“The Muslim community continues to make vital contributions to the economic, social and cultural fabric of our great province,” McGuinty said.

By Muneeb Nasir, IOL correspondent

TORONTO, December 25 (Islamonline.net) – The Premier of the Canadian province of Ontario, Dalton McGuinty, has sent a welcoming message to the third annual Reviving the Islamic Spirit Convention, which kicked off here on Friday, December 24.

In his message the senior official expressed his best wishes for an inspirational convention.

“The Muslim community continues to make vital contributions to the economic, social and cultural fabric of our great province,” McGuinty said.

“I applaud the thousands of enthusiastic young people who have come together this weekend in a spirit of optimism to explore ways in which Muslim youth can make a difference in the life of their community – and make the world a better place,” he added.

Thousands of Canadian Muslims flocked Friday to the Toronto Skydome, in the heart of downtown Toronto, for the opening of the three-day convention, which seeks to promote greater understanding of their faith and a more active citizenry.

The 2003 round of the convention drew an unanimous praise for the group of students who organized the event.

The media said the university students instilled into the event youthful dynamism, exceptional organizational skill, and a genuine sincerity for their religion that pleasantly surprised everyone.

Toronto, the capital of Ontario, the province that one in three Canadians call home, has the largest concentration of Muslims in the Canada.

“Legacy of the Prophet”

The convention began with the Friday congregational prayers which were led by Shaykh Abdullah Hakim Quick, a senior lecturer at Dar-ul-Arqam Institute and Director of the Dawah Department of the Muslim Judicial Council, Cape Town, South Africa.

The afternoon session was addressed by Dr. Bilal Philips, the Director of the Islamic Information Center in Dubai, UAE, who spoke on “Calling to Islam and the Characteristics of Callers.”

Looking at the Prophetic example, Philips advised the audience on ways of doing community outreach.

The event gained momentum later in the evening as more people came in drove to listen to the sessions despite the frigid temperatures in Toronto.

Dr. Tareq Al-Suwaidan, a popular TV personality in the Arab countries, captivated the audience as he related the early life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) and the establishment of the Muslim community.

Al-Suwaidan is the producer of the album, Qassas al-Anbiyaa (Lives of the Prophets), which is one of the best selling Islamic albums in the world.

He expressed his great admiration for the justice and pluralism that exists in Canada.

“I would like to express my love and admiration for this country, Canada,” he said.  “Canada shall stay great as long as it has justice.”

He encouraged the Canadian Muslim community to be exemplars of Islam.

“Muslims cannot live in isolation,” Al-Suwaidan said. “You must be involved. You must show the world the beauty of Islam,” he urged the audience.

Dr. Zakir Naik, the internationally renowned orator on Islam and comparative religion, enthralled the crowd with his presentation on references in the Abrahamic and non-Abrahamic scriptures about Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him).

He dazzled the audience with his grasp of a vast array of scriptures and his ability to provide exact references for each argument he proposed.

The evening concluded with an appearance by Amr Khaled, a London-based prominent Egyptian preacher.

He entered the stadium to much fanfare and was greeted with great enthusiasm.

Diversity of Muslims on display

“Muslims cannot live in isolation.. You must show the world the beauty of Islam,” Al-Suwaidan urged the audience.

In addition to the lectures, a colorful bazaar is being held in the stadium with displays and booths of products and services for the Muslim community.

The diversity of the Canadian Muslim community was on display Friday evening as Muslims from all ethnic groups were evident in the audience.

The number of Canadian Muslims has increased dramatically over the last decade, according to a national census.

With approximately 600,000 Muslims in the country, Islam became the number one non-Christian faith in Canada.

The census attributed the increase to immigration from South Asia, North Africa and the Middle East.