’s righteous prophets of doom were thrown into a tizzy after a recent motion by city…

Muslim students reconsider Quebec universities after face-covering ban

Americas, Canada

SHAFAQNA - Two weeks ago, the passing of a controversial law in Quebec banning face coverings for those giving or receiving public services was met with public backlash. While Quebec’s Liberal government was forced to tone down its interpretation…

Saskatoon’s Muslim Community to Hold Awareness Day

SHAFAQNA- The Islamic Association of Saskatchewan (IAS) said Saskatoon is generally a tolerant and understanding community, but it’s important to continue offering opportunities to learn more. "People do have a great understanding, and…

Trial for Quebec City Mosque Shooting Suspect to Begin in March

SHAFAQNA- Superior Court Justice Raymond W. Pronovost announced the date on Friday, cp24.com reported. Alexandre Bissonnette, 27, is facing six counts of first-degree murder and six of attempted murder using a restricted firearm. The…

Canada’s Response to Rohingya Muslim Crisis

SHAFAQNA- Canada's ambassador to Myanmar is one of very few Canadians, or foreigners from anywhere, who have seen that troubled strip of land since the violence and displacement started, prompting many, including the UN and Canada, to describe…

Nine months after mosque killings, Quebec Muslims still waiting for promised change

SHAFAQNA - ‘They came to see us, they sympathized with us, but there was not any big change,’ said mosque official Boufeldja Benabdallah. After a gunman killed six worshippers inside a Quebec City mosque in January, the outpouring of…

Quebec bans face covering in public services, raising worries among Muslims

SHAFAQNA - Quebec has adopted a law that will force people to show their faces when taking the bus or borrowing a book from the library, pushing ahead with legislation that is being criticized for targeting Muslim Canadian women. Bill 62,…

Where are the Shia of Ali? Supporting the oppressed is a religious duty

SHAFAQNA - The following was forwarded to Shafaqna by a rights activist based in Toronto, Canada. For his voice to carry louder the writer chose to remain anonymous - and thus permit readers to concentrate on the message rather than the person…

CANADA - Mentorship program sees Muslim professionals mentor Muslim students

SHAFAQNA - The initiative links learners with established workers in fields where minorities lack representation. In one of the first jobs she had, Sabeen Saeed was told she would be the only woman on a team of 10 men and “asked if she…

EXCLUSIVE: ASHURA 2017 - TORONTO

SHAFAQNA - To bring you a better coverage of Ashura across the world Shafaqna has asked Firas Al Najim, a well known activist and right defender and volunteer at International Reformers For Human Rights.

Somali refugee faces terror charges in Canada attacks

SHAFAQNA- Canadian media say a Somali refugee has faced five counts of attempted murder and other terror charges in connection with the recent stabbing and car-ramming attacks in the western city of Edmonton. Police did not identify…

Letter from Canadian prime minister to Aung San Suu Kyi

SHAFAQNA - The Prime Minister spoke with Aung San Suu Kyi, the de facto leader of Burma, last week and he says he has also written her a letter. The Liberal government has been coming under increasing pressure from advocates to strip Suu Kyi…

Calgary Muslims aim for 200,000 volunteer hours for Canada 150

SHAFAQNA - There's a group of volunteers across Canada that hope to log a million hours giving back to their communities — and the Calgary contingent was in full swing Sunday. About 100 Ismaili Muslims spent the afternoon digging potatoes…

Health Canada bans main source of artificial trans fats

Canada, Health

SHAFAQNA- Health Canada is taking the final steps toward a ban on the main source of artificial trans fats in Canadian diets. The department says it is banning partially hydrogenated oils or PHOs, which are the main source of industrially…

Canadian labor union joins boycott Israel campaign