TORONTO,
December 27 (Islamonline.net) – The 3rd Reviving
the Islamic Spirit Convention concluded here Sunday, December 27, with
a seven-point action plan for renewal.
“We
must never forget the responsibility on our shoulders – we’re the
representatives of Allah on this earth and we are the hope of this
Ummah,” Dr. Abdullah Hakim Quick, a South Africa-based scholar, told
the attentive participants.
He
outlined the plan as collective tawbah (repentance) and self
analysis by Muslims; a working unity among Muslim organizations to
network strengths; a focus on families; halal alternatives for youth;
greater awareness of world issues affecting Muslims; a special
emphasis on community outreach; and providing relevant solutions to
the ails of the society.
Quick,
who was once a popular public figure in Canada and a former Imam at
Toronto’s Jami Mosque, also encouraged the audience to become more
familiar with their history.
“We
need perspective,” he said. “A people without a history have no
direction for the future.”
Thousands
of Canadian and American Muslims flocked to the Toronto Skydome, in
the heart of downtown Toronto to attend the three-day convention,
which sought to promote greater understanding of their faith and a
more active citizenry.
A
number of local and international Muslim figures and scholars took
part in the convention, themed “Legacy
of the Prophet (peace be upon him).”
Cultural
Identity
Sessions
on the last day dealt with the history of Islamic civilization,
Muslims’ presence in North America as well as developing a North
American cultural identity.
“It
is imperative that North American Muslims create a cultural identity
that is our own,” Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah told the convention.
“It
is important to develop a strong dynamic community,” added Abd-Allah,
the Scholar-in-Residence at the Chicago-based Nawawi Foundation.
Presentations
were also made by international personalities such as the London-based
Egyptian preacher Amr Khaled, Dr. Zakir Naik, the renowned orator on
Islam and comparative religion, and Dr. Tarek Al-Suwaidan, a popular
TV personality in the Arab countries.
In
addition to the lectures, a colorful bazaar was held throughout the
event in the stadium with displays and booths of products and services
for the Muslim community.
Proud
to Host
 |
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“We
are proud you are here and wish you all a successful
conference,” mayor Miller said.
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Early
in the day, the Mayor of the City of Toronto, David Miller, sent a
video message to the convention in which he expressed the city’s
pride in hosting the event.
“We
are proud you are here and wish you all a successful conference,” he
said.
“The
motto of the City of Toronto is Diversity is Our Strength,”
added the mayor.
“The
diversity within Islam reflects this.”
In
a welcoming message to the convention two days ago, the Premier of the
Canadian province of Ontario, Dalton McGuinty, expressed his best
wishes for an inspirational convention.
He
also hailed the “vital
contributions” Canadian Muslims continue to make to the
economic, social and cultural fabric of the society.
Toronto,
the capital of Ontario, the province that one in three Canadians call
home, has the largest concentration of Muslims in Canada.
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.
